[RE-wrenches] Inverter Failure Due to Generator Backfeed (?)

[Jay]

Hi jerry

Can you give any insight as to the failure mechanism?  

I guess I don't understand why bad AC would damage the inverter, I mean besides the obvious bad equipment design. 

Jay
Peltz power. 

> On Jan 29, 2016, at 3:18 PM, Jerry Shafer <jerrysgarage01 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> We have seen something very close, it appears that the gwnny will always win this war.
> Jerry
> 
>> On Jan 29, 2016 1:14 PM, "Jason Szumlanski" <jason at floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:
>> I'm looking at two Eaton PV250 inverters that failed simultaneously as far as we know (not my install). Everything checked out normal, but no display and no power output. I suspect both boards are bad. Upon digging into the scenario I discovered that the owner had a whole-house generator transfer switch installed a while back, after the PV was installed. The PV is a load side interconnection, so calamity should have been expected.
>> 
>> What are the odds that the generator caused the inverter boards to fail? I was always under the impression that it was more likely for a generator component to be damaged than an inverter component in this scenario. It could be coincidence and the inverters may have just failed around the same.
>> 
>> Note:  ~10kW PV, 25kW Generator
>> 
>> Side note: The PV was interconnected at a 50A breaker on a 200A bus bar in the main distribution panel and somehow passed inspection by an AHJ that shall not be named... Over 120%, and also not the correct OCPD rating anyway for these two inverters. Passed plan review and inspection... Contractor out of business... surprise!
>> 
>> 
>> Jason Szumlanski
>> Florida Solar Design Group
>> 
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