Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Solar panel output dropping during peak sun.

2»

Comments

  • #32
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 7,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    It should, or a warn or something

    It also should be giving out an alarm if throttling due to grid voltage

    Although Huawei seems to be the first one I've seen to throttle on grid voltage, others I've seen just shutoff with an alarm



  • #33
    GreeBo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,509 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    If you are home during the day and have access, can you dump some water on the panels themselves, that should significantly drop their temps and you can rule them in/out?

    But deffo looks like something overheating to me.



  • #34
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,987 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123449604#Comment_123449604

    I tested that last year on mine and the effects were not noticeable. Might be more pronounced in 43C territory, but seemingly not so much at 20C.



  • #35
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 7,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123449604#Comment_123449604

    Defs not the panels

    Voltage lowers with heat not rises.

    It's also a gradual change not a sudden drop in power



  • #36
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,874 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    I've had air temps in the high 30s the last week or so as I have some panels in a sun trap, power drops in the heat but smoothly and marginal, not a whoomp



  • Advertisement
  • #37
    GreeBo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,509 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123449928#Comment_123449928

    My panels are fully south facing and total suntrap but I don't see any drop at all, generation graphs all mimic sun height graphs throughout the day, assuming no clouds, its only a 5.2 system though, which I guess impacts what the inverter is doing.

    image.png


    My inverter/battery are all inside the house though, but the plant room still gets plenty warm.



  • #38
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 7,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123450314#Comment_123450314

    With panel temperature, you'll never see a drop throughout a day unless you get a shower of rain passing which will cool them down.

    You may see less peak power on clear days. Vs colder, sunny spells days



  • #39
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,987 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123450314#Comment_123450314

    Your loss on a hot day would roughly be the gap between the red line and your power generation, for example.

    image.png


  • #40
    stephen013
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15 ✭stephen013


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123448798#Comment_123448798

    cool. Thanks for the info.



  • #41
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,874 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123450412#Comment_123450412

    That's it, with maybe less of a drop to the left of the graph (morning) and maybe more in the afternoon when panels have heated up, hot panels = less voltage = less generation



  • Advertisement
  • #42
    stephen013
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15 ✭stephen013


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123449034#Comment_123449034

    I tried using a fan today. I have one of those temp controlled cabinet fans ordered for delivery monday.

    I pointed the fan to the inverter and it seemed to fix things once it got to around 43degs C. I cycled fan, no fan etc x 3-4 times and whenever it reached 43 degs it seemed to resolve and decrease output once it reached 44 and up.

    this could have been coincidental, so I intend to leave the fan running most of tomorrow and see how we go.

    Thanks again all for your input. A few leads here :)



  • #43
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,874 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    My IGBT (core temp) is 57.3degrees so what is your 43degrees coming from?



  • #44
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,987 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123451163#Comment_123451163

    Good feedback. At the end of the day if this turns out to be a thermal issue then it should be up to the installer to resolve as they should have assessed the product for the intended environment. I'd also be looking for him to open a case into Huweui to see why it's not being flagged up via the inverter software/firmware.



  • #45
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,874 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    You should be onto your installer in the first instance, we can help but we are blind to the install



  • #46
    CivilEx
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 815 ✭✭✭CivilEx


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123447767#Comment_123447767

    I have a Huawei Inverter (SUN2000-2-6KTL-L1) which is coupled with 7kWp of solar panels. I haven't been seeing the de-rating issues noted by the OP, but this thread peaked my curiosity to check and see how hot my inverter was actually getting.

    From the internal reporting function, I can see that it peaked at about 64°C each day over the last few days when it has been very sunny and the inverter is maxing out at 5.5kW import from panels, 0.5kW usage and 5.0kW of export for hours on end. This seems to happen around 3.30pm - 4pm. It's as hot as you could not leave your hand on the outside of the inverter for more than a few seconds.

    My inverter and battery setup is in my garage on the inside of an external cavity wall, so the typical ambient temperature in the garage is 15 - 20°C at this time of the year.

    The lowest temperature of the inverter was recorded as 21 degrees C around 5.30am each morning.



  • #47
    stephen013
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15 ✭stephen013


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123453525#Comment_123453525

    Thanks, I have been on to my installer before starting this thread. He thinks it is either over heating or grid. He is also getting on to Huawei.



  • #48
    stephen013
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15 ✭stephen013


    I ran a couple of more tests yesterday and today with some more info to share.

    Both days behaved similarly.

    Below is an example of today with the temps and grid voltages checked every so often.

    I have a fan keeping the temp below 40degs C most of the day today. Keeping the inverter cool made no difference at all. In fact, yesterday the temp was up to 50degs C in the morning before I put on the fan, and the inverter was functioning fine until the usual 11.30-12pm.

    There does seem to be some more fluctuation in mains voltage when the inverter's solar output is misbehaving and jumping by 1 or 2 volts rapidly, but when it's working fine, this doesn't appear to be happening.

    Could this couple of volts of bouncing be a cause?

    Ive called ESB about this yesterday and I hope to have the line checked in the coming weeks.

    Capture.JPG


  • #49
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 7,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    Voltages seem normal. Maybe there is an export limit set or something?

    You mention an eddi. Has the hot water reached max temperature when it starts happening



  • #50
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,874 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    It's a 5kW inverter, shouldn't be any export limiting going on.....OP you hardly have another inverter or batteries set up to export?



  • #51
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 7,074 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123462525#Comment_123462525

    Shouldn't 😂 but we've seen it before



  • Advertisement
  • #52
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,987 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    Is the grid code set correctly and has the unit been factory reset and reconfigured again?



  • #53
    Hamsterchops
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,616 ✭✭✭Hamsterchops


    Do we know the orientation of the panels?

    17475960990383049856607049987011.jpg


Advertisement