Aurora Inverter PVI-3.6 TL

[Birder]

My above named inverter is misbehaving...... for approx. 10mths it's worked OK but now it switches off in bright sunlight ( works OK in other conditions) and displays the error.... Input OV. This is displayed until the bright sun goes and then it picks up again and works OK. In it's display routine it indicates that the "Inverter is OK" but why should it not work in bright sunlight....? Has anyone got experience with this situation please....? Birder

 

[whinmoor]

What panels do you have? How many?

 

[Birder]

What panels do you have? How many?

Hia, thanks for the reply, The only info I have on the panels says they are JA Solar and there are 16 of them fitted in a single string. Hope that's OK.

 

[SibertSolar]

Are you sure it's not 2 strings of 8 panels? 16 panels on one string doesn't sound ideal to me for the PVI-3.6....Are they 250W poly? What's the rough pitch and orientation?

 

[whinmoor]

How many DC isolators do you have? Could you post a few pictures of the set up?

Have you contacted your original installer? What was the response?

 

[taffbutc]

Agree with SibertSolar. 2 strings of 8.

 

[SibertSolar]

I suspect that the peak kW output of the panels at high irradiance is too high for the 3.6 unit, depends on the panels themselves but if they are anything bigger than 235Wp then that could be your problem....

 

[whinmoor]

They could be 250w monos. It sounds like a re-stringing operation will be required.

First port of call should be to the original installer to complain. They may suggest replacing the inverter but that's unlikely to solve the problem as it's the system design at fault, not the components.

 

[SibertSolar]

^^agreed, best talk to your original installer

 

[Gavin A]

I suspect that the peak kW output of the panels at high irradiance is too high for the 3.6 unit, depends on the panels themselves but if they are anything bigger than 235Wp then that could be your problem....

absolutely no chance of that, if anything it'd be overvoltage as indicated by 'Input OV', but those inverters will take 5kWp no problem, they just derate via the MPPT voltage point if necessary.

I suspect they've run it in single string, which is just about inside the voltage range at low light levels, but at higher light levels in cold weather the voltage goes over the voltage limit and inverter cuts out.

This is an installer / design issue, it should never have been installed single string, so they need to be got back and switch it to 2 strings, assuming this is what it is.

What is the strong voltage reading when it does work?

 

[taffbutc]

Given that it has been in for ten months and only now had this problem i dont think its 1 string. Did you checnk for
isolation valves? Can you produce pictures if not?

 

[whinmoor]

Maybe he's only just noticed the problem but it's been going on for ages ?

Photos would certainly help.

 

[SibertSolar]

It does sound like low-temp, high irradiance, excessive upper MPPT voltage issue though, doesn't it....

 

[taffbutc]

Whinmoor- That i possible but i feel he has been watching it. He said it had worked ok. If this has been there a while his Kwh should be lower than expected.

Sibert - i agree to MPPT voltage issue however same thing. 1 string would have highlighted this issue well before now

 

[SolarRoofSols]

If it has been installed on 2 strings, which it should have if they are higher wattage panels, then could it be that there is a surge in the grid which is shutting the inverter down??

If this is the case then the installer should be able to liaise with the DNO and manually change the settings in the inverter.

You really need to determine whether 1 or 2 strings though, as others have said.