Solectria Renewables PVI 3000, Installation And Operation Manual

Page 1: ...PVI 3000 PVI 4000 PVI 5000 PVI 5300 INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL Residential Commercial Grid Tied Photovoltaic Inverter 2009 Solectria Renewables Subject to Change REV 2 0 ...

Page 2: ...ty symbols are used to indicate dangerous conditions and important safety instructions WARNING This indicates a fact or feature very important for the safety of the user to prevent injury or death and or which can cause a serious hardware damage if not applied appropriately Use extreme caution when performing this task CAUTION Presents information to prevent damage to this product NOTE This indica...

Page 3: ...orized system installers Before installing or using the PVI 3000 5300 please read all instructions and caution markings in this manual and on the PVI 3000 5300 unit as well as the PV modules Connection of the PVI 3000 5300 to the electric utility grid must be done after receiving prior approval from the utility company and performed only by qualified personnel Completely cover the surface of all P...

Page 4: ...stem 27 4 Power Ground Fault Error LED Indicators and LCD Display 28 4 1 Power Ground Fault and Error LED Indicators 29 4 2 The LCD Display 31 5 Trouble Shooting 40 6 Product Warranty RMA Policy 43 6 1 Warranty Policy 43 6 2 Return Material Authorization Policy 45 7 Technical Data 46 Appendices 49 Appendix A PVI 3000 5300 Brochure Datasheet 49 Appendix B Example PV String Sizing Tables 49 Appendix...

Page 5: ... the facility is using more power than the PV system is providing then the utility grid provides the balance of power If the facility is using less power than the PV system is generating then the excess is fed into the utility grid Be sure to look into local regulations regarding net metering inter connection in your local area Note that some utilities need to change their revenue kWh meter for pr...

Page 6: ...nium extrusion with an anti corrosion finish The housing is designed to NEMA3 to be resistant to rain and snowfall The heat sink and fan are designed in such a way that operation of the inverter is possible at ambient temperatures of 13 F 25 C to 131 F 55 C at full rated power at 240VAC or 208VAC note AC power output is slightly less at 208VAC than 240VAC The heat sink serves to conduct away heat ...

Page 7: ...t any other point Diagram of the PVI 3000 4000 5000 5300 Features 1 AC knockouts and on back 2 PV array ground fault interrupt GFDI fuse 3 DC AC disconnect 4 DC knockouts and on back 5 Fan assembly on back at bottom of heatsink used on PVI 4000 5000 5300 only 6 RS 232 485 interfaces 7 LCD display 8 LED indicators for basic operating status 9 Inverter Serial Number 10 Detachable wiring box 11 Quick...

Page 8: ...losure containing all electrical and electronic components NOTE If the PVI 3000 4000 5000 5300 is mounted outside make sure the mounting wiring is completed at least to the AC and DC disconnects or junction box es in case of rain during the installation process for example overnight rain Since the AC and DC connections are wired to the wiring box disconnects and or junction box es only there is no...

Page 9: ...fastening the unit to the wall will safely hold this weight The ambient temperature must be between 13o F 25o C and 131o F 55o C for full continuous full power operation The inverter will automatically reduce power or shut down to protect itself if the ambient air temperature rises above 131o F 55o C Humidity shall be within 0 and 95 The National Electrical Code NEC requires that the inverter be c...

Page 10: ...rials or trash and unknown materials at an appropriate distance from the inverter WARNING Do not expose the inverter to corrosive liquids and or gases Keep AC and DC wiring as short as possible to minimize power loss Mounting bracket should be fastened to a concrete or a masonry wall using appropriate anchors Conduit Locations Pre punched Holes and Knock outs Holes are pre punched and shipped with...

Page 11: ...D TO LIGHT ITSUPPLIESA DC VOL TA GE TOTHIS EQUIP M ENT DO NOT RE M OVE COVER NOUSER SERVICEABLE PARTSINSIDE REFER SER VICING TO QU AL IFIE D SERVICE PERSONNEL RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK Normall y Grounded Condu ctors M a yBe Ung roun de d an d Energize d When a Ground Fault is Ind icat ed GFDI Fuse For continued protection against risk offire replace only with same type and ratingsoffuse Fig2 1 1 Cl...

