[RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems

Fri Apr 2 13:37:41 PDT 2010

I recently bought a 345.
It is a great tool - I use it on every commercial commissioning and QA
inspection I do.
I had a customer with high utility voltage and the meter recorded this very
well.
Interesting to watch the voltage and current measurements on a residential
PV install when the inverter kicks in to full backfeed.

I can't say I like the flex current probes though - I think they are meant
for much bigger conductors/busbars than I work on.

You are right - it is pricey, but when I mentioned to the utility tech that
I took some recordings of the customer's 260VAC service with my Fluke 435,
he said - well, I guess it's true then.

-Glenn

-----Original Message-----
From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of R Ray
Walters
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 5:43 PM
To: tump at hughes.net; RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems

I've been considering a Fluke 345 for some time
http://www.davis.com/catalog/product_view.asp?sku=2000338&pfx=
It does data logging of power issues,and is very easy to carry around and
work with (basically a clamp on meter with electrodes too)
Do you think that would work?

R. Walters
ray at solarray.com
Solar Engineer

On Mar 31, 2010, at 6:10 AM, tump at hughes.net wrote:

> I have a company that will rent a Fluke power logger 1735 for ~ $300/
month.
> I have been using one to measure just this issue. I found the unit was
easy to use + all the data logged can be downloaded. Logging can be as short
as 1/2 second to 40 hours.   Ck out what one can log, it is quite a bit of
information. Plus it is available w/ calibration cert. 
> Contact me off list if you want to view spread sheet or their contact
info.  
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: penobscotsolar at midmaine.com
> Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:31:21 
> To: RE-wrenches<re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems
> 
> Hi Ray,
>   It's very funny this comes up with you now. I have a 3500 watt array
> running my home. For years I sold between 10 and 16 kwh per day,
> depending on the time of year, on a sunny day. I should mention the
> panels are in a south facing field on pole mounts.
>   Suddenly I was noticing a decrease, substantial, in production. I
> checked my programming, OutBack sent me inverter boards to replace,
> literally checked and/or replaced everything many, many times with no
> satisfaction. Long story short, I had the utility change out the 35
> year old transformer last Friday and on Saturday, a gloriously sunny
> but cold day, I made 20.4 kwh, up from what had been only about 5 kwh
> per day. That is a record for me. Remember, this is in Maine in March.
> My array is 15 years old.
>   I would suggest you have the utility check the transformer. If it is
> old, have them replace it. It made all the difference for me.
> 
> Daryl DeJoy
> NABCEP Certified PV installer
> Penobscot Solar Design
> 
> 
> 
>> HI Ray,
>> 
>> Have you checked the grid voltage to see if there is variation during the
>> day which would be enough to kick the inverters out of connection?
>> 
>> Brian Teitelbaum
>> AEE Solar
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
>> [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of R Ray
>> Walters
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 9:43 AM
>> To: RE-wrenches
>> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Outback Grid Problems
>> 
>> We currently have a Grid Tie system with a pair of Outback inverters that
>> are regularly dropping out of sell mode, and letting the arrays spend all
>> day charging the battery bank.
>> It seems to do this several times a week, and the customer is losing
>> substantial production, and gassing the batteries too much.
>> It will reset itself the next day, or the customer resets it by turning
>> off the inverters manually.
>> The system is 24 v, with an old array of 1800 watts running through 2
>> FM60s, and a new array of 2800 watts running through another pair of
>> FM60s.
>> The battery bank is HUP about 4100 Ah @ 24 v (3 strings of 1375 Ah each)
>> Big battery, I know, but the customer is an electrical engineer, who
>> wanted maximum storage capacity.
>> 
>> Outback tech support has not resolved the issue, and this has turned into
>> several service calls, and customer frustration.
>> We've tried running the controllers through the HUB, and also
>> independently, and that doesn't make a difference.
>> I have numerous Outback GT installs dating back to 2003, and have never
>> had a problem like this.
>> Any help or advice would as always be greatly appreciated.
>> 
>> Thank you in advance fellow Wrenches,
>> 
>> R. Walters
>> ray at solarray.com
>> Solar Engineer
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
>> 
>> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> Options & settings:
>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> List-Archive:
>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> List rules & etiquette:
>> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>> 
>> Check out participant bios:
>> www.members.re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
>> 
>> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> Options & settings:
>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> List-Archive:
>> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> List rules & etiquette:
>> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
>> 
>> Check out participant bios:
>> www.members.re-wrenches.org
>> 
>> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
> 
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
> 
> Options & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
> 
> Check out participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
> 
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
> 
> Options & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
> 
> Check out participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
> 
> 

_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org