New Install Solar Edge 3800A with S440

[Chyguy1]

Update.

Still only hitting 2.66 Kw at peak. I turned off other system, turned on almost everything in my house.

All Panels are hitting 190-200. One is hitting 212w.

however adding them up is close to 2800watts. System only giving me 2600.

panels and system are still under performing. Don’t know what else to do. Messed with settings yesterday. hit 2.7kw off peak, Had hope but must have just been luck.

Generating good Kw overall but I Think at this point i’m gonna get rid of solar edge.

 

[400bird]

Sounds frustrating, I've never heard of anyone having an issue like this with Solar Edge. There aren't many Solar Edge installs here, so that's not a great data point.

Did you buy this all new? If so, request some warranty replacements from SE. If not, maybe there's a reason they were being sold...

I just punched your array into PVwatts. It should hit 3500 ish at something like 10 am, then drops down for the afternoon.

Can you post your daily graphs?

 

[Chyguy1]

Sounds frustrating, I've never heard of anyone having an issue like this with Solar Edge. There aren't many Solar Edge installs here, so that's not a great data point.

Did you buy this all new? If so, request some warranty replacements from SE. If not, maybe there's a reason they were being sold...

yeah, All New products. Will they give me warranty replacement when they are telling me nothing is wrong on their end?

I just punched your array into PVwatts. It should hit 3500 ish at something like 10 am, then drops down for the afternoon.

Can you post your daily graphs?

Yeah That’s what i was showing too.

here are the days where i had mostly sun. I just installed this system last week. This is all the data i have.

 

[Hedges]

yeah, All New products. Will they give me warranty replacement when they are telling me nothing is wrong on their end?

If short string delivers same watts to grid, operates PV panels closer to MPP. But long string doesn't deliver any more power, just harvests less per PV panel, that proves inverter is throttling output.

A-B-A-B-A-B comparison several times in the middle of the day without clouds would be pretty conclusive.

 

[Chyguy1]

Good Morning

So I messed around with this thing Yesterday. I hooked up only 8 panels just to see what would happen. Maybe id get the full potential out of each one. that didnt happen. Barely hit 1000 watts total.

Then i thought about it. If the system wants to keep everything at 380 Vdc with 6 amps, what if i connect 2 rows of 7 in series parallel..
the voltage will still be 380 but ill double my amps.

Didnt work. still regulating the 380v at 6 amps. As of right now (10am EST) I am getting 2.68kW with this configuration

What if I run 2 separate strings of 8? (Ill have to get 2 more panels due to the POs needing min of 8)

Anybody wanna buy this equipment off me for pennies on the dollar? lol

 

[Chyguy1]

Oh also I had one error code which im not sure what it means. Never seen it before. it showed up on 2/15 just once.

Grid line to Neutral over Voltage Fault

 

[400bird]

Oh also I had one error code which im not sure what it means. Never seen it before. it showed up on 2/15 just once.

Grid line to Neutral over Voltage Fault

The fault means exactly what it says. One line to neutral measured high voltage. I'd check the neutral connection.

 

[Hedges]

If it was SMA I would (that's what I've been doing.)

Ask for help from support. This thing ought to work.

 

[400bird]

If you want to ship the inverter to California (and back) I can hook it up to a (12 x 325) 3900 watt string or two, for a test.

I'm surprised Solar Edge isn't any help. But, they may need to see more sunny days to gather good data.

 

[Chyguy1]

If you want to ship the inverter to California (and back) I can hook it up to a (12 x 325) 3900 watt string or two, for a test.

I'm surprised Solar Edge isn't any help. But, they may need to see more sunny days to gather good data.

I am not opposed. Ill see what estimated cost is. Guessing you would need POs too.

I am also thinking i might buy a SE3800H Wave HD. Seen some open box ones on ebay for cheap. Just to see if there is a difference

 

[400bird]

I've got a roof full of optimizers and I don't really want to pull up the panels to swap out the current S370s.

I should have paid more attention to your inverter model number, is that new with warranty support? My SE6000H-US HD wave inverter is from 2018 and I thought those older non-HD wave versions were discontinued long ago

 

[Chyguy1]

I've got a roof full of optimizers and I don't really want to pull up the panels to swap out the current S370s.

I should have paid more attention to your inverter model number, is that new with warranty support? My SE6000H-US HD wave inverter is from 2018 and I thought those older non-HD wave versions were discontinued long ago

Got this from a distributor near me for extremely cheap, Brand new, Has warranty. told me it was a left over. Figured why not

 

[Hedges]

All Panels are in 1 String. Looking at voltage and amps from each panel during peak sun through the optimizer monitor shows Panel Voltage 33-35 V, Power optimizer 26-28 Volts, current about 6.5 Amps.

Optimizers are rated up to 60Vdc, 14a short circuit current. Well within spec. Don’t have pictures but i will take them on the next sunny day.

https://knowledge-center.solaredge.com/sites/kc/files/se-power-optimizer-s-series-datasheet.pdf

looking at specs again, 8V min MPPT at 15A maximum would be only 120w. At your PV voltage it SHOULD be sufficient, but maybe a longer string than your 14s is required. Are these optimizers buck only? or buck-boost?

I'm accustomed to inverters having a specified MPPT range, but operating over much wider just not to full wattage.
Could be these optimizers don't hit performance corners implied by data sheet, need more in series (lower voltage per) to deliver wattage desired.

 

[Chyguy1]

looking at specs again, 8V min MPPT at 15A maximum would be only 120w. At your PV voltage it SHOULD be sufficient, but maybe a longer string than your 14s is required. Are these optimizers buck only? or buck-boost?

I couldnt tell you to be honest. Solar edge said I have too many on a string. I need to be under 5100w STC. I am at 5180W. so i removed one like they said but made no difference.

 

[Chyguy1]

I build my system in Designer on Solar edge. Gave me same specs. I added 2 panels and it shot up to a 5kw Inverter. I appreciate everybody's help. think im gonna just blow up Solar edge till they send me something new lol

 

[Hedges]

Too many watts, but 14/25 is 60% of the allowed quantity of optimizers.
Maybe it would work better if your panels were about 50Voc instead of about 40Voc.
Or, if they were 165W to 200W and you had more of them.

Specifications often imply a rectangular operating range, when it is actually closer to a triangle.

I'm thinking these optimizers may not be a good fit for these panels.
So bad design tools and documentation; hardware may be fine for the panels they were actually designed for.

"Rated input DC Power" "(1) Rated power of the module at STC will not exceed the Power Optimizer Rated Input DC Power. Modules with up to +5% power tolerance are allowed."

Maybe they're taking a cue from Enphase, sell the product by how much PV panel can be connected, not how much it can process.

 

[400bird]

Too many watts, but 14/25 is 60% of the allowed quantity of optimizers.

Yes, but the 8-25 optimizer requirement is consistent from 3kw to 10kw inverts right?
I have 2* 12s strings on my 6kw Solar Edge

Maybe it would work better if your panels were about 50Voc instead of about 40Voc.
Or, if they were 165W to 200W and you had more of them.

Specifications often imply a rectangular operating range, when it is actually closer to a triangle.

I'm thinking these optimizers may not be a good fit for these panels.

Maybe, but the S440 is the smallest optimizer they currently offer.

So bad design tools and documentation; hardware may be fine for the panels they were actually designed for.

Could be.

My theory is that he's got a 6-8 ish year old inverter and current optimizers. My best guess is lack of comparably there.