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10,000 watts of solar

That string was hitting about 90% which I still have the panels, those panels are used 260 Rec panels along with Longi panels. Replaced the Rec panels with 16 370 bi-facial panels (Aptos) for 1300 watts increase in production and 60% output. However EG4 is going to take a look at the inverters.
It's possible we can help you, but you are not articulating well the changes you made nor have you shown anything regarding the 90% output you were getting, so we cannot confirm baseline values when the production was more optimal. Nor have you provided any of the battery/charge settings. It should be in your historical data log. It sounds like you made multiple changes on the strings, you seem to intimate that your power dropped by 1000 just by paralleling the inverter with no other changes. It's possible you have an MPPT issue but doubtful. You did not provide an specifics on the panels and strings 6000/6600 does not seem realistic to me, but April was also about the best month I've seen in the last year. 5000/6600 sounds much closer to the mark for the current path of the sun and air density, blah blah ~ 75%. 6000/10000 seems too low.

Screenshot the graph below the purdy pic in an hour or so Need to see charge rates and such, the battery and consumption lines . . . You can see the battery charge with a directly inverse track (Below the zero line) to the consumption showing PV production dumping into the batteries whenever it is not needed to handle the load. Please use snipping tool to only clip a rectangular region so we can read it.

1717703573734.png
 
It's possible we can help you, but you are not articulating well the changes you made nor have you shown anything regarding the 90% output you were getting, so we cannot confirm baseline values when the production was more optimal. Nor have you provided any of the battery/charge settings. It should be in your historical data log. It sounds like you made multiple changes on the strings, you seem to intimate that your power dropped by 1000 just by paralleling the inverter with no other changes. It's possible you have an MPPT issue but doubtful. You did not provide an specifics on the panels and strings 6000/6600 does not seem realistic to me, but April was also about the best month I've seen in the last year. 5000/6600 sounds much closer to the mark for the current path of the sun and air density, blah blah ~ 75%. 6000/10000 seems too low.

Screenshot the graph below the purdy pic in an hour or so Need to see charge rates and such, the battery and consumption lines . . . You can see the battery charge with a directly inverse track (Below the zero line) to the consumption showing PV production dumping into the batteries whenever it is not needed to handle the load. Please use snipping tool to only clip a rectangular region so we can read it.

View attachment 220209
Thanks for the help, so the 90% output I was receiving was from One inverter EG4 6000xp and 20 panels at that time which was around the figure reported.

I have looked up the reports from around that time and calculated the output was 98.4% 6497 watts out of 6600 watts panel rated watts, mind you these are used panels from Santan Solar. The report is From 4-22-2024.

The strings were configured as such 10 x 360 Longi = 3600 Watts on string #1 in series. For string #2 I had 6 x 260 REC panels + 4 x 360 Longi panels = 3000 watts 6 rec panels in series along with 4 Longi panels in series then paralleled into the inverter.

I made no changes to the strings until I purchased new panels that I received on Monday June 3rd, 2024. Which prompted this post.

I can post pictures of the production after the 2nd inverter added.
 

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The strings were configured as such 10 x 360 Longi = 3600 Watts on string #1 in series. For string #2 I had 6 x 260 REC panels + 4 x 360 Longi panels = 3000 watts 6 rec panels in series along with 4 Longi panels in series then paralleled into the inverter.
those 260 and 360 in series is prob messing up performance
 
those 260 and 360 in series is prob messing up performance
That config is not the issue and its not configured that way any more, I just posted pictures of that config reaching 98.4% production. The panels were configured as two different string joined together in parallel to the inverter.
 
That config is not the issue and its not configured that way any more, I just posted pictures of that config reaching 98.4% production. The panels were configured as two different string joined together in parallel to the inverter.
Have you tried using pv1 instead of pv2 on the slave unit?
 
If its grid connected in a hybrid setup like mine this is easy to diagnose.

If its shows 0 grid use and 6kw of solar then there isn't anything using more than that so thats all the pv is going to make. To get it to show 10kw of pv you have to USE 10kw of solar.

