Solar Edge Help Please

[wersolaruk]

Am sure one of the guys on here will help, we're in Durham so it's a fair trek or I would of helped you.

 

[whinmoor]

Yes - it's a fair way from Yorkshire to assist but there are forum members all over the country and I'm sure one will offer help.

I think it's important to keep the problem in proportion. It's only about 20% of one panel that seems to be down. Assuming you're on the highest FiT rate, let's say you're earning £1600 per year = £100 per panel. This means that you're only about £20 per year down. It's difficult to justify spending hundreds on a scaffold to get on the roof and hundreds more on labour and replacement parts which might not actually be faulty.

Of course, the problem could get worse or it could rectify itself without any action. It's quite unusual. These things tend to either work or not work. Re-pairing the optimisers would be a sensible initial step along with updating the inverter communication firmware. I'm sure the Solar Edge support guy can do that no problem.

It could also be the monitoring that's faulty. You could try analysing the reading on the generation meter for a month and comparing it to the reading on the inverter and online. Of course, they are measuring in different places so you need to allow for transmission losses in the cables so this will not be easy to do.

In financial terms, whilst annoying, it's only going to cost you a fiver until Spring so it's not worth losing too much sleep over.

 

[dazzapsj1]

Thanks Whinmoor, you are right it is not a major issue annoying though, anyway they have paired and upgraded the software so will keep updating, and thank you everyone again.

 

[whinmoor]

Looking at your readings for today, it seems as if the suspected faulty panel has out-performed the other 5 near it? It made 142Wh.

Maybe nothing wrong at all?

 

[dazzapsj1]

Hi Whinmoor,
I noticed that, but it has been dark and cloudy all day. It does only seem to make a difference when the Sun comes out, very weird indeed.

 

[Eco Deal]

I used to install 100's of solar edge system , now if you go into your portal you should have a icon called charts IF ONLY your installer set you up as an advanced user, you can check graphs such as voltage, AC & DC currents etc etc for each panel. this may give you more ideas. a PO cost about £35 ex VAT so that is the cheapest solution. or swap OA around see if when you swap one for the faulty one does the panel with the suspected faulty OA start to under perform , The big problem is roof access I guess ... if it was me I would just max the life out of the panel and when it does start to make a big loss then get a panel that looks similar and swap it. you can mix and match panels with solar edge. upgrading the firmware from solar edge wont do anything or repairing them to the system.

 

[dazzapsj1]

Hi Eco Deal,
what is an OA and PO please.

 

[dazzapsj1]

This is what is confusing, 8 45 this morning a little sun, the panel only generating half of the others facing that way, strange, even though it is not a lot of sun the difference shows itself straight away.

 

[dazzapsj1]

Hi Everyone again,
Solar Edge have now informed me they think it is a faulty panel, the Sun has bee out a couple of mornings and the panel dropped off again.
So the next thing is to ask if anyone locally would be able to replace the panel I would hope Consumer Protection Association would help with the payment, but the first step is to get a quote, I have really appreciated the help and advice from this forum and hope somebody would be able to help, I live 4 miles outside Bath.
Thank you again for all your help up to now.

Dazzapsj.

 

[Gavin A]

before you do all that, please just can you post up a close up picture of the panel and panels around it.

Sounds to me like what I'd expect to see with a panel experiencing shading - which can come from the panels closest to it if they're not levelled properly.

 

[Worcester]

We were still being offered Siliken panels back in June, so there may be some stocks available. you have the advantage that with Solar Edge, panel compatibility isn't an issue

Not sure who on this forum covers the Bath area, BruceB might...

Replacing it will be an expensive operation - scaffolding, time, travel, reconfig, the panel cost will be negligible in comparison.

As GavinA says, we really do need to rule out every other possibilty first. (Loose connection? )

 

[dazzapsj1]

The Solar Edge guy stated
Its look like an issue with the panel the optimizer measure at the input of the optimizer a lower current readings in compere to its neighbor.
I have no shading issues I have checked this and no shading, I really do not know where to start, as stated by Worcester that if it is a loose connector how do I know, any guidance form the forum would be really appreciated. Did Siliken leave any funds for Customer Warranties ? I have looked and cannot find anything, unsure of what the next sensible step should be.
Thanks Dazzapsj

 

[dazzapsj1]

Hi All,
So nobody has been in touch or posted about my problem, so does anyone have any ideas what to do, I have had an email from Solar Edge saying only approved Solar Edge Installers can work on the problem or else my warranty with them is void, but no Solar Edge Installers seem interested either because not enough profit or where I live, I was just hoping for guidance from someone out there, as now I am clueless.
Thanks
Dazzapsj

 

[Gavin A]

If it ain't shading, then it still looks to me as if something is causing a bypass diode to operate - this would happen in bright sunshine, not in cloud as the bypass diodes have a minimum level of differential between the 3 strings of cells in the panel before they will activate.

Could possibly be a badly mismatched panel, with cells in the different strings being so badly mismatched that it triggers the bypass diodes at high generation levels, or faulty bypass diodes or both.

This sort of thing would match with the details given, in terms of the problem not showing itself at low output levels, but showing up at higher output levels.

 

[Worcester]

Have at look at this for problem solving: So what?s gone wrong? | Solar Power Portal - it might give you some ideas on testing, though it'd be easier with the sun out.