<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I like the SW4024, but I never liked the SW5548. It actually had less surge capability than its little brother.<div>Either way, I would never recommend the Trace SW series for grid tie. They are very inefficient in that mode. </div><div>(As for the noise, I seem to recall an issue with old SWs where the windings came delaminated and made noise? But I don't remember.....)</div><div>We typically run around pulling those SWs out and replacing them with Outbacks.</div><div>The SW5548s do have a resell value of around $1500/ ea. for the off grid market.</div><div>I'd build a whole new power panel with Outbacks, MPPT controllers, and if the backup loads don't need that much inverter, I'd consider using a combination of Outbacks, and put one of the roofs on a GT inverter without battery backup. (rewire the array for higher voltage)</div><div>Sounds like the batteries are gone too (10 years old, 1 failed string)</div><div>Once you do all that, they should notice the difference on their next electric bill; it will produce much more net energy.</div><div>I'd also ask the question: Have you really used the backup in the past 10 years? (sounds like it was originally a Y2K fear system)</div><div>Might just go all GT, no batteries. Be cheaper and even more efficient.</div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div><div>Solar Engineer</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span>
</div>
<br><div><div>On May 6, 2010, at 11:33 AM, Peter Parrish wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="address">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City">
<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:DoNotRelyOnCSS/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>150</w:Zoom>
<w:SpellingState>Clean</w:SpellingState>
<w:GrammarState>Clean</w:GrammarState>
<w:DocumentKind>DocumentEmail</w:DocumentKind>
<w:EnvelopeVis/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:2;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Arial Narrow";
panose-1:2 11 5 6 2 2 2 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Palatino Linotype";
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 5 5 3 3 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870009 1073741843 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
h1
{mso-style-next:Normal;
margin-top:12.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:1;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;
mso-font-kerning:16.0pt;
font-weight:bold;}
h3
{mso-style-update:auto;
mso-style-next:apara;
margin-top:6.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-line-height-alt:11.0pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:3;
tab-stops:328.5pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
letter-spacing:-.5pt;
mso-font-kerning:10.0pt;
font-weight:normal;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:navy;}
p.alist, li.alist, div.alist
{mso-style-name:alist;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-indent:-.15in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1;
tab-stops:list .5in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.ahead3, li.ahead3, div.ahead3
{mso-style-name:ahead3;
mso-style-update:auto;
mso-style-parent:"Heading 3";
mso-style-next:Normal;
margin-top:6.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-line-height-alt:11.0pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:3;
tab-stops:328.5pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
letter-spacing:-.5pt;
mso-font-kerning:10.0pt;}
p.StyleaparaJustifiedAfter0pt, li.StyleaparaJustifiedAfter0pt, div.StyleaparaJustifiedAfter0pt
{mso-style-name:"Style apara + Justified After\: 0 pt";
mso-style-update:auto;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:justify;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial Narrow";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.alistnead, li.alistnead, div.alistnead
{mso-style-name:alist_nead;
mso-style-parent:alist;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.anumlist, li.anumlist, div.anumlist
{mso-style-name:anumlist;
mso-style-update:auto;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.aHead1, li.aHead1, div.aHead1
{mso-style-name:aHead1;
mso-style-update:auto;
mso-style-parent:"Heading 1";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:6.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:center;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:1;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
mso-font-kerning:16.0pt;
font-weight:bold;}
p.StyleHeading3Left0Firstline0, li.StyleHeading3Left0Firstline0, div.StyleHeading3Left0Firstline0
{mso-style-name:"Style Heading 3 + Left\: 0\0022 First line\: 0\0022";
mso-style-update:auto;
mso-style-parent:"Heading 3";
margin-top:6.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-line-height-alt:11.0pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan lines-together;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:3;
tab-stops:328.5pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
letter-spacing:-.5pt;
mso-font-kerning:10.0pt;}
p.a-text, li.a-text, div.a-text
{mso-style-name:a-text;
mso-style-update:auto;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.apara, li.apara, div.apara
{mso-style-name:apara;
mso-style-update:auto;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:6.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
text-indent:.35in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Palatino Linotype";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.StyleHeading1Centered, li.StyleHeading1Centered, div.StyleHeading1Centered
{mso-style-name:"Style Heading 1 + Centered";
mso-style-update:auto;
mso-style-parent:"Heading 1";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:6.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;
text-align:center;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
page-break-after:avoid;
mso-outline-level:1;
font-size:16.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
mso-font-kerning:16.0pt;
font-weight:bold;}
p.Styleapara1TimesNewRomanFirstline025, li.Styleapara1TimesNewRomanFirstline025, div.Styleapara1TimesNewRomanFirstline025
{mso-style-name:"Style apara1 + Times New Roman First line\: 0\.25\0022";
mso-style-update:auto;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:justify;
text-indent:.25in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
tab-stops:328.5pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
letter-spacing:-.25pt;}
p.PPAhead, li.PPAhead, div.PPAhead
{mso-style-name:PPAhead;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.aparabullet, li.aparabullet, div.aparabullet
{mso-style-name:aparabullet;
mso-style-update:auto;
mso-style-parent:apara;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
mso-list:l4 level1 lfo2;
tab-stops:list .5in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Palatino Linotype";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;
letter-spacing:-.25pt;}
p.AAbulllist1, li.AAbulllist1, div.AAbulllist1
{mso-style-name:AA_bull_list_1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.AAbulllist2, li.AAbulllist2, div.AAbulllist2
{mso-style-name:AA_bull_list_2;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:1.0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
mso-list:l3 level2 lfo3;
tab-stops:list 1.0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.Equation, li.Equation, div.Equation
{mso-style-name:Equation;
mso-style-update:auto;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:6.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
text-align:center;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.WrightPara, li.WrightPara, div.WrightPara
{mso-style-name:"Wright Para";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.25in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
tab-stops:.25in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:windowtext;}
p.ABULL, li.ABULL, div.ABULL
{mso-style-name:ABULL;
mso-style-update:auto;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4;
mso-hyphenate:none;
tab-stops:list .5in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:black;
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA;}
span.EmailStyle35
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;
mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;
mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
span.SpellE
{mso-style-name:"";
mso-spl-e:yes;}
span.GramE
{mso-style-name:"";
