I noticed inverter doesn't get all power

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Grid Tie and Grid Interactive Systems #1
:D Hello friends:
I joined the community of solar short time ago and I alredy have a question..
When I installed one 205 Watt Monocristalyne Solar Panel with a SWEA 250 Watt grid tie inverter and installed a Killi-Watt-EZ meter P3 to measure the power collected...it seems as if it measures variations on the poer between 15 to 30 Watt max. (even when the sun is up to the Maximum azimut and at 90 degress with my Panel...Any ideas what am I doing wrong...the SEWA Inverter has two LED indicating (One red is when the grid voltage is greater...and one green tells you when you are reciving power)...I can see the green LED blinks about 3 times (indicates is generating power...however the Killi-Watt says is very low...it should be 200Watt but never get it even if I turn my Load up like washing machine...etc)
Can you guys help?...am I using the wrong inverter?...Thanks
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Comments

  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: I noticed inverter doesn't get all power

    Where is your battery and charge controller?

    oops grid tie! Is this one of those plugin ones, YUK! I think you got took.
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: I noticed inverter doesn't get all power

    Just for t he record, the illegal grid tie inverter set up notwithstanding, a 205 watt panel will never ( nearly never!) produce 205 watts.

    Under ideal circumstances you mint see 80%, or about 160 watts. ( that is the basic equation of solar regardless, due to panel heating, sky conditions etc. ). Couple that with inverter loses that with a normal inverter might be 10% or more, and are likely to be even more with a cheap inverter, and you might be looking, (best case) at maybe 140, worse case a lot less.

    Please also be advised that these plug in inverters are not UL listed and are not approved for grid tie North America. If your house we to catch fire due to any cause and they find this inverter plugged in,, you might well have real trouble collecting on your insurance.

    Tony
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  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: I noticed inverter doesn't get all power

    I assume you are using the Kill-A-Watt meter in a backwards configuration. I am not sure it will read accurately when power is pushed into output socket. What does the current reading say?

    Then again, it is pot luck with the cheap Chinese 120vac GT inverters.
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