Xantrex 3.0 [RE-wrenches]

[Jonah Liebes]

Hi All,

We've installed over 200 Xantrex 3.0's, 3.3's and 3.8's in the last couple
of years and have had at least 25 failures. Almost all problems have been
with the 3.0's. Typical error messages are "insufficient solar energy",
"inverter off-line" or nothing at all. 

One common characteristic of the failures is what I assume is a short in the
inverter. With the inverter's AC/DC disconnect in the ON position, a Vmeter
will read 0VDC between the + and - terminals. A DC amp clamp will read Isc
from the array at that time too. Once you turn off the switch, the VDC will
read the anticipated VOC of the connected strings and current goes to zero.
I've had techs read 0VDC at the inverter and start checking the roof for
array problems when the Xantrex was to blame. An arching sound is heard when
the switch is opened too. 

Also, most of our failures are of the early 3.0's and the replacements are
of the new design. The body design change defeats the handy separable wire
box feature that was so attractive about the unit in the first place. We do
continue to use the whole Xantrex line on and off grid, but they've been our
least reliable inverter by far compared to SMA, SHARP, and MAGNETEK. 

Jonah Liebes 
NABCEP cert.
Director of Operations
www.heliopower.com 
Office 760.451.9328
Fax 760.451.9393
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Louis Woofenden [mailto:louis at woofenden.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 4:00 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: Re: Xantrex 3.0 [RE-wrenches]



We have 45-50 installed, and have seen something like four failures, all 
within the first six months of installation. So far, the newer units 
have seemed to do better.

Louis Woofenden
The Solar Store
Tucson, AZ

Brad Albert wrote:

>We probably have 6 in service and so far no issues.
>
>BA
>Brad Albert 
>Rising Sun Solar
>PO Box 790807
>Paia, HI 96779
>P (808) 579-8287
>F (808) 579-6369
>brad at risingsunsolar.com
>
>
>
>On 10/11/06 4:32 AM, "SOLARPRO at aol.com" <SOLARPRO at aol.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>> 
>>Eric:
>> 
>>Last week three of our Xantrex GT series went "Off-Line."  Have  replaced
two
>>of them, and could find no issue to blame.  We have been  installing them
>>since they were introduced.  One unit had been in the field  15 months,
2nd =
>>7 
>>months, 3rd = 3 months.
>>Prior to this, no problems, whatsoever.
>> 
>>Patrick A. Redgate
>>AMECO
>>(888) or (562) 595-9570
>>_www.amecosolar.com_ (http://www.amecsolar.com/)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>In a message dated 10/10/2006 9:54:43 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
>>erics at mcn.org writes:
>>
>>Anyone  had problems with the 3.0 failing??   We have a few with no
>>problems, but one customer is now on their 3rd in 4  months.
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Eric  
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
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