If the grid shows 4kw and 6kw from solar then your pv isn't working right. But as long as its 0 grid and whatever pv thats all your using.

Add more load if you want it to show more pv. This thread is long and you may of shown it not making enough but thats the just of what I read.
 
Yes perhaps some confusion in that the battery charger can only deliver 125A, so 7000W at 56V?

The 10kW panel thing is just some fantasy overpanelling number?

Screenshot_20240606_182514_Samsung Notes.jpg

Screenshot_20240606_182504_Samsung Notes.jpg
 
Yes perhaps some confusion in that the battery charger can only deliver 125A, so 7000W at 56V?

The 10kW panel thing is just some fantasy overpanelling number?

View attachment 220260

View attachment 220261
So that spec sheet is for 1 inverter, if you add another, then those specs should double or am I looking at this all wrong? Technically I can have 16,000 watts of solar because I have 2 inverters?
 
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If its grid connected in a hybrid setup like mine this is easy to diagnose.

If its shows 0 grid use and 6kw of solar then there isn't anything using more than that so thats all the pv is going to make. To get it to show 10kw of pv you have to USE 10kw of solar.

If the grid shows 4kw and 6kw from solar then your pv isn't working right. But as long as its 0 grid and whatever pv thats all your using.

Add more load if you want it to show more pv. This thread is long and you may of shown it not making enough but thats the just of what I read.
Yes it has grid connection but grid is only used when needed to charge the batteries when there is no solar and the batteries SOC reach the discharge cut off value which set to 20% state of charge but I'm using the SOC by voltage for discharge cutoff., but I have tested to make sure the load is high enough due to the PV load sensing.
 
Have you tried using pv1 instead of pv2 on the slave unit?
Well I had 2 strings on the slave unit so I moved the string on the slave unit to PV 2 on the master. I switched it slave from pv2 to pv1 so we will see tomorrow.
 
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Have you tried using pv1 instead of pv2 on the slave unit?
So I moved that string on the slave to PV1 and the entire array of all panels jumped to 7000 watts again but it did not stay, I'm looking this on my phone and computer at the same time so computer is were if jumped to 7000 but my never made or reported that jump.
 
Thanks for the help, so the 90% output I was receiving was from One inverter EG4 6000xp and 20 panels at that time which was around the figure reported.

I have looked up the reports from around that time and calculated the output was 98.4% 6497 watts out of 6600 watts panel rated watts, mind you these are used panels from Santan Solar. The report is From 4-22-2024.

Your graphs show two "PV2" strings, which I find odd. Not sure how that works, I'm guessing it doesn't work properly logging data.

Sorry but I'm struggling with you getting close to 100% of the rated panel output for more than an minute or two. That would be seriously stunning performance, wildly better than I was able to achieve in April, ~ 90% though my roof angle is sub-optimal for April, it's not that far off. I also cleaned my panels around that time. Your total output should be about 90-95% of your total PV production.
The strings were configured as such 10 x 360 Longi = 3600 Watts on string #1 in series. For string #2 I had 6 x 260 REC panels + 4 x 360 Longi panels = 3000 watts 6 rec panels in series along with 4 Longi panels in series then paralleled into the inverter.
Umm, need more detail on string 2, how it's wired and operational voltage/current of each flavor panel, prior and current. A picture of the stickers maybe, I would in fact verify all the stickers are the same. Series? Parallel? Mixed? Looks like 2 series and parallel at the inverter? This should actually hurt production by whatever the mis-match might be.

I made no changes to the strings until I purchased new panels that I received on Monday June 3rd, 2024. Which prompted this post.

I can post pictures of the production after the 2nd inverter added.
You said production dropped when you added the additional inverter, before you replaced the strings. So we can assume you left them on the primary inverter? Just wired up the new unit in parallel? Currently my peak production is around 76% of rated. You stated 5000/6600 ~ 76% so pretty much what I'm seeing on my setup over the last several days. I would look at the historical just before and just after adding inverter number 2 and get a handle on the drop-off. Then you pulled the Frankenstein string. and replaced it with two newer strings, one on each inverter. and output drops dramatically?