Page 12: ...e bracket Fig 2 2 2 as a template to mark the locations on the wall where holes should be drilled After drilling the holes the mounting bracket should be fastened to the wall with screws or screw anchors as shown in Figure 2 2 3 405m m 525m m 44m m 70m m 125m m 180m m 250m m 70m m 120m m 190m m Fig 2 2 2 The mounting bracket and its dimensions 2 75 in 7 5 4 94 7 12 2 75 4 75 1 75 20 67 9 88 15 94 ...

Page 13: ...the mounting bracket is fastened to the wall then the inverter and the wiring box that are attached together can be hooked onto the bracket and slipped down into place Make sure the lower lip on the bracket hooks into the window on the back of the inverter as shown in 2 2 4 below 12 22 12 40 67 diameter mounting screw recommended or 3 16 1 4 anchor bolt as shown above ...

Page 14: ...ting slots Ground Floor Ground Floor Slide the mounting hooks on the inverter over the hooks on the mounting bracket Ensure the inverter is seated properly on the mounting bracket Slide the mounting bolts at the top of the inverter over the hooks on the mounting bracket Flange with mounting holes ...

Page 15: ...gainst risk of fire replace only with same type and ratings of fuse Fig 2 2 4 Hook the Inverter on the mounting bracket and then fasten with a screw at the bottom flange After the inverter is hooked properly on the bracket and secured with a screw at the bottom flange then the inverter can be wired ...

Page 16: ... other point in the system The PV positive must never be grounded at any time Note that this is reversed for systems using the positive grounded option AC and DC PV Connections The PVI 3000 5300 inverters are equipped with covered holes and KOs to fit conduit fittings that are NEC code compliant for use with several sizes of rigid and flexible metallic or non metallic conduit All conduit and wirin...

Page 17: ...ces They are also both suitable for 208V AC grid connected use For example connection to 2 phase legs of a 208V AC 3 phase service where acceptable by code No unit PVI 3000 4000 5000 or 5300 can be used with just a 120V AC connection The units are factory pre set for auto detect 240VAC and 208VAC when connected with a neutral They can also be configured for connection to either 240 or 208 VAC with...

Page 18: ...rections PV arrays produce electrical energy when exposed to light and could create a hazardous condition One method used to assure safety from shock is to completely cover the surface of all PV arrays with opaque dark material before wiring them Alternatively keep all PV module connectors disconnected but don t leave PV module connectors open in rainy weather or when leaving the jobsite WARNING B...

Page 19: ... OFF Fig 2 3 2 Remove the 4 screws on the wiring box Fig 2 3 3 remove the cover from the wiring box After the wiring box cover is removed the conduit hole covers can be removed or KOs in other locations punched out as shown in the figure 2 3 3 for the DC and AC conduits which will enter and exit these locations ...

Page 20: ...connected in the wiring box 3 strings for the PVI 3000 or the fuse bypass terminal can be used if the fused combiner feature is not needed The RJ 45 connectors are used for external communication to a remote computer or communication gateway The AC terminal block is used to connect to the building utility grid through a circuit breaker in the building distribution panel AC Terminal Block PV String...

Page 21: ...000 5300 inverter the installer needs to determine the grid connection utility configuration that the inverter will be connected to The PVI 3000 5300 inverter is default set for utility interconnection with a neutral connection However it may be reconfigured for a connection without a neutral The utility configuration jumpers J210 are located on the control board as shown in the figure 2 3 6 are u...

Page 22: ... to 6 AWG 90 C 194 F copper wire for all AC wiring connections to the PVI 3000 4000 5000 5300 inverters You must choose the appropriate wire size based on NEC code requirements and we recommend designing not more than 2V drop 1 at the most Larger conductors will be needed for longer wire runs For example you may need to splice up to larger than 6AWG if a very long run such as greater than 200 with...

