<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Drake,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I am in the middle of debugging a AFCI error on a SMA 5000US-12 inverter. Installed by others. The fault does NOT have to be on the DC side. The inverter checks both AC and DC circuits for faults. There are more specific fault messages related to DC arc faults then just “AFCI”, BUT a DC fault can still only trigger the AFCI message. All this is according to SMA. Check the wiring on the AC side also. If all is good, do some of the common sense things, which you may have done already.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If multiple strings are into the inverter, disconnect completely all but one at time and see if any one string faults exclusively. I literally saw several loose MC connectors “blow up” when I was debugging string-by-string and the inverter started to pull current. Why they didn’t when paralleled at the combiner I don’t know. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>It can be very difficult to pin down. I agree with others to also check any field-crimped plug-and-play connectors for continuity. Despite all the issues I repaired in my case, the error still exists, and SMA has agreed to send a replacement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Kirk Herander<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Owner|Principal, VT Solar, LLC <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Celebrating our 25<sup>th</sup> Anniversary 1991-2016<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="www.vermontsolarnow.com">www.vermontsolarnow.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>dba Vermont Solar Engineering<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>NABCEP<sup>TM </sup>2003 Inaugural Certificant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>VT RE Incentive Program Partner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>802.863.1202</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Drake<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 25, 2016 9:30 AM<br><b>To:</b> RE-wrenches<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [RE-wrenches] AFCI trip on metal roof<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Jay,<br><br>Yes, they are the same, MC4.<br><br>Drake<br><br>At 11:11 AM 3/24/2016, you wrote:<br><br><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi drake. <br><br>I've been researching problems with using the wrong connectors. <br>Are your home runs using same brand connectors as the modules?<br><br>Jay<br><br>Peltz power. <br><br>On Mar 23, 2016, at 2:08 PM, Drake <<a href="mailto:drake.chamberlin@redwoodalliance.org"> drake.chamberlin@redwoodalliance.org</a>> wrote:<br><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello Wrenches, <br><br>We have a project with an array on a large metal roof. The AFCI has been tripping. Investigating the system, there is no evidence of any arcing: the wiring and connections are all very tight. <br><br>SMA tech support says it is likely that the nuisance tripping comes from electrical noise getting picked up by the large metal roof. <br><br>What has been your overall experience with nuisance tripping of arc fault protection? What were the suspected causes? What was the solution?<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>Drake <br><br>Drake Chamberlin<br><i>Athens Electric LLC<br>OH License 44810<br>CO License 3773<br>NABCEP Certified Solar PV <br>740-448-7328<br></i><a href="http://athens-electric.com/">http://athens-electric.com/</a> <br><br><br><a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=oa-2115-v2-c"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:~WRD000.jpg" alt="Description: Image removed by sender. []"></span></a> No threats detected. <a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=oa-2115-v2-c">www.avast.com</a> <br>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Redwood Alliance<br><br>List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Change listserver email address & 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: <a href="http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html">http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html</a> <br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out or update participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Redwood Alliance<br><br>List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org<br><br>Change listserver email address & 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: <a href="http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html">http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html</a> <br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out or update participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org/">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=1 cellpadding=0 style='border:none;border-top:solid #AAABB6 1.0pt'><tr><td width=55 style='width:41.25pt;border:none;padding:13.5pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=oa-2115-v2-a" target="_blank"><span style='border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=100 height=100 id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:~WRD000.jpg" alt="Description: Image removed by sender."></span></a><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=470 style='width:352.5pt;border:none;padding:15.0pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:13.5pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#41424E'>This email has been sent from a virus-free computer protected by Avast. <a href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient&utm_term=oa-2115-v2-a" target="_blank"><span style='color:#4453EA'>www.avast.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>