Jump to content

Infini 3kW Plus Hybrid + Conlog Pre-paid meter = Problems !!!


Wetkit

Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

 

I just completed my solar installation with a new Infini 3kw Plus hybrid invertor.

All worked 100% fine untill the solar was connected.

The unit was set-up as Grid-Tie with Backup.

Export back to mains was also disabled.

Looks like when the invertor sync with the mains, the pre-paid meter switch off.

About 60 sec later, the pre-paid meter re-connects mains again.

The pre-paid meter does not show any errors!!!

 

For now I have to run the unit in Off-Grid(III) mode.

It is the only way I can use solar power and not have my pre-paid meter tripping.

 

If anybody had similar problems, please post here so we can try and resolve the issue.

Also, If anybody have the same invertor and pre-paid meter, I would like to hear from you, as I suspect it might be area related.

 

Thanks

 

post-23-0-05871900-1429693003_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Will try it again later today and report back.

The supplier of the unit informed me that another user in Durbanville with the same pre-paid meter have the same problems.

But users in Paarl does not have this problem.

Again I am wondering if Bloemhoff area does not have additional software on their pre-paid meters???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Wetkit...  

 

I got the same kit (Infini 3kw plus) and exact same prepaid meter as yours.

Have not completed installation yet!  (looking within the next 2-3 weeks time). so I cannot add any comment yet...  

 

Keep us posted on your progress. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so i have been able to run the Infini now for 4 days without tripping the pre-paid meter.

Been running it on "Grid-tie with Backup (II)" mode, but battries is only charged via PV.

As soon as battery charging combines grid and PV power, the meter trips.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that input.   

 

Not ideal , but least it seems other users works with prepaid as there setup is different. 

 

Just  a dumb question.  If you enable "Grid and PV" in the evening, (where there no PV Load...)   does the meter trip?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so when there is no PV energy and the battries is set to charge from both PV and Eskom, there is no issues.

The problem only really manifest itself around 10:00 to 11:00 in the morning when the battries is getting charged.

Looks more like when eskom power combines with PV to charge the battries that the problem occur.

 

Also running without the battries connected also does not trip the pre-paid meter, but then there is no back-up anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whew. least that the relief.  Almost panicked and nearly considered selling the Infini Inverter :P

 

Just an idea..

Perhaps a work around to use the "Grid Tie with Backup (IV)" option?    I recall there was some scheduling to when you can charge your battery via AC? (find a suitable time slot outside of problem hours -  10:00 - 11:00  hours)   -  

Not 100% certain  as  need to look at the software configuration again. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so i have been able to run the Infini now for 4 days without tripping the pre-paid meter.

Been running it on "Grid-tie with Backup (II)" mode, but battries is only charged via PV.

As soon as battery charging combines grid and PV power, the meter trips.

 

You mentioned somewhere that you have separate earths for the PV panels and the rest of your house.  To me this sound like a possible earth-leak as soon as enough power comes from the panels (10:00 to 11:00 in the morning as you've mentioned in a later post).  Do you perhaps have the battery NEGATIVE grounded anywhere - you should not have!

 

I am wondering if your specific type of prepaid meter does not have a kind of earth leakage detection built-in and that maybe causes it to trip when the PV gets a certain amount of sun and a leak above the trip-point is generated.  I would suggest to link the PV panel's earth to the main house earth and see what happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Wet

 

Sorry you battling with your installation and this is a tricky one. Do you have a ripple relay in your DB board? Cause this can cause a problem.

 

Then there is also DC to DC output ripple (noise), From 10:00 to 11:00 this is when your panels start to produce serious power and the meter might be picking up high frequency noise,

 

Mike you've never had problems with the installation of the infini, What is the DC voltage that you normally bring into the infini from the panels?  Maybe this also plays a role.

 

Good Luck and keep us posted 

 

 

 A perfect DC supply produces one EMF continuously with no variation. 

a supply is created from an AC source this is not possible. 
There is always some decrease in EMF during the times that the AC volts drop to zero. 

As far as possible the variation represents a sine wave of the same frequency as the original AC supply. 

If the DC part is filtered out by perhaps a capacitor we are left with an AC signal whose mean value is zero. 
Now find the RMS of this resultant signal. This is the ripple voltage. 

And expressing this as a fraction of the DC component gives the ripple factor. 

The theoretical meaning is a measure of the quality of the supply. i.e how well it approximates the theoretical perfect DC supply. 
A ripple factor of zero is the perfect rectifier system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never had an issue with an Infini install. Highest panel voltage coming in is at my own install 500vdc = 22 x 300w pv's. I always use the house earth strap, Also always when a home has a prepaid, I use 1st option - grid tied with backup and option1 always with pv and grid for charging, and disable return to grid box...that's it

 

On average i am bringing in approx 26kwp per day now, presume in summer that will double

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guys, thanks for all the help, but I do think it is a 2 sided problem.

 

According to Conlog, the BEC23 meter has reverse energy detection and disconnection.

