Fronius IG Plus inverter issue?

[ronbot]

Thanks Bruce for the advice. The problem didn't however turn out to be the breaker. The problem was that the installer (a year and 9 months ago) didn't fully tighten down the AC line connection inside the inverter. The AC terminal on the circuit board in the inverter had a high resistance connection to the AC grid line and burned up. The inverter now needs to be replaced. The repair tech said he had seen this happen several times.

Any progress with getting this repaired?
(not sure why they said it would need to be replaced, versus repaired)

[SunEagle]

I think that could happen at any high current terminal. I've gotten into tightening them
periodically. Also I might run a check near the end of peak power on a long sunny day.
All wires are checked for excessive heat, esp close to terminals. A thermal non contact
meter gets used too. There is enough AC current to warm 4 gauge; but it had better not
be excessive. Perhaps the thermal cycles tend to work loose the connections. Bruce Roe

One of the best tools I have ever used for electrical PM work is the Infrared camera. It will spot a problem way before a loose connection burns up the wire.

[bcroe]

Thanks Bruce for the advice. The problem didn't however turn out to be the breaker. The problem was that the installer (a year and 9 months ago) didn't fully tighten down the AC line connection inside the inverter. The AC terminal on the circuit board in the inverter had a high resistance connection to the AC grid line and burned up. The inverter now needs to be replaced. The repair tech said he had seen this happen several times.

I think that could happen at any high current terminal. I've gotten into tightening them
periodically. Also I might run a check near the end of peak power on a long sunny day.
All wires are checked for excessive heat, esp close to terminals. A thermal non contact
meter gets used too. There is enough AC current to warm 4 gauge; but it had better not
be excessive. Perhaps the thermal cycles tend to work loose the connections. Bruce Roe

[k1rod]

Failure solved

Thanks Bruce for the advice. The problem didn't however turn out to be the breaker. The problem was that the installer (a year and 9 months ago) didn't fully tighten down the AC line connection inside the inverter. The AC terminal on the circuit board in the inverter had a high resistance connection to the AC grid line and burned up. The inverter now needs to be replaced. The repair tech said he had seen this happen several times.

[bcroe]

I have the same issue with my Fronius IG Plus 7.5K. I have a persistent State 207 error. If I recycle the power to the inverter (with the knob at the bottom of the inverter), it begins the initialization sequence but about 5 seconds into it, goes back to State 207. I don't think the problem has anything to do with the breaker, the AC disconnects or the grid power itself. I measured the AC voltage right at the AC disconnect sitting next to the inverter and the phase to phase voltage was 248. I measured the frequency with an oscilloscope and a high voltage diff probe and the frequency is dead on at 60 Hz. So I believe the problem is in the inverter itself. Does anybody have any experience with this particular failure? Thanks.

I have a pair of those inverters. Running at capacity all day, one of them eventually took out
its 40A breaker. Code 207 means "no grid voltage detected", could be a breaker fault. I would
at least TRY a different circuit breaker to see if it makes any difference. Bruce Roe

[k1rod]

Does anybody know what the resolution was?

I have the same issue with my Fronius IG Plus 7.5K. I have a persistent State 207 error. If I recycle the power to the inverter (with the knob at the bottom of the inverter), it begins the initialization sequence but about 5 seconds into it, goes back to State 207. I don't think the problem has anything to do with the breaker, the AC disconnects or the grid power itself. I measured the AC voltage right at the AC disconnect sitting next to the inverter and the phase to phase voltage was 248. I measured the frequency with an oscilloscope and a high voltage diff probe and the frequency is dead on at 60 Hz. So I believe the problem is in the inverter itself. Does anybody have any experience with this particular failure? Thanks.

[KRenn]

This breaker is not in the inverter, it is in the main breaker panel. Yes I do have to pull it all of the way off, and then all the way back "on." I think that I am starting to think that maybe it really just is the breaker itself and not the inverter at all.

do you think its possible that the inverter is just pumping out way more electricity than the breaker can handle?

LR

Faulty breaker, pretty sure of it..........haven't read the other replies but it could also be an issue where the electric panel should have been upgraded and now the box gets overloaded at times.

[Naptown]

In theory no it is below the rated capacity of the breaker.
this is not to say that the breaker is not defective.
Have an electrician replace the breaker and all should be good.

[LRob]

When you have to reset the breaker is the handle in the center position and you have to turn it all the way off then back on again?
And this breaker is not in the inverter there aren't any in the inverter.

This breaker is not in the inverter, it is in the main breaker panel. Yes I do have to pull it all of the way off, and then all the way back "on." I think that I am starting to think that maybe it really just is the breaker itself and not the inverter at all.

do you think its possible that the inverter is just pumping out way more electricity than the breaker can handle?

LR

[Naptown]

When you have to reset the breaker is the handle in the center position and you have to turn it all the way off then back on again?
And this breaker is not in the inverter there aren't any in the inverter.

[LRob]

If it is the breaker in the panel box for the house it may also be a bad breaker that is tripping as things hit peak power.
call Solar City and schedule a service call or just leave it off they will come running when they see it off for a few days.

LOL - honestly solar city has been largely unaware of the issue for some reason. The only way we figured this out in the first place was that I logged into the monitoring system and found that there was an error message in the monitoring system that dated back to june 9th. Solar city had done absolutely nothing as far as contacting us went to let us know that there was a problem. Since then there have been a few days here and there that I haven't been home, and the system has popped off the grid for a couple days and again no notification from solar city.


thanks for all the help though to everyone who has chimed in.

[peakbagger]

Sorry, I misunderstood. if the breaker handle is in the off position prior to you doing anything, then I agree its probably a breaker issue. If on the other hand they have you turn it off and then back on again, its probably the inverter.

[Naptown]

If it is the breaker in the panel box for the house it may also be a bad breaker that is tripping as things hit peak power.
call Solar City and schedule a service call or just leave it off they will come running when they see it off for a few days.

[peakbagger]

Give the folks at Fronius a call. I have had good luck with them. Have you serial number in hand.

I expect that it may be a low or high grid voltage issue, I have a friend that had a similiar issue where the utility was allowing the voltage to go out of range. The strange part is that usually a code like that will normally cause the inverter to shut off until the grid is stable, wait five minutes and then go back on line. From your description it sounds like once it shuts down, it stays down until you reset it. If this is the case it sounds like the inverter software is buggy.

[LRob]

What is the number molded into the trip and reset handle?
It will need to be higher than 30 as that inverter at peak production can put out over 30A

The trip and reset handle reads "40" and its written in two places (which i thought meant 240?, but maybe I understood it incorrectly)