What are you currently generating ?

[yellowvanman]

How can they run at +40% above their rated output? Perhaps 10% or so but surely not 40%. If they really are running at +40% then that means they were operating at an efficiency of nearly 31%. All the best.

It all depends on the irradiance levels! The 250W wattage of the panels are for 1000W/m2, if it was a really bright sunny day maybe the irradiance levels peaked at 1400W/m2! giving 40% more power!

 

[Del Boy]

You'd probably need irradiance levels of 1400W/m2, and it to be quite a cool day too! I'm amazed the inverter allowed that though... 10% above it's max DC input before inefficiencies. Good to know it's possible.

@valet: Whereabouts in Oz are you? I'm guessing near the Tropic of Capricorn.

 

[valet]

Thank you for replies.....I am in Darwin. So is hot and humid. Inverter is 3kw with transformer is it normal to have on display 3499w?

 

[SolarCity]

Apparently so. I've not had much experience of foreign systems but I do know of a system in the Caribbean which is showing similarly impressive figures.

 

[valet]

Anyones system overperforms in this hot/sunny few days?

 

[scottliv]

Now that it has got alot hotter here, the output on my sanyo panels has actually dropped. There does seem to be a high haze, but the increased temperature has probably dropped the panel output.

 

[methley]

Likewise, my Sanyos are down in power too. Previously on sunny cold days they were easily hitting +10% whereas in the last couple of days they have peaked at -5%.

 

[danesol]

Likewise, my Sanyos are down in power too. Previously on sunny cold days they were easily hitting +10% whereas in the last couple of days they have peaked at -5%.

Its not down to heat alone, its down to the haze you cant see IMO, today looks different here so the results will speak for themselves later......

 

[danesol]

Just checked my reading......... think its going to be an excellent production day today...

At 12noon ;

DC read 2669watts ( 5.68 amps @ 471vdc )

AC read 2624watts (10.48amps )

45watt loss = 0.016% loss ??

I believe Sanyo's in the North West will do extremely well today..................

 

[FB.]

Its not down to heat alone, its down to the haze you cant see IMO, today looks different here so the results will speak for themselves later......

Yes, due to the unprecedencted rain and saturated ground, we've had a lot of mist, fog and haze in the last couple of months which, I believe, has resulted in my system never managing to reach its full potential on any day.
On days without haze, there were numerous clouds dotted around which periodically covered the sun, therefore lowering the day's generation below its potential.
As a result of this heavy haze (or clouds), 4kWp systems - even the South-facing Sanyo's - in this area have been struggling to achieve more than low-20's kWh in a day.

Today has been one of the better days so far this year (looks like it'll be the first day of dawn-to-dusk clear sky since 01st April), but still a brownish-grey haze noticeable and much hotter than any day so far this year, so the solar panels are far from ideal conditions.
My system has been peaking today around 90% of capacity, but was peaking around 105% during brief sunny spells a month or so ago.

3.75kWp, 3.6 inverter, facing between ESE and SE, 40-degrees slope.

Readings:
Time: 12.34pm, outdoor temperature = 25degrees (peak power was a couple of hours ago, around 10.30-11am)

Inverter internal temperature: 44.9'C (Power One Aurora indoor model)
Temperature of room in which it is located: 23.75'C (to nearest 0.25'C)

Electricity produced so far today: 16.3kWh
Power out: 2.705kW
Voltage out: 242.9V
Current out: 11.1A

Array-1 (8x250Wp)
217.1V, 7.2A, 1561W (=195W per panel)

Array-2 (7x250Wp)
188.7V, 7.1A, 1336W (=191W per panel)

Power coming into inverter: 2.897kW
Power going out of inverter: 2.705kW
Inverter efficiency: 93.4%

 

[FB.]

Here is a comparison with the first time it reached full power output, during a brief sunny spell on an otherwise cloudy day in early April:

Detailed statistics 11.17am:
(the numbers don't quite add up because they were slightly changing from second to second as I copied them down)


Power output: 3.66kW
Voltage output: 246.6
Amps output: 14.7
Volts array-1: 247.4
Volts array-2: 201.2
Amps array-1: 8.1
Amps array-2: 9.4
Watts array-1: 2055 (8 panels = 256.9W/panel)
Watts array-2: 1843 (7 panels = 263.3W/panel)

Ambient temperature: 13'C, breezy.

The room which houses the inverter was probably about 16'C at the time.

Inverter efficiency:
Power in: 3.898kW
Power out: 3.66kW
Efficiency: 93.9%

 

[EXC]

Hello All
I have been taking readings from my 3.84 kW 16 X Suntech 240w MC panels ,SW facing about 35deg in West Sussex PVsystem for the last six months ,
I had the system installed 2nd Dec . First 1/4 FIT total was 277kWh second 1/4 sent last week was 1372 (produced 1095 last 1/4)
I have installed a' Parsons Switch' so now have free hot water when producing over 1.5kW ( takes most of the day to heat the immersion to 70deg C)

 

[MicraShed]

OK, Im puzzled (not difficult)

After reading my handbook I decided to crawl into the loft and find out what my peak power generated was today and since the system went live... And for 10x 250w panels I was surprised:-
Today

2769W

Lifetime

2850W

Peak AC voltage has been 251v.

Any ideas, I thought that I would be lucky to get 2400W peak

 

[Earthstore]

Panel performance is given under STC ( standard test conditions), so they all rated at a certain temperature etc, with our current weather conditions being sunshine and showers, the rain will cool the panels way below the STC, so when the sun pops out they will perform higher than rated just for a while.
I hope this helps.

 

[MicraShed]

Thank you, yes that makes sense.
Is there any truth in the fact(!) that the panels are under rated when new so that as they degrade over time they will still be theoretially putting out 90% of their maximum when they get to 20 years old? Or is that just wishful thinking?