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We were predicted 3180kwh per year and since the end of September we've done 682khw so far. The most we've done in a day is 16kwh, this is on a 4kw array, and we're not really generating more than about 0.5kw anytime before 2pm!
 
There is something not right here as this performance prediction for a south facing 4kW system suggests quite a bit of shading has been taken in to account. Even in sunny Edinburgh an ideally placed unshaded 4kW system will produce 3800kWh/a.

The system does not appear to be functioning correctly. Shading may be only part of the problem. Get your installers back and get them to sort the problem.
 
Yup! The installations manager is off this week but I'm going to email him and away his response. I'm planning to give them 3 alternatives.

1. Fit optamisers
2. Fit micro-inverters on each panel
3. Remove and refund along with lost income.

We'll see what they say.
 
You don't need PV Sol to tell you this installation won't work. Clearly the trees are blocking the southern (SE?) aspect and in winter will probably block 90% of any available sun even though no leaves. You could take the end two panels and fit them landscape under the thermal but frankly this system was never going to produce anything like maximum output. What time of day was this pic taken??
 
I understand and accept that it would not get full output because of shading but when the panels are only getting slightly shaded and we get 0.37kw I don't think that's acceptable. This photo was taken at 1.30pm yesterday.
 
You should certainly have one string all the way to the left so only one gets the worst of the shading but the output number does suggest something is terribly wrong. It needs to be checked to ensure a connector has not popped and one string is down thus leaving a shaded string? Hard to say. You could turn off one string and see if the output changes?
 
If it is one string then it is right on the voltage limit of the inverter and if the temperature is low it will likely exceed the limit as these panels are 37voc at STC. Maybe something to do with it. So how many inputs are there from the panels? 2 cables or 4 cables?
 
The output figure of 0.37kW does seem low to be honest.

I would be amazed if the panels at the right end of the array were actually providing any benefit whatsoever. A proper shading analysis would have pointed out which panels would receive significant shading - something, incidentally, that the new MCS method won't do.

I've not got time to check the system parameters but I will when I get back home.
 
If it is one string then it is right on the voltage limit of the inverter and if the temperature is low it will likely exceed the limit as these panels are 37voc at STC. Maybe something to do with it. So how many inputs are there from the panels? 2 cables or 4 cables?

I'll need to check by looking at the inverter but I'm pretty sure there are 4 inputs from the panels to it.
 
you've been sold the wrong inverter. For a string inverter in shading like this you need either Aurora Power-One, or SMA TL or HF inverters, or similar which have a full voltage range scan function that stops it sitting on a false peak like yours is, and enables the bypass diodes to function correctly to bypass the shaded sections and allow the rest of the array to operate at near enough full capacity.

they have also probably undersized the cable, causing the inverter to raise the local grid voltage beyond the protection limits causing it to cut out - either that or you have very high grid impedance on your incoming supply / high grid voltage anyway, or maybe a lot of other solar installs on the same line.

I'll post up a graph of a system we've been monitoring that has hard shading coming across it from 5.30pm, without this function enabled it was doing as yours is, with it enabled it's reducing output by around 10-20% as the shading runs across the array.
 

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