Jump to content

Solar PV check letter


pulhamdown

Recommended Posts

Today I received a letter from BT Solar ltd.  They say that my inverter warranty has now expired, correctly, and a health check and service is required to validate the warranty.  I wonder how many people fall for that one.  But just out of interest, is there really anything in an invertor to service, and how would they go about doing a health check.  It either works or is doesn't, surely?  And what is a good life for an invertor?  We've had our Sunny Boy for seven and a half years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only thing to check is that the heat sink isn't full of cobwebs (seems to be a problem with ours - I have to vacuum it out once a year or so) and that it's still functioning.  There are no serviceable parts, and I suspect that any "service" might be just a way to apply pressure to buy a replacement inverter.

 

The life of an inverter is probably around 10 years or so on average, perhaps longer if it is in a cool location, shorter if it is in a warm location.  Temperature is the biggest factor regarding life, as the most common parts to fail are the commutation capacitors, and these have a life that is very temperature dependent.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, JSHarris said:

 

The life of an inverter is probably around 10 years or so on average, perhaps longer if it is in a cool location, shorter if it is in a warm location.  Temperature is the biggest factor regarding life, as the most common parts to fail are the commutation capacitors, and these have a life that is very temperature dependent.

Enphase Micro Inverters have a 20 year warranty and are possibly what we will use if we decide to install PVs.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

Enphase Micro Inverters have a 20 year warranty and are possibly what we will use if we decide to install PVs.

 

 

One advantage of microinverters is that their commutation capacitors only need to handle modest currents, and so they can use non-electrolytic capacitors.  These don't suffer anywhere near as badly as the long-life electrolytics used in much bigger inverters, so realistically I suspect their life could be many decades.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, JSHarris said:

The life of an inverter is probably around 10 years or so on average, perhaps longer if it is in a cool location, shorter if it is in a warm location.  Temperature is the biggest factor regarding life, as the most common parts to fail are the commutation capacitors, and these have a life that is very temperature dependent.

 

So my plan to put the inverter in the loft really isn't a smart idea then.... ? (passive house, warm loft)

Can I put it in an enclosure that the incoming cold air for the MVHR passes over, acting as an air pre-warmer and an inverter cooler?

 

All very well except when the inverter is working hardest probably the one time you want incoming air pre-warming the least.....! Still, nice idea for the shoulder season, maybe?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, joth said:

 

So my plan to put the inverter in the loft really isn't a smart idea then.... ? (passive house, warm loft)

Can I put it in an enclosure that the incoming cold air for the MVHR passes over, acting as an air pre-warmer and an inverter cooler?

 

All very well except when the inverter is working hardest probably the one time you want incoming air pre-warming the least.....! Still, nice idea for the shoulder season, maybe?

 

 

 

Ours is mounted outside, on the north wall of the house, in a place that never gets direct sunshine.  This keeps it pretty cool all year around.  Most inverter manufacturers offer an outdoor suitable version.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, scottishjohn said:

if heat is a problem why do they not have a fan  ?

 

 

 

Some do, but it then  becomes a critical point of failure.  If the fan wears out, then the inverter may overheat and fail, and it's likely that a fan may well fail earlier than the commutation capacitors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, joth said:

So my plan to put the inverter in the loft really isn't a smart idea then

And I have a feeling you are not allowed to install them up there anymore.  I am sure a sparky will be along to say different.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, JSHarris said:

 

 

Some do, but it then  becomes a critical point of failure.  If the fan wears out, then the inverter may overheat and fail, and it's likely that a fan may well fail earlier than the commutation capacitors.

 

Thanks!

I'd previously seen there's a modder community adding additional fans, but hadn't realised this isn't  just for efficiency but also offers longevity gains

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1627406

 

Edited by joth
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, PeterStarck said:

Enphase Micro Inverters have a 20 year warranty and are possibly what we will use if we decide to install PVs.

 

We have these. Working fine for the last 4 years - haven't even looked at them to be honest (they're on the roof under the panels, which in our case are mounted on weighted frames on a flat roof).

 

The latest update to the app gives per-panel info (per day, I think, unless you pay), so you can see whether there's a problem with any particular panel.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...