EG 6500 PV doesn't seem to be working

[kwill808]

I have an array which produces a bit over 10amps at around 320 volts. I hooked it up to my EG 6500 inverter and intially the lcd screen and fans started up and there was a beep but then the inverter shut off. I haven't been able to get to get it start up again since. When I hook up to battery power I can power the unit on and it says it is producing 120v AC but no PV production is detected.

I have checked the output of the array with a multimeter and the array is producing power. Any ideas on what the problem might be?

 

[mountkay]

did you try both PV inputs on the inverter?

where did you measure the PV voltage? is it making it all the way to the PV input on the inverter?

what does the LCD screen show? does the MPPT icon light up, as in it can sense the PV, but the DC to DC icon doesnt light up? or are both of the icons off?

 

[kwill808]

did you try both PV inputs on the inverter?

where did you measure the PV voltage? is it making it all the way to the PV input on the inverter?

what does the LCD screen show? does the MPPT icon light up, as in it can sense the PV, but the DC to DC icon doesnt light up? or are both of the icons off?

I have tried both. I successfully measured the voltage at the output of the DC disconnect switch. I tried measuring the two PV terminal screws in the inverter but don't get anything there. Not sure if those are valid contact points.

I'll have to get back to you on the LCD questions when I test again. I'm thinking both were off though.

 

[PreppenWolf]

Do you have the inveter set to SUB or SBU mode?

I can't remember if the units will stay powered on under solar only with no load or batteries attached. I did most of my initial testing using grid pass through first. Then I added solar.

 

[sparrowhawk]

I have tried both. I successfully measured the voltage at the output of the DC disconnect switch. I tried measuring the two PV terminal screws in the inverter but don't get anything there. Not sure if those are valid contact points.

I'll have to get back to you on the LCD questions when I test again. I'm thinking both were off though.

You should be getting voltage at the PV input terminal screws on the inverter. If not then there's a problem somewhere between the panels and the inverter.

 

[Mattb4]

I have an array which produces a bit over 10amps at around 320 volts. I hooked it up to my EG 6500 inverter and intially the lcd screen and fans started up and there was a beep but then the inverter shut off. I haven't been able to get to get it start up again since. When I hook up to battery power I can power the unit on and it says it is producing 120v AC but no PV production is detected.

I have checked the output of the array with a multimeter and the array is producing power. Any ideas on what the problem might be?

Did you hook up the PV before connecting battery? These units have a sequence to properly startup and shutdown.

 

[Zapper77]

I thought the directions said to connect batteries before solar,

 

[Zapper77]

Do you have an in-line fuse?

 

[Adam De Lay]

Did you hook up the PV before connecting battery? These units have a sequence to properly startup and shutdown.

Can you point to the reference for the proper sequence to startup and shutdown? If it's in the manual, I must have just skimmed over it.

 

[Adam De Lay]

I have tried both. I successfully measured the voltage at the output of the DC disconnect switch. I tried measuring the two PV terminal screws in the inverter but don't get anything there. Not sure if those are valid contact points.

If you measured the voltage at the inverter connection points and you're not getting anything there, then there's a problem with your wiring between your disconnect and the inverter. You should be able to read the PV voltage at those terminals.

 

[Mattb4]

Can you point to the reference for the proper sequence to startup and shutdown? If it's in the manual, I must have just skimmed over it.

See attached screen shot from manual. (The key words and tricky phrases are, "properly installed and batteries connected correctly" )

 

[Gavin Stone]

See attached screen shot from manual.
View attachment 143100

They can run completely off pv. Granted, they need batteries with split phase to help balance the loads. But I don’t think there is a particular sequence that matters.

 

[Mattb4]

They can run completely off pv. Granted, they need batteries with split phase to help balance the loads. But I don’t think there is a particular sequence that matters.

Perhaps (I am not an owner so I just read stuff) but the manual I accessed does not refer to batteryless usage in the installation section. I find that in doubt follow the operation manual. However if the OP has problems with no PV after he has hooked up the batteries and has a panel display than that is a different matter.

 

[Adam De Lay]

See attached screen shot from manual. (The key words and tricky phrases are, "properly installed and batteries connected correctly" )
View attachment 143100

Yeah, they can't make it clear can they?

 

[TomC4306]

Connect batteries first always.

 

[kwill808]

You should be getting voltage at the PV input terminal screws on the inverter. If not then there's a problem somewhere between the panels and the inverter.

Ok I was able to do more testing today and here is where I'm at. I have the panels wired to a PV disconnect switch and then to the pv input on the inverter as shown in the picture wiring.jpg. I am able to read 320v on both the input and output terminals of the PV disconnect switch prior to wiring to the inverter pv input as shown in the pictures disconnect_input_disconnected.jpg and disconnect_output_disconnected.jpg. I am able to read 320v when wired to the inverter pv input with the disconnect switch off as shown in the picture disconnect_input_connection_switch_off.jpg. I read 0v when I turn the switch on as shown in the picture disconnect_input_connected_switch_on.jpg.

Any ideas what might be wrong or what I am doing wrong?

 

[dcg9381]

I can't remember if the units will stay powered on under solar only with no load or batteries attached. I did most of my initial testing using grid pass through first. Then I added solar.

They will fire up under battery or grid power w/o PV.

I know that my inverters came with some fuses in a package, no idea where they go though...

 

[Adam De Lay]

I know that my inverters came with some fuses in a package, no idea where they go though...

They're replacements for inside the unit.

 

[Mattb4]

Ok I was able to do more testing today and here is where I'm at. I have the panels wired to a PV disconnect switch and then to the pv input on the inverter as shown in the picture wiring.jpg. I am able to read 320v on both the input and output terminals of the PV disconnect switch prior to wiring to the inverter pv input as shown in the pictures disconnect_input_disconnected.jpg and disconnect_output_disconnected.jpg. I am able to read 320v when wired to the inverter pv input with the disconnect switch off as shown in the picture disconnect_input_connection_switch_off.jpg. I read 0v when I turn the switch on as shown in the picture disconnect_input_connected_switch_on.jpg.

Any ideas what might be wrong or what I am doing wrong?

I may be misunderstanding you but it seems like you are saying that you read voltage coming from the disconnect when it is off but none when on. Since that is opposite of what you should be seeing I would suggest you double check any wiring schematic the switch has and see if you have wired correctly. Does your 4EG indicate PV when the disconnect switch is off?

Also check polarity of your wires all the way to the AIO.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Ok I was able to do more testing today and here is where I'm at. I have the panels wired to a PV disconnect switch and then to the pv input on the inverter as shown in the picture wiring.jpg. I am able to read 320v on both the input and output terminals of the PV disconnect switch prior to wiring to the inverter pv input as shown in the pictures disconnect_input_disconnected.jpg and disconnect_output_disconnected.jpg. I am able to read 320v when wired to the inverter pv input with the disconnect switch off as shown in the picture disconnect_input_connection_switch_off.jpg. I read 0v when I turn the switch on as shown in the picture disconnect_input_connected_switch_on.jpg.

Any ideas what might be wrong or what I am doing wrong?

Let me see if I understand what you are saying. You get 320 volts to each side of the disconnect switch and at the inverter input when the disconnect is turned off, but when it's turned on you don't get anything to through the disconnect switch or at the inverter? If that is correct then it sounds like your switch is on when it says it's off and off when it say's it's on.
One thing you could do is bypass the disconnect switch and see if the inverter works that way. If it does then it's the disconnect or how it's wired is the problem.