SMA solar not so bad after all

Trukinbear

I take it back, they decided to honor my warranty after all.

New_Mexico_Will

Didn't you just have a lengthy post about issues with MidNite?  I don't think your gripes are going to be solved here.  You should take it up with NAWS, because their customer service is top notch.  If you bought it elsewhere, you should consult with them.  Dropping posts that a whole product brand "sux" isn't productive.  Nobody here can help you.

Trukinbear

whatev

Trukinbear

good luck

BB.

Unhappy--I get it... However, I am a bit confused. Going through some online documentation (just from the links--I know nothing about SMA and I am not in the Solar Biz at all):

But it looks like there is a confusion between 48 Amps @ 240 VAC max AC charging input, vs 110/140 Amps @ 60 VDC charging output?

https://www.solar-electric.com/lib/wind-sun/SMA-warranty.pdf

Warranty Exclusions

• Sunny Island and Sunny Boy Storage inverters that exceed 20,000 operating hours-at-full-load (hours-at-full-load defined as AC discharge and AC charge energy over the full operation time divided by the devices rated power)

Which does limit the warranty to a bit over two years of charging at 100% of rated charging (or AC loading) Capacity.

https://www.solar-electric.com/lib/wind-sun/Sunny-Island-specs.pdf

Max. battery charging current / DC rated charging current 130 A / 110 A (6048)

Perhaps you are confusing AC max charging current (at 240 VAC?) vs max DC charging current at ~60 VDC?

https://www.solar-electric.com/lib/wind-sun/Sunny-Island-Manual.pdf
(quote below--various sections)

02 InvChrgCurMax Maximum AC charging current SI 6048‑US‑10 48 A

For SI 4548: (note added by BB.)

Battery Data 

Battery voltage (range) UBat, nom 48 V (41 V … 63 V) 

Maximum battery charging current  IBat, max 110 A

Continuous charging current IBat, nom 85 A

For Si6048: (note added by BB.)

Battery Data 

Battery voltage (range) UBat, nom 48 V (41 V … 63 V) 

Maximum battery charging current IBat, max 140 A 

Continuous charging current IBat, nom 110 A

Not sure how Max vs Continuous current max is defined...????

So, I see two issues... 1) is the 20,000 hours at maximum AC or DC current limit for warranty. And 2) how is Maximum vs Continuous charging current defined (I may have missed a quick scan of the manual)...

-Bill

Trukinbear

ok

BB.

Don't know... I have asked NAWS and one of their engineers should be looking at this soon (I do not work for NAWS--I am just a volunteer here).

They have the link to this thread--So I hope they are following your updates.

-Bill

Trukinbear

A bit of confusion here - actually they were trying to tell me I don't have a warranty, not that I'd voided it. 

BB.

Trukinbear,

Why are they saying you don't have a warranty? Because of where/how you purchased it or what?

-Bill

Trukinbear

Yes, one of the thousands of DC solar units that were dumped on the market. Everything else I bought via official channels, mostly NAWS but I just couldn't bring myself to pay $3500 for something that was so readily available 'new' for so much less. I should have bought a spare...

Trukinbear

I do still think they suck, my original issue was due to poor (nonexistent) documentation on both their part and MidNite Solar's. Some lessons are expensive... I called MN last year and was told everything I needed to know was on the pamphlet that came with my MODBUS/Canbus adaptor that SMA contracted them to design and market... it wasn't. 

BB.

I am very sorry for the confusion... Warranty issues can be a real pain. And with the issues of boom/bust of solar--There is a lot of equipment out there with less than clear lineage...

-Bill

Trukinbear

Was purchased at wholesale with a warranty for the end purchaser, no matter who that was. My lawyer will surely contend that covenant was not breached by the more convoluted supply chain on the way to me, the end-user. I am the first purchaser of this unit at retail, and California has very specific laws regarding the warranty of solar equipment. We'll see.

Trukinbear

California even says that 10-year warranty on residential solar equipment is transferrable automatically to the next owner and that warranty coverage shall be continuous for a minimum of a period of 10 years. 

Trukinbear

Thank you, in an odd turn of events this morning I wake to an E-mail from SMA requesting my address to ship a replacement unit to me, so they can ship my old unit back to Germany for diagnosis - it had a third issue which I had not discussed in any forum, a klaxon like sound when charging from my generator at any rate above 70A (used to be ok at 100). Anyway, I've been unable to record the sound because it only happens when 'Eloise' my Cummins Onan 8HDKAK is at full song so my phone just clips out all the loud noises, including the klaxon, I greatly appreciate your help and support.

Trukinbear

Well, I'm not so sure. They DID send me a replacement unit, one that not only appears to be a well-used unit that someone returned under warranty but like it was dropped and glued together with RTV too. I feel stupid after paying for helpers to help me swap this out and now this unit has more problems than my other ever did. 

Worms! They come in cans apparently.