[RE-wrenches] SMA Arc-Fault

[Howie Michaelson]

Sorry, I meant "Dave"...

Howie Michaelson
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer™

Sun Catcher
Renewable Energy Systems Sales and Service
VT Solar Electric Incentive Partner
802-272-0004

On Nov 11, 2016 7:33 AM, "Dave Tedeyan" <dtedeyan at taitem.com> wrote:

> This array is a ground mount, so not on a roof, and no radio towers nearby.
>
> As for grounding, The array and the shed with the interconnection point
> are in the same area.
> There are a couple ground rods there, which everything on the AC side is
> connected to,
> including a #6 wire from each inverter. there is just a #10 ground coming
> from the array to the inverters.
> The house is a couple hundred feet away and has its own grounding
> electrode system.
>
> Jerry,
> The inverters are new (replaced 2 months ago), but it is a good idea to
> check firmware.
> As for AC loads, nothing stands out as the types of things you mentioned,
> although there
> may be a well pump. They also do have a large water storage tank for
> heating, but they
> say that they have not needed to use it yet this year. Then there is also
> the generator...
>
> Thanks for your recommendations.
> -Dave
>
>
>
> *--*
>
>
> *Dave Tedeyan*
> *Project Engineer*
>
> *Taitem Engineering, PC*
> 109 S. Albany Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
> Voice: (607) 277-1118 x121
> www.taitem.com
>
> On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 9:51 PM, Jerry Shafer <jerrysgarage01 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Dave.
>> We have many TL-22 in the field and they will detect faults even when
>> they are normal contactor faults, have you made sure the SW is the latest,
>> last I checked it is 2.65.3R and it may have a patch in there, you can turn
>> off the feature for testing only and see if you melt something down but if
>> you do please be on site as a arc may happen. Do you have a well, AC system
>> with contacts, welders, compressors, anything that has a dry contacts that
>> brakes under load, this is another place I would look. Every time we have
>> had a code out it was real weather from something normal or a wire issue.
>> Not to brag but we have hundreds in the field from the 3's to the 24's and
>> as much as I dread getting a call with this issue I can usually find the
>> problem and it can be either AC or DC.
>> Jerry
>>
>> On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 8:14 AM, Dave Tedeyan <dtedeyan at taitem.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> Maybe someone will have some ideas for why a couple inverters keep arc
>>> faulting:
>>>
>>> -There are two SB7000TL-22 inverters, Sunpower branded.
>>> -3 Strings of 7 SPR-327's to each inverter. Kept separate until the
>>> inverter.
>>> -Ground mount about 50' from the shed where the inverters are located
>>> (indoors)
>>> -Simple grid connected system, no batteries.
>>> -There is a whole house generator co-located in the shed.
>>> -We interconnect by using piercing taps on the line side of the
>>> generator transfer switch
>>> -There has been only one power outage there since the system was
>>> installed in April, but the generator fires up weekly.
>>>
>>> -The arc faults have been happening on both inverters. Sometimes only
>>> one at a time, sometimes both will go within a day of each other.
>>> -The events have been approximately one a month, but sometimes more,
>>> sometimes less.
>>>
>>> -We have already checked every single connection in the system twice, by
>>> two different people.
>>> -We have replaced the underground wires (and they looked just fine)
>>> -We have replaced all home runs.
>>> -We have replaced both inverters.
>>> -Arc faults are still happening.
>>> -Arc faults are not always on the same day/time of the week.
>>>
>>> I am wondering if this can be caused by the generator?
>>> Has anyone run into a situation like this or something similar?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your help,
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> *--*
>>>
>>>
>>> *Dave Tedeyan*
>>> *Project Engineer*
>>>
>>> *Taitem Engineering, PC*
>>> 109 S. Albany Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
>>> Voice: (607) 277-1118 x121
>>> www.taitem.com
>>>
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