I have logged a call with Conlog to find out if there is any indication of this disconnection on the meter itself. I do not see anything.

What I can confirm is that the meter is off for 50 seconds, on for 15 seconds and so it repeats.

There is no earth leakage protection on the meter or anywhere before the invertor.

 

What it looks like is when the Infini tries to sync to the grid, it push back a very small amount of power to the grid. Perhaps mine push back too much, or the pre-paid meter is too sensative.

 

Anyway, I will run some tests this week-end again to see.

 

What will help me loads, is if you guys could perhaps post photo's of your settings here, so I can try them on my unit.

 

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Wetkit

 

Please keep us posted. 

 

As mentioned I got the Conlog BEC23 meter as well. So would be interesting to see if I will experience the same issue. 

 

Will add my input as well once I got mine and up and running. (Work in progress and hopefully not too long to go) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

GOOD NEWS !!!

 

So on Friday morning I reset the unit to factory defaults and rebooted it and my PC as well.

I only changed the battery charging voltage options and left the unit as is.

Since Friday I have not had a single trip or issue from the Pre-Paid meter.

 

So, it looks like I messed up a setting on the invertor somewhere, so sorry!!!

 

I suspect the offending setting is:

"Feeding grid power calibration:"

Standard this is 100w and I had it set to Zero.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Yes, for safety reasons you'll have to install a fuse or breaker in the PV line.  I also had some trouble sourcing it since the suppliers didn't have stock when I tried to acquire the fuses and holders.  I ended up buying the fuses from RS and the holders from a local ACDC Dynamics reseller.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Well, guess what?

I am back to pre-paid issues :(

 

My unit packed up in June for some unknown reason. The supplier supplied me a new unit which I only got end of July.

Anyway, currently no matter what I try, the unit trips the pre-paid meter as soon as solar power is more than the load.

Only way to get it working is to run in Off-Grid(III) mode, so basically bi-directional.

So now the new issue is that in this mode, the unit does not change over from mains to solar in the morning.

 

I am slowly starting to get extremely gatvol of this unit.

 

And no, I cannot go to the local council, as they will demand I disconnect the solar due to not doing the SSEG procedure.

Been there and got the scars...

 

post-23-0-06119900-1440138472_thumb.jpg

 

post-23-0-83932600-1440138484_thumb.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, guess what?

I am back to pre-paid issues :(

 

My unit packed up in June for some unknown reason. The supplier supplied me a new unit which I only got end of July.

Anyway, currently no matter what I try, the unit trips the pre-paid meter as soon as solar power is more than the load.

Only way to get it working is to run in Off-Grid(III) mode, so basically bi-directional.

So now the new issue is that in this mode, the unit does not change over from mains to solar in the morning.

 

I am slowly starting to get extremely gatvol of this unit.

 

That's not good news. I assume you've tried your own previous solution already:

 

So on Friday morning I reset the unit to factory defaults and rebooted it and my PC as well.

I only changed the battery charging voltage options and left the unit as is.

Since Friday I have not had a single trip or issue from the Pre-Paid meter.

 

So, it looks like I messed up a setting on the invertor somewhere, so sorry!!!

 

I suspect the offending setting is:

"Feeding grid power calibration:"

Standard this is 100w and I had it set to Zero.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yip, NOTHING works :(

For now I am trying to get the old software version again V1.07 and try that.

 

Do I understand the reverse powerflow units correctly?

Do the stop/block the flow or do they just disconnect the power when detecting reverse flow?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, finally managed to get it going.

Version 1.07 did not make any difference.

 

I changed the setting for "Max feed-in grid power" from the standard 3000W to Zero.

 

But guess what, inverter now draws 250W from mains without any load connected.

With 1000W load, mains is showing 800W draw and PV is showing 1200W draw.

 

My original unit got to about 150W max on mains, which is still high, but I could live with it.

Something is really wonky with this unit :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Wetkit, how are you measuring the power draw from the utility?

 

If you are using the energy meters that only use a current clamp (Efergy / Owl / Envi R etc.) to measure power then you are actually measuring the Apparent Power (VI) and not the Real Power (Preal = VI Cos

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

But guess what, inverter now draws 250W from mains without any load connected.

With 1000W load, mains is showing 800W draw and PV is showing 1200W draw.

 

My original unit got to about 150W max on mains, which is still high, but I could live with it.

Something is really wonky with this unit :(

 

Hi Wetkit

 

How did you measure that usage. Do you have a watt meter or a simple current clamp meter? I've bought myself a din rail mount power meter and installed it on the AC IN line of my infini. My infini draws 60W (real power) when no load is connected and PV and battery inputs are disconnected. I've also measured the apparent power (VA) at that stage, and that was well over 200VA. Once I connect the batteries and they start charging the power consumption climbs a bit, but that depends on the charging current at that moment.

 

If your infini draws 250W (real power) on idle, I think your unit might be faulty or some or other setting causes something to misbehave.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...