growatt min 3600 tl-x not generating on one string

[johncooper0502]

Hi on my two string inverter I have got two panels at 425watt facing East and four panels facing West should I not get a little bit more wattage at times then 0.7 watt as shown in pv 2? I never got any more than .7 w yet when the sun is due east the four panels facing West get easy 150 Watt I think there is something wrong?Do both strings need to be over the start-up voltage or if one string has started the inverter should it be tracking/producing on both strings? i am just looking for an opinion on how much I should be getting minimum on the 2 panels, so i am not chasing a fault that is not there.

 

[binky]

start up voltage applies to each MPPT so 76V is unlikely to be enough to get working as most start working at 100/120V

What inverter do you have?

 

[johnb2713]

100v minimum startup voltage.....

 

[johncooper0502]

100v minimum startup voltage.....

View attachment 16739

Yes but was not sure if it applied to each string, or if one string was over that was enough, do you think an optimizer could help?

 

[binky]

Yes but was not sure if it applied to each string, or if one string was over that was enough, do you think an optimizer could help?

Optimisers will do nothing useful, your inverter is basically too big for the array..

Mppts work independently of each other, that's the whole point of them. It's something not made clear on the spec sheets.

 

[johncooper0502]

Optimisers will do nothing useful, your inverter is basically too big for the array..

Mppts work independently of each other, that's the whole point of them. It's something not made clear on the spec sheets.

My garden off grid ones will produce at low voltage, would there be a way temporarily to
trick the mppt to start up at the lower voltage as it would surely produce some watts like my off-grid garden ones do.

 

[binky]

My garden off grid ones will produce at low voltage, would there be a way temporarily to
trick the mppt to start up at the lower voltage as it would surely produce some watts like my off-grid garden ones do.

what are your garden panels connected to?

You could fit two optimisers and link all 6 panels to one string - not sure what exactly that will do, but it should generate some output from the 2 panels that are currently doing nothing.

Probably better off buying one of these, 50V start up voltage https://www.bimblesolar.com/Growatt...KDr_i-BfozusqsTqlotsPJ8uk6_Vq6iBoCSgcQAvD_BwE

 

[johncooper0502]

what are your garden panels connected to?

You could fit two optimisers and link all 6 panels to one string - not sure what exactly that will do, but it should generate some output from the 2 panels that are currently doing nothing.

Probably better off buying one of these, 50V start up voltage https://www.bimblesolar.com/Growatt...KDr_i-BfozusqsTqlotsPJ8uk6_Vq6iBoCSgcQAvD_BwE

Garden ones are connected to an off-grid battery invertrter

 

[bladerunnerpv]

Do you know the Voc value for your east facing panels? Then you can work out the string voltage to see if they can get over the inverter startup voltage.

The garden panels are likely to have different Voc and presumably are fed into different spec of inverter, so unfortunately comparing your two systems is probably not comparing like with like. A bit more info could help make a comparison.

Hope you find a way to resolve your problem.

Possible to add a panel of same type to east to increase the string voltage?

 

[johncooper0502]

Do you know the Voc value for your east facing panels? Then you can work out the string voltage to see if they can get over the inverter startup voltage.

The garden panels are likely to have different Voc and presumably are fed into different spec of inverter, so unfortunately comparing your two systems is probably not comparing like with like. A bit more info could help make a comparison.

Hope you find a way to resolve your problem.

Possible to add a panel of same type to east to increase the string voltage?

It was a third-party installation, they did not have enough room on the west side of the house for the 6 so put 2 eastside, ultimately they got to sort it out, but they are dragging their feet to do it. first, there was a problem with one of the connectors.
Just looking for tempry solutions, mention only garden panels and inverter as to say that when they get 70 volts it its easy to get 170 plus, so if I could just the mppt tracking to wake up it should produce something, perhaps put a battery with it to con it that gets the voltage? VOC 38.8

 

[binky]

It was a third-party installation, they did not have enough room on the west side of the house for the 6 so put 2 eastside, ultimately they got to sort it out, but they are dragging their feet to do it. first, there was a problem with one of the connectors.
Just looking for tempry solutions, mention only garden panels and inverter as to say that when they get 70 volts it its easy to get 170 plus, so if I could just the mppt tracking to wake up it should produce something, perhaps put a battery with it to con it that gets the voltage? VOC 38.8

Any interference will void any warranty. Leave it alone and get the installer to sort out their **** design. And the answer to that is 2 inverters.