Solar SMA Problem

[roys]

OK my little solar experts:

Just come back from holiday checked the Sunny Beam monitor for the solar production and no generation since the 7th Feb.

Looking in the event logs there is two or three events up toand between the end of Jan and the 1st of Feb with message 'Isolat. Resistance' but it still worked up to the 7th Feb.

On the 7th Feb there is 5 events with the message 'waiting f.D.C. start cond.' and then no output at all from then on.

So just been up on the roof for a wee nosey, found a connector that wasn't sheltered under the panels, opened it and found that it had a bit of surface corrosion on the connection pin, gave it a clean put it back together.

Went inside to the inverter restarted it still no generation and on the front green display the single line diagram is showing and open circuit on the AC side between the Inverter and the pylon picture.

Checked the MCB and RCD on it own dedicated consumer unit and all OK.

System details: Commissioned March 2011

10 Yingli 235-29b-1 Panels (Total of 2.35kW)

Sunny Boy 2500HF Inverter

So Sunny Boy has about a month on its 5 year Warranty.

Any ideas on what checks I should be doing next?

Cheers

 

[roys]

Sorry CB forgot to put those readings on my opening post. Measured by pulling the AC and DC plugs out of the Sunny Boy and switching isolator ON.

AC 239V

DC 343V

More wondering if there is a reset on the Sunny Boy or other clutching at straw type things

 

[Barx]

My experience tells me that isolation faults are normally flagged up by a dodgy earth path. Something that wouldn't be picked up from the above tests. Do a ze and zs at the inverter plug. Check readings. Maybe will shed some light.

 

[roys]

Looked up the fault on SMA site and it linked to a youtube tech video for that fault,, they showed you disconnecting the DC tails and the inverter checking each tail to earth with meter on DC and it should drop to zero, so I did that test started of at 26 ish V and dropped to 4.3V in about 10 seconds.

Think it is curtains for the inverter, took the cover of can't see anything resettable. Time to get onto SMA.

Can't work out the bad earth path thing as the panels are isolated from earth along with the cable run so is the monitoring system in the inverter doing something else clever to sense the bad connection?  As I said earlier I did find a DC connection with a slight bit of surface corrosion on the roof.

 

[binky]

just replaced one of those today, just wouldn't register AC or DC supplies. New inverter in 3 days, get onto SMA

 

[roys]

Well just got my new inverter from SMA fitted back generating again, that was a close call 3 weeks left on a 5 year warranty. Back generating again.

 So next thing how do I check of Optitrak is enabled, I have just regestered with sunny portal but when I go in to enter the system details it wants a pic and rid number and from what I can gather these are for webconnect system where I want to connect using Bluetooth.

cheers

 

[roys]

Just managed to download sunny explorer and get it talking with Bluetooth between computer and inverter, downside is I can't see where the Optitrac option is.

 

[roys]

You need to log int the Inverter with your laptop and the SMA software to see if OptiTrak is enabled

Yes able to do that now with my laptop and sunny explorer download, bluetoothing lin, but can't see the Optitrac option once I am logged in.  Any ideas?

 

[binky]

if it's a like for like replacement, Optitrac didn't exist, if it's a new upto date inverter Optitrac comes set as ON these days

 

[roys]

The inverter is the Sunny Boy 2500HF.  It has a refurbished label on it saying refurbished Feb 2016.

 

[roys]

Optitrac is on the 2500HF - so long as its the latest F/W

Just well hidden

 

[roys]

You found it then - yes it is well hidden and all the SMAs i have done it was turned off by default, there is also a time for the optitrac from memory

No still not found it CB, that why I am saying it is well hidden, it is not below the grid guard menu is it, need a separate password for that if it is.