diy solar

diy solar

From Puerto Rico: Day 5 after Hurricane Fiona, help?

missy73

New Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2022
Messages
18
Hi all! I'm in Puerto Rico baking in 110 degree heat, five days post-Hurricane Fiona with no real hope for power restoration in the near future. My solar system wasn't working for a few weeks (months?) before the storm. Nothing got wet, but when we tried to power everything on afterwards, it seems that there's an issue with the inverter. My technician has gone MIA and is unresponsive so I am learning and troubleshooting myself. I don't even know where he bought the (counterfeit, I believe) inverter, so returning under warranty isn't an option.

I have the attached solar system. Here's the video of what happens when we try to power it on: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JkcdxQ4ZzItaS3Xl_NkHy2QU_oxc198L/view?usp=sharing

The screen blinks once and then turns off. I tried a hard-reset already, turning off everything in sequence, waiting, and then powering back up in return sequence.

Inverter: model SCI-6048N, grid hybrid solar power inverter MPPT 60amp
DC Disconnect: Midnite solar model MNDC250
Charge controller: Outback Power Flexmax80
PV Combiner box: Midnite MNPV

Can anyone help with any insight or advice? Thank you so much in advance.
20220923_082122.jpg
 
I do not, but there are people in my life who do lol. But, the batteries have been connected and charging for days now. Why would they be dead?
 
Snag pictures of the breakers and the outback display, that should give you some information.
 
Grid-hybrid leads me to believe it may need a keep-alive signal from the grid to power up? SCC is on and batteries are def charging. so, clearly an inverter problem.
 
OK, I don't really know what that means lol? The grid doesn't exist these days in Puerto Rico so no possibility for that. How to begin to diagnose an inverter problem and what are the solutions?
 
Can't readily find documentation for inverter based on model number you gave.
Have a link to manual and spec sheet?

An inverter may interact with the grid when up, and also provide backup power to another set of terminals.

Turning on for an instant then back off suggests weak battery voltage, but you've eliminated that. Corroded connections? Checking voltage at inverter battery terminals while attempting to power on could help. 56V isn't particularly hazardous, but be dry not when and avoid contact. Bigger risk is high current from a short, so be sure to not bridge terminals with metal. Remove jewelery.
 
RE: manual/spec sheet. @Hedges, it's true, I've searched as well. It seems to be a counterfeit model based on
this comparable model or at least LED display: https://usamppsolar.com/product/lvx-6048-hybrid/ with this manual: https://watts247.com/manuals/mpp/PIP-LVX6048WP/LVX6048WP-manual.pdf

Coupled with the fact the technician has gone MIA, although it's less than a year old, warranty isn't an option.

If I needed to replace/repair the inverter, what are options without having to track someone down locally? Can I buy a new one? If so what's the least expensive system that would work (expenses and lost business from Fiona are piling up :rolleyes::cry:). I've been burned more than once with this system (even before this latest time).

AGAIN, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You guys are awesome and a shining light in the midst of a tough situation.
 
Might be a long shot but if you have not done so, disconnect all loads. Turn off your main breaker from the grid. Then attempt to power on the inverter.
 
Start with voltage of system, or consider if battery bank can be reconfigured for a different voltage. 48V is best for big systems, but some are 24V for smaller.

Then consider amps/watts you need continuously, and peak to start motors (can be 5x of label for some devices, usually not so much for refrigerators because biggest load could be a heater.)

You might want a small inverter to power fridge for now. Or one big enough for your house. I buy a lot through eBay, both new and used. There are several good retailers. Selecting an inverter is a big deal, and you have shipping issues too.

Many people use cheaper brands, MPP etc. Some use expensive brands Victron, Trace, Outback, SMA, SolArk. Depends on budget, availability, performance and feature requirements.

The basic thing is to check voltage input, and not overloaded as Mattb4 said. Debugging beyond the basics takes knowledge. Same will be if a new one acts up. Maybe a model supported by someone established and local is the thing to do.
 
As others have mentioned it could be that the inverter won't work because its looking to syncronize with the grid.
To test this you could use a generator to stunt double for the grid.
 
It is not immediately clear from manual and the diagram it shows that the inverter, PV, battery can do anything other than backfeed grid.
But, thumbing through I do find: "1 st Grid, 2nd Battery: Grid will provide power to the load at first. If grid is not available, battery power will provide power backup."

We don't know if it is wired to have protected loads connected directly to inverter, or not. It might be wired only to feed the grid. It also has configurations, which might presently only serve as grid connected but could be changed.

However, I would expect display to remain on, allowing you to change settings and read parameters. That it powers on and off suggests input voltage from battery is too low, or can't supply any current at all without dropping. (or maybe is too high.)
 
Thanks @Mattb4, already tried that :(
Sounds like you will need a new inverter or your old one repaired. Would not be surprised that during the storm a grid spike could have fried your grid tie setup. Even if on normal loss it would have transferred to the batteries.
 
Back
Top