Solar PV Hints, Tips & Troubleshooting

shoehorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071983#Comment_121071983

No actually. I'll try that. Thanks for tip

DrPhilG

My turn to have Myenergi issues.

Charge kept cutting in and out constantly. Would be charging at a good speed then the 30s timer starts and counts down to 0, then it goes back to "awaiting surplus" even though there's 4+ going to the grid.

If I restricted the cars AC speed and used boost rather than the surplus, it charged fine at a steady 2kW.

championc

Did you do a Firmware upgrade ? If so, did you do the Master first ?

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073506#Comment_121073506

Haven't updated any firmware in a while!

jkforde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073488#Comment_121073488

do have you an Eddi? if so, is it priority 1?

championc

Actually, a friend recently had an issue where BOTH his Eddi and Zappi were Priority one.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073488#Comment_121073488

It's not this issue....?

https://myenergi.info/eco-modes-frustration-t3738.html

Does it go away when the charger is on normal mode rather than ECO/ECO+?

championc

The only other explanation is either your Device Limit is set, or the car is not calling for enough charge

shoehorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073065#Comment_121073065

I did the firmware updates and somehow I ended up in a worse state than when I started!

After doing the zappi update, I started getting 'Local Comms Lost' error. myenergi help pages told me to remove any devices that had a '?' next to it. So I removed a 'harvi' device that had a ? on the Eddi (I don't have a harvi), and a 'hub' device from the zappi.

I also re-paired the two devices to each other, with Eddi as master.

Then I noticed neither device had 'Grid' set on CTConfig, so I added Grid on Eddi alone (both have CTINT).

Still the Local Comms error persists, and EV charging will work for only a few seconds before cutting out.

myenergi help said via email that it's a problem with the pilot signal in the cable, and they are going to swap it out under warranty, but I'm trying to see if something else is at play, so I can charge my car!

jkforde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085821#Comment_121085821

have you tried restarting all the devices including your router?

shoehorn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121085954#Comment_121085954

Yes tried that . No joy

Should there be a vhub set up on one of the devices? I did so on the Eddi

beet_root

Does anyone use solarman smart app? I have a new install (about 3 months) and for the last month both inverter and logger are showing as offline in the app so I'm not getting any data. Spoke to the installers and they suggested restarting the inverter ( did this, worked for a few hrs but offline again). They then said that the problem was with the app and I should wait for the next update. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem and can offer any suggestions. Everything else seems to be working, can check on ESB networks, thanks

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121087908#Comment_121087908

Seems it started with the last update? Maybe try an older version of the app? I'm only guessing though! https://apkpure.com/solarman-smart/com.igen.xiaomaizhidian/versions

delmonte4

How's it going, I have a 5k Solis Hybrid invertor setup since January with 5x410w panels on the east facing side of my roof and 5 on the south facing side (its a hipped roof). I think the most generation I have managed in a day was 27kWh. I have been toying with the idea of building a Pergola at the north and far end of the back garden facing south and putting another 6 panels onto it to catch the sun, thus increasing power generation. As there is currently 5 east facing panels on 1 string and 5 on the south facing string, I'm wondering could I connect the new south facing panels to the existing south facing string easily enough? Has anybody any experience of a similar project or any advice on pitfalls or snags I may face? Its a 50ft long garden approximately so would need a cable that factors in the length of the garden and up to the attic where the invertor is located in regards to voltage loss etc. Any advice would be much appreciated

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103899#Comment_121103899

Mod note: I've deleted the duplicate post on the old thread and merged with this one which would be more appropriate.

As for the topic at hand, distance of 50ft is inconsequential.

