3kw split array with an aurora 3000 - is it working correctly ?

[ballme1]

I have just had installed a Aurora power one split invertor and have 6 250W Solarworld panels facing east, plus 6 facing west.
How do I know if both sides are working correctly ?
I have no manual on the Aurora but from the panel readout I assume that PIN 1 is for one set of panels and PIN 2 is the other set, and having looked at the readout it seems only PIN 1 is giving a readout, which suggests one set of panels is not inputting to the invertor ?

Can someone advise if this is correct ?

 

[dansk]

Correct - depends on the time of day, maybe the East side had gone to sleep.

 

[pvman]

If you have an east west split you will probably only have ones string on as the others will be in shade, . East on in the Morning, West in the afternoon.

Tom

 

[ballme1]

So I should get a reading from PIN 1 during the day, and also PIN 2 at some point in the day, but it looks like I only get a reading from PIN 1, as I have seen no reading on PIN 2 since it was installed a week ago ?

 

[dansk]

ohhh, then i would say something isnt right. Ask installer to come and check. All PO inverters i have done all had two read outs.

 

[ballme1]

I assume that you can't have both panel inputs going into one single readout, hence the reason I am only seeing the one readout i.e. combination of all panels producing output ?

 

[dansk]

err not really, if the system is wired correctly - east on one input and west on another then you should get two readings PIN 1, PIN 2 - how many wires going into the inverter? can you post any pictures?

 

[pvman]

If you have a reading all on pin1 in the morning and afternoon then it would seem like both arrays are wired into on mpp tracker.

 

[MorganPVI]

Get your installer to open it up and check the toggle switch is set to IND not PAR.

 

[ballme1]

2 seperate wires are going into the isolator switch from the panels and then out the other side of the isolator to the invertor to IN1 marked on the invertor (i.e. both wires go into the IN1 ports). IN2 on the invertor is spare.

 

[dansk]

Thats the problem, you should have 2 wires from the west and 2 wires from the east, into 2 DC isolators then into both DC inputs on the inverter

 

[pvman]

Looks like you need to get the installer back and reconnect the inverter using both inputs. And ask for a second dc isolator

 

[stuart569]

Or one 4 pole isolator?

 

[ballme1]

When I said there were 2 wires feeding into the isolator switch, I guess that each wire contains 2 conductors, so there would be 4 wires in total which should be fine. But the wires from the isolator that go to the invertor go to the 2 seperate ports shown as IN1. So should one set of wires go to IN1 and the other set to IN2 on the invertor ?

 

[dansk]

Yep - AFAIK there isnt such thing as 2 core solar cable? so for each array you would have two wires, 4 wires into iso and 4 wires out of iso. Do you have a photo?

 

[ballme1]

It is 2 conductors in each wire, so there is a total of 4 wires going into the isolator switch, which is correct.
This is what I have found on the web - "The Aurora inverter can be configured with an independent MPPT for each DC input channel or with the 2 input DC channel connected in parallel with one MPPT"​

Does this suggest that it has in fact been wired incorrectly into one input port shown as IN1 on the invertor, which is why I can only see one output reading for both panels, and to get a readout for each panel it needs to be rewired between IN1 and IN2 ports ?​

 

[dansk]

Im sorry but i still dont understand the "2 conductors in each wire" unless they have used some sort of DC cable im not familier with. Yes you need the East and West array onto seperate inputs.

 

[JohnBoyZ]

There are some 2 core solar cables around but not common place. We need to clear up the question of how many conductors are plugged into the inverter. Looking underneath the inverter there are 4 connectors (IN1) and another 2 connectors (IN2). How many of these 6 connectors have cables connected? If all 4 of the IN1 connectors have cables then it should be a matter of simply moving 2 of them across to IN2. On the other hand if there are only 2 IN1 connectors used and none on IN2 then both strings have been connected together (somewhere) and need to be separated so one string goes to 2 IN1 connectors and the other string goes to the 2 IN2 connectors

 

[ballme1]

All,
I have discovered that the 2 array's (East facing & West facing have been connected together (as one single array), hence the reason why there was only 2 wires going into the Isolator switch. So as correctly mentioned in earlier response, there was only one conductor in each wire. That is why I am only getting one reading on the invertor. Is there any downside in this arrangement ? The only one I can see is that if one of the 12 panels went faulty I may not notice it.

 

[dansk]

Yep, as the sun swings round and the east is in shade it will dicate the voltage level for the west array and visa versa - this is really bad my friend and you need to get them back as soon as poss and have the array split.

 

[fiardor]

Hello Mr Ball i know the system is now working after we visited today but i had to laugh when i saw this post just now.
My company installed this system last week.

After talking to Mr Ball on Monday i also made the same assumption as you guys and arranged a re visit.
I found that one of our contracting teams had decided to ignore:

1. PV sol calculation sheet.
2. Schematics showing 2 strings.
3. The 6 pole dc isolator in their kit.
4. Common sense.

They had not only wired whole array on one string but had lifted a hip roof tile then wired cable under hip tile then cemented back in to reach panels on other side of roof!!

They also installed 2 ac isolators 12 inches apart.


I should of taken photos but was so embarrasssed i sorted it immediately into 2 strings.
Also a whole catalogue of small errors that are too tedious to reiterate that i also rectified when i was there.

Shh dont tell him.....lol

Luckily Mr Ball came here and got as always friendly and helpful answers.

Cant wait to get rid of these rough neck contractors on our company (from an original 4 teams before tariff cut to 22 teams)

I may post some photos of the horror stories once its all died down.
Here are some of my electrical instals to show i can also walk the walk.

 

[deeyup]

Those installs pictured look very neat. Never seen diagrams posted next to inverters before either. Good idea.

Kudos to you too for replying to this thread!

 

[fiardor]

Pfft i am just glad that he came on here and asked questions as he would have been left with a sub standard instal and worst of all a **** poor yield.

But thanks Deeyup for your comments much appreciated.

 

[SolarCity]

Yeah, nice looking installs. Good work.

Unfortunately, we have had problems with people we have subbed in and I've ended up putting a lot of things right. Our company has never undertook an install where I haven't been on site so I can always rectify mistakes.

I used a roofing team that was recommended to me by a friend of mine on this forum and they were awful - something that he hadn't known because he hadn't been around to witness some of their antics (loose bolts, screws not fully screwed in, wonky panels, ripped felt, incorrect brackets used). This team has carried out over 50 installs now and we both wonder how many they have bodged.

One thing that every installer on this forum has in common is that they have a genuine interest in their work and a desire to learn more. Unfortunately, there is a huge swell of monkeys out there that are good at making money but awful at using their tools.

 

[fiardor]

One thing that every installer on this forum has in common is that they have a genuine interest in their work and a desire to learn more. Unfortunately, there is a huge swell of monkeys out there that are good at making money but awful at using their tools.

Amen to that brother Biggy