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I'm expanding the 10kW system I have, I want to orient the panels vertically in front of a barn wall that I'll paint white, so bifacial panels seem like a good choice. They will use a different inverter than my existing system so no compatibility needed. Physical dimensions need to be no greater...

I currently have a 7.7kW Fronius Primo inverter grid tied that's 3 years old. I want to approximately double my system to 15kW. Can't decide if I should replace existing inverter with a single ~15kW inverter, or buy a second inverter like the 7.7kW one I have. I'm combining my three strings, so...

I have 3 strings, each string 8 panels, arranged horizontally and combined in parallel to go into one tracker on a Fronius. Total for all panels is about 10kW. In the morning the first hour or so is shaded and I don't understand why the bypass diodes don't allow for the completely shaded panels...

This is not PV wire, but I don't know any other forum where people know as much about wire to ask the question. I had to repair the electric brakes on one of my trailers, and it used wire I've never seen before. From the outside it looks like plain old 2 conductor lamp cord. But each conductor...

I have a Fronius Primo 7.7kW. Sometime this morning the web data display (the one displayed on solarweb.com) stopped working and says the inverter is offline. The inverter is working fine, I logged into to it on my local network and had it check for firmware updates, which it did successfully...

I'm using LED 12v strip lights in my barn for lighting, I've never found a good way to connect them because the wires are so tiny. I use landscape wire to carry the 12v power around the barn, I think it's 14ga stranded. So connecting it to wire the size of a few human hairs is tough. I've been...

I have a Square D disconnect that's rated for DC 600v and 60A that's the size of a small desktop computer, weighs 10# and could survive a direct nuclear strike, it looks like this: On the other hand this PV disconnect is rated even higher for DC 1000V and 64A, it's made out of plastic, it's...

I have a storage building for tractors and equipment, no power in the building. I need a solar system to power the 120v battery charger that's integrated into a battery operated boom lift. The lift has 4 of these Trojan batteries. I never let them go below about 1/2 charge. I'm trying to figure...

We had about 2" of snow last night and it's pretty cold, so I brushed the snow off my panels this morning. I was never sure how effectively snow blocked out the light, but I got my answer at 9:30 this morning.

I've got 24 panels mounted like this: I noticed the ends of all the panels have sagged about 1/8" compared to the middle. So if I lay a 6' straightedge on the long edge of the panel, there is ~1/8" gap at each end of the panel compared to the straightedge. You can see it a bit with your eye if...

Drove home from a vacation yesterday, passed a large solar farm probably 5-10 acres. All the panels were facing either east or west, none facing south although the terrain was pretty flat so they could have faced the panels any direction without a change in mounting cost. So why would they mount...

I have been curious about the effects of shade on my array. I have 24 panels wired in 3 strings of 8, 10kW total, they all get combined and go into one MPPT on a Fronius inverter. On a cloudless day with sun directly overhead I did 2 tests. I used a large umbrella that casts shade on ~1/2 of one...

Fronius primo setting up the monitoring tool solar web, there are two questions about tariff that I can't translate to the charges from our electrical supplier. They ask for: Feed-in tariff ($/kwh) Grid supply tariff ($/kwh) Our supplier has a delivery charge per kwh and an energy charge per...

I have a fronius 7.6 primo, the inverter app shows how much power I'm consuming and how much is going to the grid. How can it know anything more than the total power it's producing?

Our utility is ComEd, they offer hourly pricing. Basically I would pay the same price they're paying for power on the open market. During the day that price can be very high, especially on hot summer afternoons. At night it can fall to zero and occasionally even goes negative because they have...

I'm configuring Fronius Primo 7.6 for the first time, when I get to the menu titled "Select Country" there are no countries, there are lots of voltage choices. The two choices for 240v are (I'm in USA): 240N (with NL-mon) 240 (without NL-mon) Nowhere that I can find do they explain what NL-Mon...

I need to have a few warning signs made up, one that shows location of house and barn, and where the disconnects are. Do I make a drawing and turn it into a pdf and send it to them?

I've got a grid tied system I'll be ready to startup for the first time in the next few days. Are there suggestions on how to start things up for the first time. It's 3 strings of 8 panels each, into a combiner box, into a DC disconnect, 150' DC cable to Fronius 7.5kW inverter, feeding a 40A...

My ground mount sysem came with an insulator for the clamps that hold the rails to the East West mounting pipes. I'm guessing it's a galvanic insulator, the clamp is cast aluminum, the pipe is galvanized, the bolts are stainless, and the rail is anodized aluminum. Is it just to prevent the...

I have a ground mounted, landscape orientation, 8 wide by 3 high. Panels are 55#. I'm trying to decide whether to install the top panel first and work my way down, or start at bottom and go up. Seems like I'll have an easier go if I start at the top. The panels are kind of heavy, even with two...

The run from the ground mount array into the inverter will be in buried PVC with EMT above ground. Vmax is 490V and THWN is rated for 600V. So that sounds OK to me, just want to check there isn't some reason not to use THWN.

I applied for an interconnection agreement with our provider ComEd. I got a message saying I need to: "update docket number to match the number on the ICC site" I have no clue what that means, does anyone have any idea where I can look to figure it out? I've left a message and email for ComEd...

Looking at Midnight Solar MNPV3 combiner box. I have 3 strings, Vmax= 400v, Imp= 10A. Trying to choose the right breaker/fuse, there are so many choices. It looks like breakers are 150v, so I don't think I can use those for my strings. The fuses are 600v, so is that what I should use? And do I...

Looking at a Fronius Primo 7.6, it lists max useable input current as 36A total for the two MPPTs together. It also lists 27A as the max array short circuit current. The array I'm considering has 21 modules, 3 strings of 7, for total system short circuit current of 32.4A. Will the inverter...

Looking for an online tool to compute string size. I found one on this forums wiki, but it only does max voltage in cold weather and doesn't compute low voltage in hot weather. I've found a few but they're so poorly documented I wasn't sure I was inputting the correct info.

Are there any places in the Chicago metro area that sell panels to the public for DIY? I could save a bunch of money on shipping if I could go pick these up myself. This is for residential install, something 350-400W.

Getting ready to do a home solar install myself, looking for a place that will take my info and put together a system that can be shipped to me. I've looked at unboundsolar.com and thesolarbiz.com, both seem reputable and capable. Looking for any recommendations.

Our barn is about 200' from the house, see attached diagram. House is bad spot for solar panels because of trees and layout, but barn is a good spot for solar panels. We have an automatic backup generator that runs the whole house if we lose power. My question is if I add solar panels and...