Extending Data cable over 270M

[infinity]

HI all,
We have a customer who has 2 x 50 kWp solar arrays (one with SMA inverters; the other Delta) with a 50 kW export limit.
He currently has a Cluster Controller / Energy Meter set up and working fine to limit one of his 50 kWp arrays (SMA) to zero export.
The customer would now like to move the Energy Meter (and possibly the cluster controller) so that instead of being placed at his 50 kWp array configured to zero export, it is placed at the DNO import meter point, with the Cluster Controller then being reprogrammed for 50 kW export.
The distance between the SMA inverters and the DNO point is 260m. We understand the maximum distance between the inverters and Cluster Controller (or the Cluster Controller and the Energy Meter) is 100m.

Does anyone know what we can use to boost the signal to stretch this length? Ive been told about various boosters but wondered if anyone here had used anything on some remote locations they know works?

Thanks

 

[soms]

One or two comments on this, from my PV background a couple of years ago.

IIRC the communication between SMA Cluster Controller, Energy meter and Internet gateway is Ethernet. This is the cause of the limitation. The standard position is that beyond 100m between nodes Ethernet data transmission will become unreliable.
If you have positions in between with power you could install Ethernet switches which as active, powered devices would act as repeaters if you like. The use of many switches connected together in a network is discouraged but if you have two or three I could not see it being a problem.

Only other alternatives are some kind of point-to-point wireless bridge, something which I have no experience of in practice. This would require careful planning and selection of equipment to ensure the distance could be bridged reliably.

Or you could consider to install an optical fibre link. Distance would be no issue but installation and termination would be. You would then use fibre to Ethernet media adapters at each end.

 

[Cbuk2k2]

Have a look at media converters, you can get cat V to coax about which is good for 500m from memory and cat 5 to fibre is very cheap these days too.

 

[Strima]

I'd also go with media converters and multi-mode fibre.

 

[mole2006]

Just get pre-term fibre, it doesn't cost much extra. I would get minimum of 4 core in case you damage a core installing it. They do come with pulling socks to protect the terminations whist pulling them in.

 

[LeeH]

Is there line of sight for a wireless bridge?

 

[LeeH]

Is there line of sight for a wireless bridge?

 

[LeeH]

WTF? ^^^