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| FAQ - System Installation
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Do I need to ground the negative conductor from the PV array in the DC Disconnect? |
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No you do not, and you must not ground the negative conductor anywhere in the PV circuit. The negative conductor from the PV array is grounded inside the inverter in compliance with UL1741 and the NEC. The inverter has a Ground Fault Detection Interrupter (GFDI) circuit built into it. In fact, if the negative conductor from the PV array is grounded outside the inverter, the inverter will trip the factory installed ground fault protection circuit on initial commissioning and may cause continuous ground fault errors.
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| Category: System Installation |
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I have started up my system, and everything is working fine, but the messages on the display are in German. What is going on here? |
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There is a switch on the digital display that allows it to show messages in either English or German. If the display is showing messages in German, then you can either spend some time learning German, a noble pastime, or you can flip the switch on the display. To do this you should remove AC power, and then remove DC power. Wait at least five minutes, and then remove the front cover. The switch is located on the back side of the display board, on the right-hand edge between the red and yellow LEDs. Using your fingernail or a non-metallic stick (a toothpick works very well), slide the red cap of the switch towards the red LED. Replace the cover, apply AC power, apply DC power, and the messages will be displayed in English. The picture below identifies the position of the switch. |
| Category: System Installation |
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I have just finished installing a new system, and I've been working on it all day, I close the disconnect and the inverter just sits there in waiting mode. Why can I get the inverter to start producing power? |
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If the inverter is sitting in waiting mode it is usually because there isn't sufficient voltage from the PV panels to start the inverter. The SB 2500U requires 300+ Vdc to begin operating and the SB 1800U requires 190+ Vdc. If it is late in the afternoon, extremely overcast, or a very warm day the panels may not be producing enough voltage. The PV panels could also be miswired One panel wired backward will significantly reduce the open circuit voltage. Measure the DC voltage at the terminals inside the Sunny Boy Inverter to determine if there is sufficient voltage for the inverter to start power tracking. If an error has occurred the inverter will show the error for a short period of time and go into waiting mode again for five minutes. It is a good idea to watch the inverter for a few minutes to be sure that no error is occurring.
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| Category: System Installation |
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When the DC disconnect is open my multi-meter is reading 300+ Vdc, but when I close the switch, then voltage drops to nothing. What is going on here? |
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If the voltage drops to 2-4 Vdc, there could be a problem somewhere in the connection between the PV array and the inverter. Somewhere the positive and negative conductors may have become reversed. This means that the inverter is seeing positive voltage on the negative terminal and the negative voltage on the positive terminal. There are two bypass diodes in the inverter which conduct in this situation and create this small voltage drop. You need to check the system and ensure that the proper conductors are terminating in the inverter. The installer should remove the wires from the inverter and measure with a voltmeter to verify polarity.
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| Category: System Installation |
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