Page 23: ...signed with a pair of the DC terminal blocks which support up to four 4 independent PV strings to be fused and connected in parallel in the wiring box and then feed into the inverter or 3 in the case of the PVI 3000 The PVI 3000 5300 inverter is shipped with up to four 4 15A 600Vdc PV string fuses in the wiring box for the PV strings However the size of the PV string fuses shall be determined by t...

Page 24: ...ogether or to make any connections anywhere in the PV system except where acceptable by code Wire nuts are a frequent cause of unreliable connections resistive connections and ground faults and are not allowed in certain applications by NEC Connect the equipment ground wire to the screw of the ground bar labeled Tighten the screws with a torque of 15 6 in lb 1 7Nm WARNING Route the DC wires to the...

Page 25: ...J45 R and RJ45 L that are located on the bottom of the wiring box The pin numbers of the RJ 45 connectors and the corresponding signals are described in the Figure 2 4 2 below If the RS485 is used as the external communication interface and the inverter is the last device in the RS485 loop then the termination switch shall be put to ON position shown in the figure 2 4 3 The installer needs to open...

Page 26: ...he RS 232 interface is selected If RS 485 interface is selected both RJ 45 connectors will be used for the daisy chained cascaded RS 485 connections shown in the Figure 2 4 3 Standard Cables available for RS232 485 communication Description Part Number Typical Use Length PVI 3000 5300 RS 232 com cable WABG 0918S PC computer to inverter use free RS232 software From downloads tab in Solrenview websi...

Page 27: ... This may cause the inverter to work abnormally The Figure 2 4 4 below shows the connections between inverters and PV arrays in parallel configuration Fig 2 4 4 Parallel configuration of inverter 3 Commissioning the Inverter and PV System The inverter is mounted all connections are made and you are ready to power it up NOTE Make sure all tools parts etc are removed from the vicinity of the inverte...

Page 28: ...rter will go on line with the utility building grid when the DC voltage first exceeds 235VDC strike voltage Next the inverter will load the array bringing the DC voltage down from 235VDC to no less than 200VDC Once there is enough PV power at 200VDC to back feed AC power switching will automatically feed power to the grid The inverter will always wait 5 minutes after being turned on and being with...

Page 29: ...s the current operating condition The yellow LED Error indicates whether there is an internal or external fault present and whether the AC grid back feed has been interrupted The red LED Ground Fault shows if a ground fault is present If there is any ground current measured the value can be shown on the display scrolling through the display is necessary to locate the Ground Fault current value Des...

Page 30: ...ter is in Monitoring mode Green Yellow Red Grid MPP mode The inverter is in Grid Feeding mode Green Yellow Red De rating Power de rating is performed Green Yellow Red Warning Warning is detected Green Yellow Red Low Insolation The inverter is in low insolation Green Yellow Red Fault mode The inverter is in Fault mode Green Yellow Red Ground Fault Ground fault detected Green Yellow Red Idle mode Th...

Page 31: ...eturn to the operating mode once the fault condition goes away One obvious example is that an island condition is detected due to the grid going off and then back on later the fault condition is cleared when the power returns If a fault cannot cleared on its own then the system will enter the idle mode and will need a service person to clear the fault and reset the system These three modes are ill...

Page 32: ...phase to phase AC voltage is detected Also the setting of the clearing time which is the total duration of time to disconnect the output from the AC grid is displayed The clearing time is the summation of the de bounce time and the hardware delay time This delay is necessary to avoid nuisance trips After the settings of the VacH and its clearing time the settings of the VacL and its clearing time ...

Page 33: ... voltage is not reaching the point of the PV start voltage setting then the following message will be shown on the LCD and the system will stay at this step During the system checking if the grid is not connected to the inverter then the inverter enters the fault mode and the following message will be shown on the LCD Once system check is done the inverter goes into the monitoring mode If all data...