I'd get an independent sensor on your output from the inverter. Note mine below, I isolated the graph to demand ( from a sensor) and inverter output (from the inverter). Note that it shows a minor discrepancy. In fact shows slightly higher demand than output, but pretty close... output downspikes are missed polls from one of the two inverters cutting the sum in half. I should clean that up. I would compare my total solar production to expectation based on the PVwatt numbers. . . from the April data. Did you by chance do a firmware upgrade in there somewhere?

1717716272241.png

I think you might have data that is in dis-agreement.
 
Umm yea, here is the problem: In April . . .

String 1 was:
360*10
3600

Your screenshot shows output peaking around 2284W
2284/3600
.6344

63% of rated output.

String 2 was:
(6*260)+(4*360)
3000
Your chart shows dual peaks on string 2, again showing two parallel strings independently seems very odd.
1742+2471
4213
(1742+2471)/3000
1.4043

So 140% of rated output Not happening.

So while
1742+2471+2284
6497
6497 / 6600
.9843

I will personally guarantee something here was not accurately recorded. The numbers being produced in April bear no resemblance to reality. I'd bet if you do some maths around total inverter output vs PV production you will note further descrapancies. I might surmise you did a firmware update before running the inverters in parallel. I would guess that may have fixed some of this, and your actual efficiency on your strings is pretty close to the 63% of string 1.
 
So I moved that string on the slave to PV1 and the entire array of all panels jumped to 7000 watts again but it did not stay, I'm looking this on my phone and computer at the same time so computer is were if jumped to 7000 but my never made or reported that jump.
When you turn things with sunshine on the panels, you will get a small burst of stored energy from the capacitance of the panels. Once the MPPT starts tracking it will smooth on down.
 
Umm yea, here is the problem: In April . . .

String 1 was:
360*10
3600

Your screenshot shows output peaking around 2284W
2284/3600
.6344

63% of rated output.

String 2 was:
(6*260)+(4*360)
3000
Your chart shows dual peaks on string 2, again showing two parallel strings independently seems very odd.
1742+2471
4213
(1742+2471)/3000
1.4043

So 140% of rated output Not happening.

So while
1742+2471+2284
6497
6497 / 6600
.9843

I will personally guarantee something here was not accurately recorded. The numbers being produced in April bear no resemblance to reality. I'd bet if you do some maths around total inverter output vs PV production you will note further descrapancies. I might surmise you did a firmware update before running the inverters in parallel. I would guess that may have fixed some of this, and your actual efficiency on your strings is pretty close to the 63% of string 1.
Yes the inverters firmware were both updated before the paralleling of the inverters, then EG4 completed the paralleling because some thing was wonky on the back end, however they never told what it was, but I believe something is not accurate with reporting of the data.
 
I had to go to square 1 because something has to be resolved and right now it seem like the inverters have to be returned. So I disjoined the inverters and started from square 1.

The configuration is a single inverter, String1 (11) Panels 360 watts = 3960 into mppt1, string2 is (11) Panels 370 watts bi-facial = 4070 watts into mppt2. total 8030 Watts.

I've had a support call into EG4 since Wednesday because they set this system up after I purchased the second inverter but they have not done anything except respond to the email.

What I see now with one inverter, (1) its not charging the batteries which the batteries are almost de-pleated. (2) I noticed the PV started dropping so I increased the load by added my EV on a trickle charge at 6 volts but had to turn that off because it started seeking the battery to assist.

I'm typing this in real time as I watch the monitoring and what is happening. PV output says its producing 2198 Watts, the load says its at 2395 watts, and the battery says its charging or receiving 1273 watts and I have the grid turned, for those of you that is quick with that is in accurate because how can the power source be less than your load? and my batteries are reporting that they are charging. Solar production is 2157 watts load is 2395 plus 1334 to the charging of the batteries?
 