mso-gram-e:yes;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:818693263;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-100094350 1488209248 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:0;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:-;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1153447148;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-493563092 -568027952 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:none;
mso-level-style-link:ABULL;
mso-level-suffix:none;
mso-level-text:\00B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ascii-font-family:Symbol;
mso-hansi-font-family:Symbol;}
@list l2
{mso-list-id:1374502153;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-1037953930 923842848 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l2:level1
{mso-level-start-at:0;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-style-link:alist;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.15in;
font-family:Symbol;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@list l2:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.35in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
margin-left:1.35in;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l3
{mso-list-id:1415589764;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:1586279428 2093282660 67698713 67698713 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;}
@list l3:level1
{mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l3:level2
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-style-link:AA_bull_list_2;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l3:level3
{mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower;
mso-level-tab-stop:117.0pt;
mso-level-number-position:left;
margin-left:117.0pt;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l3:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l4
{mso-list-id:1937596687;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-89214982 1080878598 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l4:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-style-link:aparabullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1028" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="blue" style="tab-interval:.5in">
<div class="Section1"><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">This one is for the grey beards.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">I was asked to look at a slightly funky,
ca 10 year old, Grid-tie Battery Back Up System, with 2 ea SW5548s, 100 ea <span class="SpellE">Astropower</span> Ap-100s, 3 ea C-40 (I think) charge controllers,
3 ea strings of 4 ea Sun Extender PVX12100T (100 A-hr) batteries. The PV
modules are wired in strings of four. II strings reside on a west facing garage
roof (3:12) and 14 strings reside on a south facing main house roof (3:12). Strings
are combined using Pulse combiners with up to 8 PV circuits on the input. Everything
was buttoned up in rain proof cabinets in such a way as to make inspection (including
observation of LCD displays) very difficult. Not a lot of wire marking, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">The client called us to look at the system.
Prior to my arrival, the client had done two things:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo5;
tab-stops:list .5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;
color:navy"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></span></font><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">One
battery string had been decommissioned due to a bad battery and<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo5;
tab-stops:list .5in"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:Arial;
color:navy"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<font size="1" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></font></span></span></font><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">One of
the inverters had been put into bypass because of fluctuating output and noise <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">We put the inverter in question “on
line” and sure enough the critical loads (bathroom lights for example)
began to fluctuate on a ~1 sec interval. The inverter also had a fairly loud
continuous hum punctuated by a “<span class="SpellE">boing</span>”
which occurred at exactly 1 sec intervals. After a while (10 minutes) the
fluctuations went away and so did the “<span class="SpellE">boing</span>”
but the inverter still exhibited a loud hum.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">I spent a lot of time looking at the PV
strings, circuit combiners and the inputs to the CCs. Everything actually looked
okay, except for one loose PV circuit input at a circuit combiner. Due to the
way the inverters and CC are installed in the cabinets (CC in the back and
inverters face up in front of them), It is very hard to trace wires and view
displays/<span class="SpellE">LEDs</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">The AC voltages appeared okay (117.5 to
119.6) and here is what we got on the AC currents:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Inverter A (funky one)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">AC Hot In1, 9.58 A <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Neutral In 1, 10.09 A<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">AC Hot Out, 1.47 A <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="SpellE"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Vdc</span></font></span><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy">=56.4 V<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Inverter B <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">AC Hot In1, 7.2 – 8.4 A<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Neutral <span class="GramE">In</span> 1, 8.6
– 9.4<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">AC Hot Out, 1.57 – 1.86 A<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">(<span class="GramE">these</span> currents
were fluctuating and my clamp on ammeter has about a 1 sec settling time) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="SpellE"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Vdc</span></font></span><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy">=54-64 V<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Where do I start with this system? Obviously
out of warranty, but people on this email list seem to like these old inverters.
What do the symptoms suggest? Is there a company that repairs these inverters?
What kind of additional diagnostics should perform? The customer would like to
keep the battery back up functionality (which we didn’t test), so for now
I would like to focus on determining the problem(s) and fixing it (them).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">- Peter<o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="_x0000_s1026" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:50pt;
height:50pt;z-index:1;visibility:hidden' coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="100"
o:preferrelative="t" adj="0,,0" path="" filled="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas/>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" selection="t" />
</v:shape><![endif]-->Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President<br>
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state>
Solar Engineering, Inc.<br>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:street w:st="on">820 Cynthia Ave.</st1:street>, <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">CA</st1:state> <st1:postalcode w:st="on">90065</st1:postalcode></st1:address><br>
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26<br>
<a href="mailto:peter.parrish@calsolareng.com">peter.parrish@calsolareng.com</a><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><br>
Ph 323-258-8883, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mobile</st1:place></st1:city>
323-839-6108, Fax 323-258-8885 </span></font><font size="1" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;
mso-no-proof:yes"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></font><font size="1" color="navy"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;
color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></font><font color="navy"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-no-proof:
yes"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-no-proof:
yes"> </span></font><font size="3" color="black" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:windowtext"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Options & settings:<br><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org<br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br>www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm<br><br>Check out participant bios:<br>www.members.re-wrenches.org<br><br></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>