Adding a third party inverter (SOLIS) to a SMA system

[SomeGoodBits]

I installed two arrays of solar panels manufactured by a company called FranceWatts totaling 10.5Kw.  I had two SMA Sunny boy inverters a TL4000 and a TL5000.  I also installed battery backup with a sunny island 6.0H and i build automatic transfer switch myself.  I recently lost a 6Kw array due to storms, however the insurance paid for a new installation, which i gladly let some professionals do.  This will enable me to sell surplus electric to EDF, which i could not do before with a DIY setup.  Unfortunately i have had to accept a SOLIS S-GR1P6K inverter, this i am having trouble integrating with the SMA sunny portal.  I have the SMA Home Manager 2.0 (SHM2) and a SMA Energy meter20.  I theory the energy monitors the input to the system from the Solis inverter and the SMA sunny portal uses the SHM2 to manage the whole system.  I have followed all the information SMA provide.  I have attached that documentation.  The problem appears to be that while the energy meter is used to monitor the SOLIS inverter power, the power from the SMA TL4000 does not get included in the total power generated.  The TL4000 power can be seen in other areas of the sunny portal.  For obvious reasons i need the the total power to show so i can manage loads and grid feed in.  Have i explained this clearly?  I have spent hours trying to sus this.

Third party integration.pdf Setup of Energy meter in SHM2.pdf Sunny portal screen shots.pdf

[SteamyTea]

I seem to remember that SMA did not allow much end user intervention. This may have changed in the last decade or so.

 

Can you fudge/trick the system by getting a CT clamp (I assume it used one to monitor power flow) to sense the two inverter wires together?

[MikeGrahamT21]

You’ll like need to lose the sunny home manager to do what you want to do.

 

I have a sunny boy sb4000 as my solar inverter, and Solis ac connected inverter for the battery, the Solis manages what goes in and out and when it happens, you wouldn’t need the home manager.

 

hope it helps, see my blog posts on my system maybe they will help too

[SomeGoodBits]

Thanks guys, i actually solved the problem by putting both the SMA inverter and the SOLIS inverter throught the SMA energy meter.  The sunny portal knows what the Sunny boy is producing so i can see both inverters on the analysis graphs - great.  I was very pleased for a couple on months.  Now the weather is getting better output is up, and the SOLIS inverter does not seem to like it, we keep getting over voltage alarms.  I suspect the SOLIS inverter is competing with the SMA inverter to export to the grid.  SOLIS support are very helpful, but not particulary capeable.  Will keep on, maybe i will put my TL5000 inverter back now the insurance job is all done.  Any ideas on taming the SOLIS inverter would be apreciated.

[MikeGrahamT21]

That’s interesting as I’ve also been getting over voltage errors on my solis ac coupled inverter for the last 6months or so, have checked at the time of the alert and the voltage is just fine, even the Solis says it’s normal range.

 

id advise to raise a support ticket with them, they’re really good with this type stuff

[SteamyTea]

How do microinverters deal with overvoltage?

[JohnMo]

It could be your first inverter is setting a voltage output based on local grid voltage (so local grid plus a bit), the new inverter is adding a bit more. And reaching it's max voltage.

 

I would look at where the new inverter is located and feed wiring on the AC side. Maybe it's too restrictive (need a bigger mm² cable) and the inverter is kicking out a higher than optimal voltage to compensate. Then tripping.

 

When I installed my second array I had to use oversized AC cables to keep voltage within manageable limits.

Edited February 21 by JohnMo

[sgt_woulds]

Have you measured the local grid voltage?

 

In parts of the UK, (Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk) grid voltage can be quite high.  Back in 1999/2000 before feed-in-tariff and DNO limits came in we had to manually program the SMA inverters to allow them to work outside of normal grid voltage ranges (at the time, a very narrow range which did not reflect reality).

 

There were also a lot of arguments with DNO at the time as they were essentially caught out for having defective regulation of the grid.

 

We found that voltages in Cambridge normally 'floated' at about 250 volts, but in some areas (end of transmission lines) grid voltage could be well over 260volts/

 

Highest variance I ever recorded was in a cottage in the middle of a field in Devon.  Having done 3 return visits from London I eventually persuaded my company to allow me to sit there for  two entire days monitoring the grid voltages.

 

At various times of the day, voltage spiked to a constant 278 - 280 volts then dropped down to 230-238 volts the rest of the time.  There were specific times of the day that these occurred.

 

TCALST: The cottage was at the end of a very long transmission line, immediately after a clay works.  Every time they stopped for a planned break, machines and furnaces turned off and voltages spiked.

 

The homeowner told me she was always having to replace electrical appliances - she thought it was just due to poor build quality and bad luck!

 

Perhaps you have a similar situation in France that is being exaggerated by daisy-chained inverters?