As you have a 5kw inverter it is likely you have a free mppt on that inverter where you could just plug in your new string. Then the 2 strings won't interfere with each other.

never mind, I only thought you had 5 panels!, go with 10-10-20

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103899#Comment_121103899

(I was typing this in the original thread, got moved here instead)

Hi, it can be done. You do have the option of paralleling the two arrays, this might help with any shading issues which one S facing array might have over another. From reading about it, paralleling can be done as long as the strings are matched to around 5% in terms of voltage. That would in your case require that you install 5 panels on the pergola and not 6. There will as you mentioned be a small loss on the cable, but an oversized 6mm^2 cable would minimise that as much as could be expected but maybe a 4mm^2 would also have minimal losses, but that's best off calculated than left to guesswork.

The other option is to connect the arrays serially, but shading is the major factor to consider in that case.

Option 3 would be to install the new panels on a number of microinverters (a 4-way and a 2-way), the losses would be less and it might work well as you're likely to be bringing mains power out to the pergola anyway...

championc

An alternative option is to connect to a cheap 2nd hand string inverter in a shed if one was near the proposed location

delmonte4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121103995#Comment_121103995

Thanks. That’s a good detailed answer. I think option 3 sounds the best with the micro inverters. Where would I connect the cable from the new panels to the existing system? At the existing panels on the roof or at the inverter or where? What’s the significance of mains power out at the pergol?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121104657#Comment_121104657

You don't connect the microinverters into the existing inverter, you connect the output of the microinverter into the AC mains. I forgot to mention that this method works best when the existing inverter has battery storage - you didn't mention batteries, but do you have them?

With batteries the microinverters will push power into the house circuit and the existing inverter will manage the difference by sending more charge to the batteries or less, as the case requires. That way you end up topping up the batteries indirectly off the microinverters. If you don't have a battery then it's every-man-for-himself in terms of all the inverters as they will all push their generated power into the grid and you get that back in FiT.

championc

Micro-inverters would be far more expensive than a cheap 2nd hand string inverter. A string inverter could likely record stats too, whereas micro-inverters are generally dumb devices

I got a 2kW string inverter earlier this year on Adverts for €80

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121105039#Comment_121105039

You'd be looking at around 390 + 170 EUR for a 4-port and a 2-port microinverter. Some can be bridged into home assistant with little cost.

delmonte4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121104701#Comment_121104701

Yes Iv a 5kwh battery that I’ll probably double up on. Ah right, the penny has dropped with the micro-inverters in regards to DC into AC. There’s some 2.5 NYJ cable already rigged for an outside socket in the garden. Would that do to take the power back to the mains through the socket ring? And if so does that mean the likes of the Solis app won’t record the additional power generation? Not that that’s the be all and end all

delmonte4

I’ll have a look at string inverters and see what I think. It just might be a bit awkward to get the cables back to my shed. I’m assuming the recording of any stats would be totally separate to the solis app that records from the inverter in the attic?

championc

Get a cheap string invester, a CT clamp and a Harvi, and have LIVE data, rather than sh1te once every 5 mins Solis crap

The inverter can live outside. They are all IP65 rated these days

Why would you not go this route ?

delmonte4

I suppose what I mean is, is there anyway of combining the old with the new for the purposes of data so it gives me all the info in the one go? The existing system and the additional panels?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121107122#Comment_121107122

By using a utility such as Home Assistant, you can aggregate the solar data as long as the inverters support being queried. Otherwise you could install power monitoring such as Shelly devices and link these back to Home Assistant.

championc

If you monitor with MyEnergi, all of the solar is grouped under the one icon (unless you define one as Gen&Battery)

delmonte4

Can yous advise on how to get the power from the micro-inverter/string inverter back to the mains? What cables etc and does it have to go straight back to the consumer unit or where?

championc

Many Micro-inverters have a male C14 connection, so like the power connector on a kettle, or on a pc or monitor.

So you simply plug the standard C14 to 3pin plug into a wall socket.

So instead of pulling power from the 3pin plug, you are pushing power in to it.

But sorry, you are absolutely nuts if you're going to pay about €500+ for micro-inverters

delmonte4

Is a string inverter similar to get the power to the mains?