Green Building Forum - PV grid voltage fault

PV grid voltage fault

SteamyTea — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:45:51 +0000

That would be a third of my household energy use yesterday.

PV grid voltage fault

CornwallSolar — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:09:16 +0100

If it's a Schuco 2500HF then you could change the code yourself. They are rebadged SMA inverters so have a look for the SB2500HF codes. I've got them in the office but I'm afraid I don't know them off the top of my head.
If you take off the large DC isolator (large bit of plastic that makes up the black bottom of the inverter) there's then a black plastic box that can be pulled down. Open the cover and there's 3 dials which need setting to the correct numbers for the UK.

any help you need then contact me through http://www.cornwallsolarpanels.co.uk/quotes-and-surveys.html?random=0

PV grid voltage fault

Gavin_A — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:15:48 +0100

that won't work after the installation has been operating for 10 hours (IIRC). After that point you'll need the grid guard code to change the country setting.

it bugs me why this seems to be cropping up so much, surely all installers should be verifying that the inverter says g83/1 on it before signing the system off as being commissioned.

PV grid voltage fault

SteamyTea — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:55:28 +0100

How do you get this 'Grid Guard Code'. I know someone that seems to have the same problem.

PV grid voltage fault

Gavin_A — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:13:40 +0100

Posted By: SteamyTeaHow do you get this 'Grid Guard Code'. I know someone that seems to have the same problem.

afaik you need to be an accredited installer and apply to SMA for it.

If the installer is refusing to sort it out, just tell them you'll be informing the DNO that they've made a false statement on the appendix 3 notification (assuming they did one), and have connected a system with the wrong protection settings... them and MCS and REAL.

PV grid voltage fault

SteamyTea — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:19:32 +0100

So does the dealer have the codes?

PV grid voltage fault

Gavin_A — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:37:12 +0100

some may, most probably don't (if by dealer you mean the distributor rather than the installer).

tbh we've never needed it so far because we're not muppets, set our inverters up properly and check it says g83 on it during the commissioning process... oh, and we actually read the installation manual the first time we installed an HF inverter to find out what we were supposed to do with the cartridge it came with.

PV grid voltage fault

SteamyTea — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 06:19:46 +0100

Thanks
May seem he during the week so shall ask him what he knows about it.

PV grid voltage fault

pmusgrove — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:39:10 +0100

Had a problem yesterday with my inverter cutting out. At first I thought it was due to excessive grid voltage but after checking resistance all the way back to the supply point and tightening all the joints couldn't find anything that had changed. Also the grid voltage on the Aurora was only showing about 258V at cut out when it should go up to 264V and cut out was occuring whenever the sun came out. Supply was at about 245V but when I started up a 1000W circular saw the voltage would momentarily drop to <220V before climbing back up again (with the PV off). So went for a walk to look at all the poles as Western Power were around a couple of weeks ago to play with them (over a few fields and about 100m). Gave each one a good shake and cured the problem. I can only presume that the cut out was not due to excessive voltage but rapid variation in voltage that was being caused by things being turned on and off in the house. The resistive variation was in the line to us from the local transformer caused by a loose connection. Any thoughts?

PV grid voltage fault

CWatters — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:20:10 +0100

I wonder how accurate the voltage measurements are...

100 * (264-258)/258 = 2.3%

Is your meter or the over voltage detector in the inverter that accurate?

PV grid voltage fault

pmusgrove — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:43:08 +0100

The accuracy of the meter and the avo worried me as well but I presume that the inverter takes its own reading as the right one so if it said 258V on the read out and still cut out at that level it was not cutting out because of too high a grid voltage. Hence my presumption that it was variation that it did not like.

PV grid voltage fault

pmusgrove — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:03:17 +0100

The inverter is an Aurora.