first time startup

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lotek
lotek Solar Expert Posts: 65 ✭✭✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
XW 6048 mated to an E-Panel /xw solar charge controller/xwsystem control panel.

My panels are all connected, through the combiner,cutoff switch, to my midnight E Panel
On the other side, my batteries are connected to the E Panel. I should be able to throw the switches and make things work, but in what order? What DONT I want to do? I dont want to burn something up. Im thinking leave the panels off, turn on the DC from the batteries, and set up my system control panel, then switch on the panels.
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  • Joe_B
    Joe_B Solar Expert Posts: 318 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: first time startup

    Some of my stuff is the same as yours so I'll tell you how I powered mine up for the first time. Turn on the batteries first, hopefully you have a breaker. At that point the inverter should power up and go through its power on sequence. Next turn on the grid, the inverter should qualify the AC. Next turn on the loads, the inverter should go into AC pass through and your loads should power on. Next set up the inverter parameters with the SCP. Set up the charger, set up grid support and enable things as needed. Finally connect the PV charge controllers to the battery bank (hopefully you have a breaker). Then configure the charge controller and finally connect the PV array.

    That is how I do my system (see my signature) Maybe others will chime in with sage advice.

    Joe
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  • lotek
    lotek Solar Expert Posts: 65 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: first time startup

    Let me clearify my setup, then perhaps you can help me understand your directions.

    Im offgrid. I have breakers inside the E-Panel and a cutoff switch between the panels and the controller/E-Panel. Im hoping just turning off the breakers in the E-Panel is what you are talkiing about??
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  • lotek
    lotek Solar Expert Posts: 65 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: first time startup

    hooked up batteries
    turned on DC switch to inverter
    ran through SCP settings (maybe I've missed something here)
    turned on charge controller and checked its settings (same as SCP)
    turned on all breakers to solar panels

    I have 50.6V coming in. 0 going out
    I have power at the combiner but SCP shows no charge going to batteries
    No AC power going from inverter to electrical panel for house

    Im missing something, a setting maybe.

    I am now in search mode to find post about this and soon will call Xantrex If I dont figure it out.

    Ideas?
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  • Joe_B
    Joe_B Solar Expert Posts: 318 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: first time startup
    lotek wrote: »
    hooked up batteries
    turned on DC switch to inverter
    ran through SCP settings (maybe I've missed something here)
    turned on charge controller and checked its settings (same as SCP)
    turned on all breakers to solar panels

    I have 50.6V coming in. 0 going out
    I have power at the combiner but SCP shows no charge going to batteries
    No AC power going from inverter to electrical panel for house

    Im missing something, a setting maybe.

    I am now in search mode to find post about this and soon will call Xantrex If I dont figure it out.

    Ideas?

    Well you are making progress but the settings are critical. Since you are off grid, the AC charger settings will only apply if you are using a generator. You should have set up the SCC to your battery bank parameters and also enabled it. That should get your panels charging your bank. The AC part is weird, I am assuming that you enabled the inverter through the SCP so at this point, it should be inverting.

    HTH,

    Joe
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  • lotek
    lotek Solar Expert Posts: 65 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: first time startup

    Inverting, Perhaps.
    After holding down the standby button for 10 sec. with apperently nothing happening, in another 10/15 sec the enverter started humming and the reading on it changed from something incomprehensible to me to 2 , and the SCP showed
    26W being used. I then had power at the AC out busbar but how much I dont know. (burnt out my meater touching the wrong thing last wk)
    I set my inverter to search enabled and the watts used dropped to 1
    Still not charging or getting power out to the panel box.
    Im now tryiing to get into the advanced settings in SCP. I dont seem to be able to get anything but basic settings on the screen.
    Also, the charger says not charging on its screen
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  • Joe_B
    Joe_B Solar Expert Posts: 318 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #7
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    Re: first time startup
    lotek wrote: »
    Inverting, Perhaps.
    After holding down the standby button for 10 sec. with apperently nothing happening, in another 10/15 sec the enverter started humming and the reading on it changed from something incomprehensible to me to 2 , and the SCP showed
    26W being used.

    Well thats one way to do it. The humming is normal, the inverting light on the front panel of the inverter should be on. You should be able to see on the SCP inverter home page also that it is inverting.
    I then had power at the AC out busbar but how much I dont know. (burnt out my meater touching the wrong thing last wk)

    Mkay, well if you examine the meters screen on the SCP it will tell you what the output voltage, power, frequency, etc... are at any given time.
    I set my inverter to search enabled and the watts used dropped to 1
    Still not charging or getting power out to the panel box.

    Disable search mode, you want the inverter on all the time for now.
    Im now tryiing to get into the advanced settings in SCP. I dont seem to be able to get anything but basic settings on the screen.
    Also, the charger says not charging on its screen

    You must set things up in the menus before you enable the system. For now the factory defaults are good enough on the inverter end. Go to the MPPT 60 home screen and hit enter. When you see the list, hit the three right most buttons on the SCP aat the same time. You will see a new option titled advanced settings, select it and set up the SCC charger for your battery bank specs. Then enable the SCC. You should see it start to charge.
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  • lotek
    lotek Solar Expert Posts: 65 ✭✭✭✭
    #8
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    Re: first time startup

    I turned everything off and back on. set the inverter to standby, and back to on.
    I now have power through to the panel box. The recep in the inverter room works
    and will run my skill saw.
    I turned on the rest of the circuit breakers. and lights came on.. YEA! kinda
    two of the light switches were set to off, but lights were on. Turning them on threw the breakers. I misswirred a few switches where I was running power through.

    The panels,still arn't charging. The charger reads low light but I dont thats the problem, maybe the settings or connections Ill check the connections tomorrow
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