Schneider System Issues

96 Degrees in the shade

Hi I am having some concerns as my system is only generating 2100W +- per charge controlller at midday and when the voltage is at 60+ 70+ volts,when the voltage reaches 95+- my system stops converting until voltage drops back to 60+ 70+ volts.I find this odd as I loose a lot of my generating capacity.is this normal?am I expecting too much?
Also CC1 and CC2 seems off, everyday thereis a 3KW difference between them in collection and no there is no shadings and they are on the same pitch roof.
Below are snap shots to let you guys see hat I am seeing.

inetdog

The snapshots did not come through.
What model CC are you using? It sounds like you are exceeding the allowed input voltage range, causing it to shut down, but without seeing the specification I cannot evaluate that possibility.
I also do not see why the voltage should rise like that during the day. Vmp of a panel is not very dependent on incoming light, and decreases with increasing temperature.

96 Degrees in the shade

Thanks for the reply the charge controller is Schneider mppt 60-150 and I believe the input voltage to be 150

96 Degrees in the shade

Attachment not found.

Here are some snapshots

mike95490

Tell us a bit more about your battery bank and the inverter. What's the inverter set to sell at, idle at ? AH of the battery bank? Temperature of the inverter ?

96 Degrees in the shade

Battery bank for now is 300ah and inverter is xw6848 is set to sell at 53v,load shade amps 5A,batt temp 35.4

Dave Angelini

Any faults or warnings being logged on the inverter home screen? Without knowing that I would say your battery capacity is too small as the manual states 400 +AH minimum. The solar voltage going up indicates that the charge controllers are unloading the panels due to a reason like heat or too small of a capacity in your battery.

96 Degrees in the shade

Noted re the battery capacity,there are no faults

Dave Angelini

96 Degrees in the shade wrote: »

Noted re the battery capacity,there are no faults

I find it hard to believe that there are no faults or warnings being logged on the inverter home screen. Your data just shows the solar home screens. Your system is not working correctly and you should not consider this normal as you stated. On the inverter advanced menu you can look at device info. Scroll down to view fault, warning, and event logs. Read the numbers and look them up in the manual.

96 Degrees in the shade

Will do and let you know my finding

96 Degrees in the shade

There are no faults logged?

new2PV

Did you copy the settings from one controller to the next when you set them up? Same bulk and absorption settings, etc? These are networked properly with a 6 foot cable on the Xanbus network? You are no where near the shutdown OCV voltage. You did not cross the wires any of the wires from the ARRAY? I.e the pv neg.

96 Degrees in the shade

Yes all settings are identical, I'm not sure but if there was a short would it not shut down the system and would I still be able to produce 4000+W?so your thinking my issue is PV realated?what should I check for?

new2PV

If your PV negative is crossed to a different controller I don't think it would cause a short. Just make sure nothing is mixed up from each array to the controller. I have another question does the display actually show 4000 watts, not that it has anything to do with your problem, just wondered as it should be combining the outputs on the screen as one large number.

Dave Angelini

96 Degrees in the shade wrote: »

There are no faults logged?

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No faults, warnings or events logged on the inverter home screen? Too small of a battery use to cause an event that would shut down charge inputs on the older XW 6048's and down.
Call Schneider or the person who installed this!

96 Degrees in the shade

New2PV everything looks ok and that is the combined figures that is shown on the inverter 4800 +- today

96 Degrees in the shade

Sir Dave seeing as there are no errors is there anything else i can look for?

new2PV

The displays on the mppt controller should show the combined input of both arrays. So you confirmed no wires crossed in the array connections?

96 Degrees in the shade

Yes no wires are crossed and yes I am also seeing the combined output on the CCs,what sort of PV out do you get with your 6 panels at noon?Newpv

new2PV

The 6 panels not located in a good location on a nearly flat surface averaged 1030 watts and peaked to 1300 watts for a few seconds only. How do you have your strings configured? I get about 100 volts input max for 3 panels per string. Sorry to be off topic but have you noticed the issue 100-200 watt tare from the inverter when connected to grid with sell off?

96 Degrees in the shade

3 panels to a string,and I have seen it go to 103.That is per CC?,also how do I enable getting an email when I receive a message from the forum?

96 Degrees in the shade

I am seeing nearly 293w difference for today

new2PV

293w difference between what? Not sure on the site settings somewhere, you need to subscribe to the thread.

96 Degrees in the shade

293w difference from what is being generated and what is being used that cannot be accounted for.

new2PV

All the readings on the system summary seem to be out to lunch, they never add up.

96 Degrees in the shade

copy that

96 Degrees in the shade

Dave Angelini wrote: »

Any faults or warnings being logged on the inverter home screen? Without knowing that I would say your battery capacity is too small as the manual states 400 +AH minimum. The solar voltage going up indicates that the charge controllers are unloading the panels due to a reason like heat or too small of a capacity in your battery.

Sir Dave
Good morning battery capacity is now 400ah and its 9.00am so I dont think its overheating,is there anything else I can check for?the service tech came and did some adjustments but I am still seeing a cutout at higher voltages and the thing is at that time it has to be supplemented by the grid

Vic

96 Degrees in the shade wrote: »

Hi I am having some concerns as my system is only generating 2100W +- per charge controlller at midday and when the voltage is at 60+ 70+ volts,when the voltage reaches 95+- my system stops converting until voltage drops back to 60+ 70+ volts.I find this odd as I loose a lot of my generating capacity.is this normal?am I expecting too much?
Also CC1 and CC2 seems off, everyday thereis a 3KW difference between them in collection and no there is no shadings and they are on the same pitch roof.
Below are snap shots to let you guys see hat I am seeing.

Assume that the 60 - 70+ volts that you are referring to, is the PV input voltage to the CCs. If this is the case, you might have cause, and effect reversed -- it could be, that when the production of power is reduced, the PV modules are not fully-loaded, and are no longer at the MPPT string Vmp, but are approaching the Voc for the temperature that the PVs happen to be at the time (that is, not at the STC Voc, which is for PV cell temsp of 25 C).

Just a wonderment from some days ago ... FWIW, Vic

Dave Angelini

96 Degrees in the shade wrote: »

Sir Dave
Good morning battery capacity is now 400ah and its 9.00am so I dont think its overheating,is there anything else I can check for?the service tech came and did some adjustments but I am still seeing a cutout at higher voltages and the thing is at that time it has to be supplemented by the grid

I would test as an offgrid installation. Skip all the grid-tie and prove that the system works. It probably will because you guy's are not programmed correctly. If it was correctly set-up, and this was happening, there would be faults,warnings and events being logged. Make sure the system goes to float, run loads like a couple AC heaters and test this for offgrid. If you bought this from the wind/sun store they would help you for free. It may be easiest to program a reset of all settings. You can always e-mail me but I will bill you as any good capitalistic business owner would. I do wish you luck but this is a tricky system to get going for a beginner.

96 Degrees in the shade

Thanks Sir Dave I appreciate the input.I think my batteries are the issue as they are some older telecom batteries,is their any setting that can confirm that my problem is the battery.

new2PV

Be careful with telcom batteries they can;t accept a high charge rate, as they are designed for rapid discharge and low current charge and float. Did you check your mppt tracking is turned on in both controllers?
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