Installation

I am needing some help with understanding my situation and what to do with my current scenario. I have 2 sets of  12 panels hooked up to 3- 220v  inverters hooked up in series, model number WVC-1200. I have run 4 wires to the panels from the house 240’ to the array that I installed on the side of the hill.  These inverters state that they are 220v but they only have three wires which are 1 hot, 1 neutral, and a ground. The diagram listed on the installation does not explain how to hook up 220v using only one hot wire. I am wondering, if inverters convert the neutral to hot when configured in 220v mode. I feel like I have no support getting these hooked up and I am nearing completion but I need very clear instructions to how to hook these up. Please be good news. Thank you for any assistance.

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    I guess these are Grid Tied inverters?

    https://www.enfsolar.com/pv/inverter-datasheet/6469

    I probably do not have the "right" inverter company in the above link... Can you supply more information (brand name, link, etc.)?

    If this is a grid tied system, and you are in/around Seattle Washington (USA), we have split phase 120/240 VAC power. And most GT Inverters are 240 VAC nominal voltage and only connect to the L1/L2 wiring (240 VAC) and either may not connect to Neutral or may connect to neutral only to verify that the Neutral has 120 VAC to Lx voltage (newer requirement by NEC to ensure all wiring is good and connected in the home).

    In terms of powering your home and 120 VAC appliances--It really does not matter. Technically the 240 VAC power you generate is either used locally for your 240 VAC appliances, or is sent back to the utility where the 120/240 VAC transformer supplies the current need to power your 120 VAC appliances from Lx and Neutral.

    It is all quite "automatic/transparent" to you and your home.

    Now the technical details. First, 220 VAC GT inverters should not have a "Neutral"... They should have "two hot" wires (techncially they are "floating" and not referenced to ground/neutral--It should not "hurt" if one of the Lx legs is a ground bonded neutral like done in some countries--But that is not what is done in the US).

    Next, if these are 220 VAC inverters... That is not really the standard voltage in the US but a typical voltage outside of North America. While 220 VAC inverter should work in US (top shutdown voltage of ~264 VAC may be wrong for these inverters), that usually means that they are 50 Hz inverters and they would not work in the US (60 Hz).

    And there is the issue of building permits and utility approvals. If these are not the "correct" inverters for the US, and may not have UL (NRTL) Listing, they may not be legal for installing in the US and your utility could give you problems (especially if you did not get a permit/utility approval).

    if you do not have utility approval, they will not have changed your utility meter / billing-rate plan and you could end up with utility addressing an "illegal" connection and/or your billing could be all messed up (depends on the exact utility meter/configuration, your utility policies, etc.).

    And there is the question of how you are connecting your array and inverters... 240 feet from array to home? I am guessing, but you are installing the GT Inverters next to the array and running ~220-240 VAC 240 feet to your home?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    These appear to be microinverters designed to be tied to appropriate grid power, single phase 220v in this case.

    Did you run 4-wire because you have 120/240v split phase or some other grid voltage/phase configuration?
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    My old GT Inverter had two Hot and a ground connection. My replace GT inverter had L1/L2/Neutral+Ground connection. If the Neutral was "broken" or not showing the "right voltage", my inverter would shut down.

    The technician's quick fix when replacing the inverter--He just connected the green wire ground to "Neutral" input (Neutral+Ground are bonded together in the main breaker panel so are effectively "the same" voltage relative to L1 and L2).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • _tDA56d3C6
    _tDA56d3C6 Registered Users Posts: 2
    I live out in the bonnies with no regulations. I was guided to get these inverters because I could not get solar on my house because all of the trees  and with 220v grid tie inverters I could run the inverters attached from the solar panels all the way to the house. I ran 4-4-4-4 aluminum wiring to connect two sets of 12 solar panels on 2 hot wires. I could not find a link to the actual manual i took a picture of the parameter values. It seems as though it does work 60 HZ auto switching.