This is very common down here on the coast with the SMAs for us - two inverters we fired up yesterday took 20 and 27 minutes respectively to clear the GFDI error. After that, no problems.... we use the time to eat lunch.... John NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer ™ President Key Power Services, Inc. 160 Tahiti Street Naples, FL 34113 (239) 290-6040 (239) 389-5497 fax FL Lic. CVC56676
Begin forwarded message: From: Dana Brandt <d...@ecotechenergy.com> Date: December 4, 2009 1:51:56 PM EST To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] SMA GFDI Err Tip was PV Powered vs SMA Reply-To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> In my experience tightening the fuse holder and cleaning the contacts didn't help but a 30 minute burn in did the trick. No problems since. SMA tech support said this has be a common problem for them in humid environments. Dana Dana Brandt Ecotech Energy Systems, LLC www.ecotechenergy.com d...@ecotechenergy.com 360.510.0433 On Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 7:28 AM, Wayne Irwin <wa...@pureenergysolar.com> wrote: We have had the same issue with the SMA GFDI err. To fix the problem, before commissioning we remove the fuse, squeeze the GFDI fuse holder a little tighter and clean the contact ends of the fuse. Fires right up. Wayne Irwin EE Pure Energy Solar International Inc. State Licensed Solar Contractor License # CVC56695 wa...@pureenergysolar.com http://pureenergysolar.com 352 377-6527 Office 352 336-3299 Fax 352 316-1637 Cell The content of this message is Pure Energy Solar Confidential. If you are not the intended recipient and have received this message in error, any use or distribution is prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail and delete this message from your computer system. Thank you. From: atru...@gmail.com Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 21:17:54 -0500 To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] PV Powered vs SMA Last I used a PVP was in 2005 and we had multiple failures. I've never had an SMA fail but there has been a disconcerting glitch on some units lately, where the inverter displays a GFDI fuse error for about a 1/2 hour after commissioning, and then kicks in. Still the best dependabilty and fit and finish of any of the major inverters in my humble opinion. To me its Ford vs. BMW. America makes some damn fine equipment but when it comes to precision engineering and lifetime performance I would argue that the Germans have an edge on the rest of the world right now. Andrew Truitt Standard Solar Inc. On Wed, Dec 2, 2009 at 9:29 AM, Drake Chamberlin <drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org> wrote: In the past I have seen a lot of issues with PVP inverters. There was a period, when I was subcontracting, where a half dozen or more of the units had to be replaced within a short time. Although I like many features of PVP, I've avoided them since. Have others found these units to be reliable or problematic? At 07:30 PM 12/1/2009, you wrote: Nice thread... inverter pros/cons is something I spend a fair amount of time pondering, since they are the weak link in the grid-direct installation. Overall, I like them both (PVP and SMA). Performance: On page 44 of the Dec/Jan issue of SolarPro, there is a list of specifications for grid-direct inverters. Current PVP and SMA inverters have similar CEC weighted efficiency ratings. Some of the older PVP inverter models (1100, 2000, 2800, 3000) have slightly lower efficiency. Reliability: I like that the PVP inverters have no moving parts, whereas the SMA inverters use a fan to assist with the cooling. PV Powered does a lot of marketing around their reliability efforts, for whatever that's worth. Customer Service: I have not needed to utilize PV Powered customer service. I've found SMA customer service techs to be easy to reach and knowledgeable. Other issues: I like that PV Powered inverters are made in the USA. I also find the hardware and manuals to be easier to work with, most likely because they're produced in the USA for our market. The PVP inverters ship with a full-size mounting template which comes in handy, especially when planning the rough-in wiring and support framing during new construction. I have a preference for the PVP inverters, and use SMA occasionally if it's a better design fit. I agree with Wayne Irwin's comment about the durability of the inverters with the heavy transformer designs, as opposed to the newer "light-weight" designs (including the newest SMA products). I just feel that in the long run, lower counts for electronic components is a good thing. I'm not an expert on component reliability, but I know from my somewhat limited experience that capacitors dry up and transistors are susceptible to a variety of failure modes. The fewer of these things, the better. Also from a reliability standpoint, I prefer to put inverters inside in a well ventilated area, if possible. My gut feeling is that over the long haul, any inverter will be better off in a location that is protected from moisture and large ambient temperature swings. -Hans ________________________________ From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [ mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Keith Cronin Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 1:04 PM To: RE-Wrenches Subject: [RE-wrenches] PV Powered vs SMA Hi colleagues Do any of you have a preference, PV Powered vs SMA in the residential space- 2k-5k grid tie inverter zone? Comments on performance/reliability/customer service etc? Any feedback on their monitoring vs SMA's webbox? Thanks Keith _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@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 Drake Chamberlin Athens Electric OH License 44810 CO License 3773 NABCEP TM Certified PV Installer Office - 740-448-7328 Mobile - 740-856-9648 _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@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 -- "Don't get me wrong: I love nuclear energy! 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