Your numbers do not appear to add up, I'd look at the raw log data. I'd try swapping to the other (newer?) inverter configure it as stand-alone see how they differ. Realistically you will probably peak around 6KW with 8KW of panels. Maybe slightly higher. I'd be struggling with two problematic inverters exhibiting the same broken behavior purchased at different times.
 
FYI: ~18KW, solar has been volitile this morning in S Phoenix, high scattered clouds. I would expect to be near 50% of rated at the moment.

1717778169331.png
 
Your numbers do not appear to add up, I'd look at the raw log data. I'd try swapping to the other (newer?) inverter configure it as stand-alone see how they differ. Realistically you will probably peak around 6KW with 8KW of panels. Maybe slightly higher. I'd be struggling with two problematic inverters exhibiting the same broken behavior purchased at different times.
The inverters were purchased a week apart, definitely something is broken, my panels are on the ground side by side, and I'm constructing a pergola to mount them on, so I'm taking that into consideration, the volts are basically the same 352.6v and 352.8v on the strings but wattage fluctuates a lot like 2 or 300 watts at a time but I don't have enough history to know whether that's normal or not.

I just hit over 50% @ 9:50 am, however I have to consider the batteries due to the SOC is way off but the volts Vdc are basically spot on.

If the eps is supplying 3060 watts to the load and 3373 watts to battery for charging the grid is and the grid is off that doen't add up unless Im looking at the eps value incorrectly

View attachment 220407
 
After 2 days of monitoring the PV output from the EG4 6000 solo inverter, it seems my suspension of the inverters are the source of my problem.

On 6-7 the monitor show that PV peaked at 6147 watts @ 76.8% of production. That is 16% higher than the 60% I was getting with two EG4 6000 Xp's in parallel and 2000 watts more in solar panels.

On 6-8 the monitor show that PV peaked at 6295 watts @ 78.6%.

The data reporting on the EG4 6000XP shows even better production but we can take the lowest and the difference to me seem substantial.

Is there anymore testing, troubleshooting, etc. I should be doing? Thanks for everyone's input or advice.

6-8Monitor.png6-8DataReport.png6-7Monitor.png6-7DataReport.png
 
Really people?
Perhaps you should re-think the DIY aspect of messing with electricity in general if we are not smart enough to work with it without blowing sh*t up. For example:

Haaaa… not poking fun at no one,…I have done dumb stuff too…in many ways …on many things ..over many years… but it’s still funny as hell…….
 
Haaaa… not poking fun at no one,…I have done dumb stuff too…in many ways …on many things ..over many years… but it’s still funny as hell…….
It never amaze me that someone thinks they are funny and don't contribute anything useful except to their ego.

Over the past 2 decades I have worked with doctors, dentist, lawyers and other successful people. You see it's not that they are not smart or intelligent people, they just don't have the skillset that I bring to table and that's why they pay me.

In this world you don't have to be and expert in any DIY hobby because that's what this is. Whether I blow myself up or scorch my fingers to crisp, It won't even make the news because people die daily from doing stupid stuff, like smoking, drinking and driving or using meth.

I've spent over $30,000 on this hobby, why because I have the money. I could have purchased a solar system from the numerous door to salesmen, Costco or Tesla but I didn't.

In this Country how good you are at electricity or any profession don't get you respect or a stage to TRY to one up people. The world would be better off if you keep your mouth shut.

I heard the former President of the United States say on TV that when you have money (and a lot people do) you can kiss women you don't even know and grab them by Pu$$y, yes the former president said that, and if he's correct then intelligence has nothing to do with how this world operates.

I have never lived in a house that someone else lived in because my first house to my current house I had built from the ground up. I have purchased 3 homes in the last 20 years but I'm not poking fun of no one.

