4Kw Inverter but MCS registered at 3.68

Sue2018 · Jun 19, 2018

I have had a solar PV system for 7 years now and the 4kw Sunny Boy 4000Tl-200 inverter is coming up with errors. My SunnyBeam logger is showing the inverter cutting out whenever it goes above 2kw on a sunny day. I got an electrician out who says that my Inverter needs replacing however as my MCS is only registered at Declared Net Capacity of 3.68 that he can only install an inverter of 3.6Kw. My original installer - Hatch Solar has now gone bust so I can't ask them why it was registered at 3.68. Can anyone explain what has gone on and whether the original installer was wrong or whether my new electrician is wrong.

Thanks

Sue....

LankyWill · Jun 19, 2018

4kw was probably the advertised figure where as in reality it only produces 3.6KW. It’s a bit like a car that’s 1100cc but advertised as a 1.2L.

sean_ork · Jun 19, 2018

Get a second opinion, and ask for more details of what errors are being logged - you, or whoever comes out to you will need to log onto the inverter to read the fault log.

I'd bet the inverter is fine.

PEG · Jun 19, 2018

Sue2018 said:
I have had a solar PV system for 7 years now and the 4kw Sunny Boy 4000Tl-200 inverter is coming up with errors. My SunnyBeam logger is showing the inverter cutting out whenever it goes above 2kw on a sunny day. I got an electrician out who says that my Inverter needs replacing however as my MCS is only registered at Declared Net Capacity of 3.68 that he can only install an inverter of 3.6Kw. My original installer - Hatch Solar has now gone bust so I can't ask them why it was registered at 3.68. Can anyone explain what has gone on and whether the original installer was wrong or whether my new electrician is wrong.

Tha
Sue....

None of the above....it was mostly all wrong from the get-go...a badly thought out,managed and supervised,government sponsored carry-on,where the parameters changed just in front of the methods,nobody is left to sort out the mess,and some of those responsible,have gone bump and carried on poorly,several times.

Let us not pretend the planet's longevity has improved...it could've been...but it wasn't

In relation to the original question,i would take a 10% reduction in a possible maximum output,over an entire 5 kW system which is not pointing at the sun.......

dmxtothemax · Jun 20, 2018

different times of the year the sun is at differant angles reletive to the panels, so variations are to be expected. 10% change is easy to account for.

sean_ork · Jun 20, 2018

The previous two answers appear to be have been addressed to a different question - the inverter is ceasing production at a specific output.

It may be seeing localised excessive grid voltage, possibly due to inadequate cable sizing, or local uptake in PV is causing a wider area gridgvoltage rise.

Sue2018 · Jun 20, 2018

sean_ork said:
Get a second opinion, and ask for more details of what errors are being logged - you, or whoever comes out to you will need to log onto the inverter to read the fault log.

I'd bet the inverter is fine.

Hi Sean thanks for the reply.

I am getting PE connection missing (9) every few minutes.