Page 34: ... DC and AC and display on the LCD 3 seconds 3 seconds 3 seconds After the system enters the grid feeding mode it will show the following information in order and repeat this until the system goes to another operating mode The first screen shows the current operation mode 3 seconds M o d e G r i d M P P V a c X X X X V F a c X X X H z V p v X X X V M o d e M o n i t o r i n g L o w I n s o l a t i ...

Page 35: ...g the power to the grid up to date since the inverter has been installed and operated 3 seconds There are five possible de rating displays which will be shown if power de rating is detected in grid feeding mode Only one occasion that causes de rating could be detected at a time Therefore only one of the following messages will be displayed if power de rating occurs When Temp message is presented t...

Page 36: ...has stopped running These warnings could appear one after the other The messages for the fault mode are as follows It shows the fault mode serial number of the inverter software versions of the sequential and current controllers and then the error messages which are listed in the Error Message Table on section 4 1 3 seconds M o d e F a u l t S N X X X X X X X X X X X X M o d e D e r a t i n g V a ...

Page 37: ...requency and the frequency that caused the system to go into the fault mode X H or L 3 seconds 3 seconds The message below shows that the AC voltage is too high H or too low L and next it displays the present AC voltage on the grid and voltage causing the system to go into the fault mode X H or L 3 seconds 3 seconds T r i p a t X X X X V P r e s e n t X X X X V M o d e F a u l t V a c X T r i p a ...

Page 38: ... idle mode are as follows It shows the operating mode serial number of the inverter software versions of the sequential and current controllers and then the error messages which are listed in the Error Message Table on section 5 3 seconds 3 seconds M o d e I d l e S N X X X X X X X X X X X X M o d e F a u l t V a c L 1 X V a c L 2 X T r i p a t X X X X V P r e s e n t X X X X V M o d e F a u l t V...

Page 39: ...PVI 3000 4000 5000 5300 Installation and Operation Manual 39 Fig 4 2 1 PVI 3000 5300 inverter LCD display flow chart Solectria PVI 4000 ...

Page 40: ...ther If in doubt wait for stronger sun Explanations of Error Messages In the event of a fault the inverter will stop feeding the AC voltage to the building utility and display the error message on the LCD Qualified service personnel shall do the analysis measurement and debug the system if needed according to the error message in order to resume normal operation It is recommended to analyse the fa...

Page 41: ...he upper limit Internal communication failed Internal watchdog function triggered The DC injection current monitoring function failed Offset check for grid monitoring failed The internal temperature sensor failed Memory failed EEPROM test failed The system failed The firmware version is not correct Internal measurement comparison error or defective hardware Over current on the DC side Driver circu...

Page 42: ...ot over the module s fuse rating Please be sure to consult with the PV module manufacturer for appropriate PV string fuse rating Fig 5 2 Replacement of the PV string fuses WARNING PV arrays is always energized when exposed to light therefore hazardous voltage is still present on the terminal blocks and the PV string fuse holders even the DC AC disconnect switch is switched OFF Please cover the PV ...

Page 43: ...wables do Solectria Renewables will at its option repair or replace the defective product free of charge provided that you notify Solectria Renewables of the product defect within the Warranty Period for your product and provided that Solectria Renewables through inspection establishes the existence of such a defect and that it is covered by the Limited Warranty Solectria Renewables will at its op...

Page 44: ...S CONDITIONS GUARANTEES REPRESENTATIONS OBLIGATIONS AND LIABILITIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRODUCT HOWEVER ARISING WHETHER BY CONTRACT TORT NEGLIGENCE PRINCIPLES OF MANUFACTURER S LIABILITY OPERATION OF LAW CONDUCT STATEMENT OR OTHERWISE INCLUDING WITHOUT RESTRICTION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF QUALITY MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR P...

Page 45: ...returned at your expense if they are unauthorized returned without an RMA number clearly marked on the outside of the shipping box if they are shipped collect or if they are shipped to the wrong location Information Solectria Renewables needs when you are obtaining service 1 The model names and serial number of your product 2 Information about the installation and use of the unit 3 Information abo...

