Performance of Large Outback system [RE-wrenches]

[Carl Emerson, Free Power Ltd.]

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Doug,

What module temperature were you seeing at the 2000 watt output ??

Carl Emerson
Manager
Free Power Ltd.
Cell 021-633999 Cellfax 021-2919399 Email emerson at freepower.co.nz


-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Pratt [mailto:dmpratt at sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Monday, 18 October 2004 7:30 a.m.
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: Performance of Large Outback system [RE-wrenches]

 

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Matt, I also have a large Uni-Solar peel 'n stick array. 48 116-watt
laminates with a factory rating of 5568 watts, facing due south. I've
been running it about two years, initially with an SW5548, now with a
pair of GVFX3648s (serial #s 1 and 2...thank you very much Robin and
Christopher!).

I'm not very impressed with these laminates either. These modules are a
lot more temperature sensitive than the factory admits. I'm reading
wattage off the pair of MX60s running the array, which ought to be about
the same as you're seeing from the Sunny Boy. Note that I'm NOT talking
about the wattage actually being delivered to the grid. Since I've got
batteries, there's some minor loss there.

Most of the time, each of my MX60s cruises along at something close to
2000 watts output thru midday. 4000w divided by 5568 rated w = 71.8%
Interestingly Matt's observed output of 3680w divided by 5120 rated w
also = 71.8%. Coincidence? Probably not. These modules consistently
under-perform in the real world (IMHO). Now, to be honest, I've also
seen my MX60s hit over 3,000 watts each for brief periods, about 10-12%
over specs. But that was a cool, cloudy day, and was probably an edge of
cloud effect. It didn't sustain more than a minute or so.

Cheers,
Doug Pratt 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Tritt [mailto:solarone at charter.net] 
Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2004 1:57 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Performance of Large Outback system [RE-wrenches]


  I also have a report, but this is on a Unisolar/SunnyBoy system we got

going this last week.

  The system consists of 40 PVL 128s (they discontinued these modules a 
couple months ago in favoe of the improved 136) with a factory rating of

5120 peak Watts, and two 2500U-SBDs. The system is installed on and in a

steel barn that faces just West of due South in Paso Robles, Ca.

  The owner had us apply the modules to the roofing sheets about 3
months 
ago; well before the service was ready for the inverters, so all the
dust in 
this part of the state settled on the modules, which required a thorough

hosing (if you pardon the expression) prior to testing.

  The owner did the wash job but didn't exactly do a primo job of it,
which 
left a certain amount of crapola to act as a kind of  primitive limiting

device for the PV, and it was pretty toasty the day we tested (about 100
F 
ambient) but I don't think that either or both of these factors can 
completely explain the low max. output (observed) of 3680 Watts @ 1:30
PM.

  I'm hoping that the first real rain will do a good rinse job and
cooler 
weather will improve things, but I'm just a bit concerned about what we
saw.

  Does anyone else have a story about a similar system?

  Matt T

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