Haaaa not poking fun at no one, I have done dumb stuff too, like walking into Arrowhead Mercedes and buying my first Mercedes Benz Cash because I did not want Mercedes to run my credit, and I thought that measured your level of success because I was young, but you know what I learned from that situation. (1) You can't just go buy things cash because you have to provide some financial info due to the Patriot Act. Most solar experts may not know what the Patriot Act entails. (2) Most people with money don't purchase vehicles in that way because they would rather let their money work for them in the form of drawing interest from investment accounts and use the banks money with 0% interest or the lowest interest for the purchase. Besides its a depreciating asset but I'm not poking fun at no one.

My wife does work for the Government in the field of Teaching and Learning, she has to have a security clearance for the Job, if she shows signs of being financial irresponsible like not paying bills on time or debts been reported to collections etc. she would have been denied a security clearance and she would not have that Job. Most people don't have their financial life together but on social media you can post things, insult people and don't have to responsible for any thing that comes out of the mouth. The reason I'm mentioning this is because if a individual looking for help know matter how dumb you think it is, there is a method that you must understand to be effective. Effective communicators they will let their audience know that their no stupid question why because we all see things differently. example (1) a child goes to the teacher and says I don't understand this problem can you help me. The teacher will not insult the child before she provides assistant, a professor in college would not insult an adult student and turn around and attempt to help him or her. After the insulting comment the child or the adult student cannot learn anything from this type of individual because its counter productive to the science of teaching and learning.

You cant come on forums and social media make insulting comments and think that your input or advice is going to set you apart. What it will do is let people know that, you are socially awkward, you lack people skills, you have narcissistic behavior and you might need to see a doctor to get the help you need.

Don't mean to be boastful in my response because I saw the insult the first time and ignored it because it didn't add anything of value to the post or myself. But you have to deal with the ignorance of people head on.

Haaaa not poking fun at no one, I can spend another $30,000 and it should not bother you a bit. In that $30,000+ so far it includes some bad purchases and mistakes made in this hobby, but what I do know is next week the two EG4 inverters are being returned.
 
Haaaa… not poking fun at no one,…I have done dumb stuff too…in many ways …on many things ..over many years… but it’s still funny as hell…….
I certainly wasn’t poking Fun at you or your words…I never read your letter…I have no idea what you said …
I was commenting on the humor of Mr ksmithas1 in his opening sentence of his comment , which I read the first couple of sentences ……scanning stuff briefly .

he expressed a universal truth about that I related to as comical about many things we all do …it had nothing to do with you.. or anything you may have said or done.

Sometimes words are interpreted differently than they were written…

Chow…
 
While there was some attempt at levity, I'm DEAD serious when I say, if you do not understand electricity enough, such that you ask about unplugging a live PV wire under load, nor educated enough in trouble shooting an electrical problem to know how to turn something off before re-configuring the wiring, I stand by the gist of my comment: You probably should not be doing DIY solar. More than one person commented on hot-unplugging of strings, or "wait until dark". Hopefully this will not result in a Darwin award. Anybody can make a mistake, but handling electricity, or gas lines, or other volitiles or guns or .... You need to take a step back, THINK, then take another step back, THINK and then carefully take a course of action.

Now excuse me while I snatch the mains out of my breaker panel without turning off the feed.
 
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While there was some attempt at levity, I'm DEAD serious when I say, if you do not understand electricity enough, such that you ask about unplugging a live PV wire under load, nor educated enough in trouble shooting an electrical problem to know how to turn something off before re-configuring the wiring, I stand by the gist of my comment: You probably should not be doing DIY solar. More than one person commented on hot-unplugging of strings, or "wait until dark". Hopefully this will not result in a Darwin award. Anybody can make a mistake, but handling electricity, or gas lines, or other volitiles or guns or .... You need to take a step back, THINK, then take another step back, THINK and then carefully take a course of action.

Now excuse me while I snatch the mains out of my breaker panel without turning off the feed.
I learned fast to respect live pv lines. Besides making pretty arc fireworks you will also enjoy the wonderful tingling pain if you grab the pv leads in each hand if you happen to have your fingers close to the ends. It is PERFECTLY happy using your body as a patch cable :)

I do not recommend it.
 

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