Do Tigo TS4-A-O optimisers actually work?

[Quattrohead]

My panels are lashed up around my backyard at the moment so it is a big problem but when we move to the final house they will be up on the roof where they will basically get sun from sunrise till sunset on the west, south and east roofs so it is not a problem I need to investigate, lucky me ?

 

[Mr.Hyde]

This video is the best I’ve found so far on the positives and negatives of optimizers and how they work. Very good overview -

Huh. Very interesting.
He presents optimizers as simply smart bypasses.

But I think most are actually MPPT trackers -- ie: DC-DC converters that are trying to maximize power output of the panel.
Hypothetically, although all the panels in the string need to have the same input and output current, the current flowing through each panel can be whatever results in peak power for that panel.

 

[2TrevorJ]

 

[Sigunas]

I have two 6kW arrays, with two 5kW inverters. Not really relevant - I'm looking for ANY scientific test that shows that Tigo optimisers work. (Or indeed, any optimisers.) Since I haven't found one yet, I presume they don't actually work.

Don't know how much Tigo optimizers would help. In my case huawei optimizers with huawei inverter definitely work when bypass diodes not so much: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/when-did-bypass-diodes-become-common.70855/post-898256
I don't have place for more panels, so that's not an option for me.

 

[ElectricIslander]

The Tigo web page is a hot mess of difficult to understand product matrices and product model options.

Is it correct that only the fire safety / rapid shutoff modules work with the Schneider system or do the combined models with optimizer function also work with Schneider gear?

That said, I've heard elsewhere and in Gary's videos that the Tigo rapid shutdown adds so many failure modes that it's not worth the optimizer/monitoring benefits on rooftop systems if not required by local code.

 

[Oldphile]

The Tigo web page is a hot mess of difficult to understand product matrices and product model options.

Is it correct that only the fire safety / rapid shutoff modules work with the Schneider system or do the combined models with optimizer function also work with Schneider gear?

That said, I've heard elsewhere and in Gary's videos that the Tigo rapid shutdown adds so many failure modes that it's not worth the optimizer/monitoring benefits on rooftop systems if not required by local code.

All of the TIGO MLPE can be made to work with any string inverter except SolarEdge. You just have to engineer a method to turn off the CCA to initiate RSD. Some will argue that the inverter should also shutdown. I don't see why first responders should cut the electricity to your home; leaving you in the dark with a fire.

 

[AZ Solar Junkie]

All of the TIGO MLPE can be made to work with any string inverter except SolarEdge. You just have to engineer a method to turn off the CCA to initiate RSD. Some will argue that the inverter should also shutdown. I don't see why first responders should cut the electricity to your home; leaving you in the dark with a fire.

It is explicitly for the safety of the firefighters - they use chain saws, etc., to cut into the roof, walls, etc., as needed as part of fighting a fire. If they cut through live wires they can get electrocuted. The first thing they always do when they arrive is to turn off the main breaker in your main panel so there are no live AC lines. If you have an emergency shutdown switch mounted by the panel, that also allows them to shut down your inverter and panel output.

BTW - the CCA has an AUX set of connections that you can wire a rapid shutdown switch to initiate rapid shutdown of the modules only if that is your preference.

 

[DIYrich]

I don't see why first responders should cut the electricity to your home; leaving you in the dark with a fire.

Water and electricity is a bad combination.

 

[Rusty959]

I get the point of wanting a direct before and after, but how do you compare a system when no two days are the same? In the 3 years I've had my system up I've varied by several percent per year with nothing changing.

I have the Tigo Optimizers on my string that's on the roof, and I've got a friend with all 3 of his strings with optimizers. I can promise you they do something, but as pointed out if your inverter will bypass a panel with the diode, all you can really get back is a little bit of power from a shaded panel, which isn't all that significant.

So maybe a good way to look at it is I have bad shading with a tree directly south of my arrays that causes shading 3 months of the year. I already have a CCA and TAP, but still haven't added optimizers to my non-roof array because I don't think the gains would be worth it.

 

[Sennen]

I've recently switched from Enphase Microinverters to a DC solution that included the Tigo optimizers. I've been getting more wattage out of the panels, it seems. When the system was brand new about 6 years ago, it would peak at 7.5kw. Now it's peaking at 9kw. Which is what it should have been producing on the Enphase. The climb in generation is clean with no jumps as the front panels come out of my neighbor's shade.

 

[ElectricIslander]

I've recently switched from Enphase Microinverters to a DC solution that included the Tigo optimizers. I've been getting more wattage out of the panels, it seems. When the system was brand new about 6 years ago, it would peak at 7.5kw. Now it's peaking at 9kw. Which is what it should have been producing on the Enphase. The climb in generation is clean with no jumps as the front panels come out of my neighbor's shade.

View attachment 189292

Is this image showing three strings of numbered panels i.e. A, B, C with something like energy harvested by each panel below?

 

[AZ Solar Junkie]

Is this image showing three strings of numbered panels i.e. A, B, C with something like energy harvested by each panel below?

Yep - that’s the Tigo monitoring portal. I just set up mine a few days ago ?

 

[DIYPV]

I would look into that. I have 1 panel that is shaded by an eave of my roof for 85% of the day. Its the only panel that outputs almost nothing, while the other 10 in the series string (11s total) are perfect.

The optimizer definitely works for me.

I had one panel bring down my 10s string, but ended running more wire to utilize the second MPPT on my inverter. Now it’s two 5s strings and only the string with the one shaded panel is affected. I purchase one Tigo Optimizer for this panel to test. I’ll report back with results.

 

[AZ Solar Junkie]

I have various panels that get shaded at different times of the day. Overall the Tigo optimizers increase my array output around 15% over the course of the day.

 

[teal95]

There does seem to be an issue with the TIGO optimizers and SolArk arcfault detection. I'm getting trips sometimes multiple times in a day. At least I can remote reset it...

 

[Oldphile]

There does seem to be an issue with the TIGO optimizers and SolArk arcfault detection. I'm getting trips sometimes multiple times in a day. At least I can remote reset it...

I'm also experiencing arc faults. I have a support ticket with TIGO right now waiting for another event for them to look at.

 

[Zapper77]

Yes and No

 

[teal95]

Mine faulted out 3 times today.

 

[Oldphile]

Yes and No

Yes and No? What do you mean?

 

[Zapper77]

Yes and No? What do you mean?

They work, but the numbers that TIGO reports as "saved" assumes that you panels don't have bypass diodes.