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Tigo Optimizer Open Circuit Voltage

apachexmd

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Aug 23, 2020
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I bought two used Tigo TS4-O Optimizers and tried putting them on two panels (370W) for testing. I've never used Tigo optimizers before but what I've read is that by default, I should be reading the full panel voltage (40V) at the optimizer output leads. But I'm reading only 7mV on one optimizer, and 0V on the other. I was hoping that these will "just work" with a panel without buying anything else, per this doc.

Any ideas?
 
I would call TIGO. I don't see anything on their support site for troubleshooting the output. Like your referenced document says, it should be plug- n-play.
 
I bought two used Tigo TS4-O Optimizers and tried putting them on two panels (370W) for testing. I've never used Tigo optimizers before but what I've read is that by default, I should be reading the full panel voltage (40V) at the optimizer output leads. But I'm reading only 7mV on one optimizer, and 0V on the other. I was hoping that these will "just work" with a panel without buying anything else, per this doc.

Any ideas?
Did you ever get this sorted out?
 
No. I have opted to just go without the optimizers for the time being.
Sorry to hear that.

Were they new or used? Are you dealing with some shading issues that motivated you to get optimizers or other reasons?

[Edit: circled back and see they were used. Any chance they are damaged / defective / dead? Do you still have return rights?]
 
Yes they were used, but were cheap enough, where I'm not going to bother a return.

I do have some shading issues on the 8 panel array that I newly installed. I was going to try out these two optimizers out to see how they worked, and was going to purchase more in the future if they worked out. But since these used optimizers aren't working, I will want to purchase new units, but it's not in the budget currently.
 
Yes they were used, but were cheap enough, where I'm not going to bother a return.

I do have some shading issues on the 8 panel array that I newly installed. I was going to try out these two optimizers out to see how they worked, and was going to purchase more in the future if they worked out. But since these used optimizers aren't working, I will want to purchase new units, but it's not in the budget currently.
I don’t know what you paid, but if your the sort that isn’t scared away from a walk on the wild side, these chineseoptimizers are on $16:

They appear to be the same as these: https://www.swt-power.com/solar-power-optimizer-p00129p1.html
 
I don’t know what you paid, but if your the sort that isn’t scared away from a walk on the wild side, these chineseoptimizers are on $16:

They appear to be the same as these: https://www.swt-power.com/solar-power-optimizer-p00129p1.html
Thanks for showing me those, I hadn't seen these before. Is there an existing discussion regarding these chinese optimizers? I did a quick search and didn't find anything.
 
Thanks for showing me those, I hadn't seen these before. Is there an existing discussion regarding these chinese optimizers? I did a quick search and didn't find anything.
I just found them myself and have seen nothing here. As far as I can tell, these are bleeding-edge.
 
I thought for RSD compliance the maximum series voltage has to be <80volts

ugh... new user bumping up threads over a year old. I got sucked in. sigh.?‍♂️
 
RSD (Rapid Shut Down) currently might be limited to the US. Not a requirement here. You might have got sucked into the world being limited to the US. Well, it is not.

Why would the series voltage have to be limited to <80V for a RSD? Modern inverters allow for 750V inputs. This doesn't make sense to me.
 
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