Page 46: ...n circuit voltage occurs when the PV modules are at the coldest temperature and in bright sun See the following figure Fig 7 5 0 2 4 6 8 0 10 20 30 Voltage VDC DC Current A at 50 deg C at 20 deg C at 20 deg C Fig 7 1 Example representative 100W PV module voltage current characteristic at various cell temperatures Because PV modules also have a reduction in voltage at high cell temperatures you mus...

Page 47: ...b 23 kg 50 7 lb 23 kg 61 7 lb 28 kg 61 7 lb 28 kg Size L x W x H 28 4 5 in x 17 3 4 in x 6 3 4 in 732mm x 454mm x 175mm 28 4 5 in x 17 3 4 in x 8 1 4 in 732mm x 454mm x 210mm Wire Sizes 12 to 6 AWG input and output connections Standards UL1741 IEEE1547 IEEE1547 1 ANSI62 41 2 FCC part 15 B Warranty 10 years standard This maximum recommended power is a nominal figure based on an array with a relativ...

Page 48: ...ker for the PV inverter connection This circuit breaker and wiring must have a rating of 20 25 or 30A depending on the model The inverter is designed to work with the range of AC voltage for a 240VAC or 208V service defined by UL1741 IEEE1547 AC Output of PVI 3000 5300 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 DC Input Voltage VDC AC Output Power W PVI 3000 PVI 4000 PVI 5...

Page 49: ...ature zones across the country Updated string sizing tables are available on the website www solren com All string sizing charts in http www solren com products pwreleccomp html Specific PVI 3000 53000 Link http www solren com downloads Solectria_Renewables_String_Sizing_PVI_3000 5300_String_Sizing_as_of_5_21_08 pdf Appendix C Contact Information Authorized Dealers and Installers see website www s...

Page 50: ...he wiring box used for the DC connections The DC equipment ground wire shall be connected to the screw of the ground bar labeled in the wiring box of the inverter All the screws shall be tightened with a torque of 15 6 Lb in 1 7Nm Positvie ground Negative ground 1 1 Fig D1 PVI 4000 supports only four 4 PV string fuses shown the PVI 3000 supports only three 3 PV string fuses not shown The inverters...

Page 51: ...hall be correctly connected to the Ungrounded positive and Grounded negative terminals of a pair respectively The DC voltage must be less than 600V in any condition The Ungrounded wire of the DC input shall be connected to the terminal labeled Ungrounded and the Grounded wire of the DC input shall be connected to the terminal labeled Grounded Avoid using wire nuts to join any wires together or to ...

Page 52: ...o be connected to Grounded DCIN labeled Ungrounded terminal on the wiring box PCB and the black DC wire that connects the inverter board to the wiring box below needs to be connected to Ungrounded DCIN terminal on the wiring box PCB 4 Add permanent weatherproof labels over the Ungrounded and Grounded labels below the green terminal blocks The left terminal block must be labeled Ungrounded and the ...

Page 53: ...cause of unreliable connections resistive connections and ground faults Connect the equipment ground wire to the screw of the ground bar labeled Tighten the screws with a torque of 15 6 lb in 1 7Nm CAUTION PV arrays are energized when ex posed to light Use safe working practices when working on PV arrays WARNING Route the DC connection cables to the inverters away from any possible hazards that co...

Page 54: ...re PV panel mount Roof Pole Ground Solar tracker Yes No PV strings Output power Normal voltage range Vdc Peak open circuit voltage Vdc Normal current rating Adc maximum current rating Adc Number of panels Number of series parallel S P PV panel brand model Fault error information please write down exact words that appear on the LCD Fault message 1 on LCD Fault message 2 on LCD Fault message 3 on LC...

Page 55: ...PVI 3000 4000 5000 5300 Installation and Operation Manual 55 Appendix F UL1741 IEEE1547 Listing Letter ...