Troubleshooting an Enphase System Installer’s Guide to Troubleshooting an Enphase System 1 2014 Enphase Energy Inc.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Contact Information Enphase Energy Inc. 1420 N. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, CA 94954 http://www.enphase.com info@enphaseenergy.com support@enphaseenergy.com FCC Compliance This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Table of Contents Important Safety Information ......................................................................................................................... 5 Read this First .................................................................................................................................. 5 Product Labels .................................................................................................................................
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Microinverter and PV Module Issues .......................................................................................................... 27 Microinverter LEDs ......................................................................................................................... 27 Startup LED Operation .............................................................................................................................. 27 Post-Startup LED Indications........
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Important Safety Information Read this First This manual contains important instructions for installers to use during installation and maintenance of the Enphase® Microinverter System™. Product Labels The following symbols appear on the product label and are described here: WARNING: Hot surface. DANGER: Risk of electrical shock. Refer to product instructions.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System WARNING: Risk of electric shock. Risk of fire. Only use electrical system components approved for wet locations. WARNING: Risk of electric shock. Risk of fire. Only qualified personnel should troubleshoot, install, or replace Enphase Microinverters or the Engage Cable and Accessories. WARNING: Risk of electric shock. Risk of fire. Ensure that all AC and DC wiring is correct and that none of the AC or DC wires are pinched or damaged.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System NOTE: The Enphase Microinverters has field-adjustable voltage and frequency trip points that may need to be set, depending upon local requirements. Only an authorized installer with permission and following the requirements of the local electrical authorities should make adjustments. NOTE: The Enphase Microinverter works with single-phase or three-phase electrical service. Engage Cable and Accessory Safety DANGER: Risk of electric shock.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Overview This document describes troubleshooting flows and procedures only. For product and installation information, refer to http://www.enphase.com/support.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Troubleshooting Topics Use the following table to find information on a problem by category.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Topic Page How to get further training on Enphase power line communication 26 How to identify an interfering load 24 I would like to see my panel’s production history 31 Internet service is not available on site 18 LCD displays "Scanning Inhibited" 12 LCD displays “Reset Clock” 12 LCD is completely blank 12 Run a report to view production history 31 The DSL modem at the site has only one Ethernet port, and it is being used 17 The Envoy is in a circuit o
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Envoy and Communications Issues The following sections describe possible problems and solutions. Areas include: Envoy Issues Networking and Internet Issues Power Line Communication Issues between the Envoy & Microinverters WARNING: Do not attempt to repair the Enphase Envoy; it contains no userserviceable parts. Tampering with or opening the Envoy will void the warranty.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System LCD is completely blank 1. Try another outlet (just in case). 2. If this fails, the Envoy unit must be replaced. There are no field replaceable parts for the Envoy. Contact Enphase Customer Support support@enphaseenergy.com. LCD displays “Reset Clock” If the Envoy has a current Internet connection, let it use this connection to retrieve an upgrade from Enlighten. This may take up to 20 minutes, depending upon the speed of the connection.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Networking and Internet Issues The Enphase Envoy Communications Gateway operates much as another computer does. As such, many of the troubleshooting steps for the Envoy are the same as those for other computers at the site. Issue: Wireless Adapter Wi-Fi Problems If the wireless installation fails, try these solutions: Verify that the Envoy is at version "R3.8" or later. If needed, upgrade the Envoy as directed.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Password: admin e. From the Administration menu, select Wi-Fi Configuration. This menu option is available only when the wireless adapter is installed in a USB port on the Envoy. f. The interface displays a list of available networks. g. Click a network to select it and enter the password. If you don’t see your network listed, the router SSID broadcast may be blocked. If so, enter the SSID (name) and password.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System LCD shows a non-routable/self-assigned IP address AND shows “-Web” The Envoy has no connection to the Enlighten software platform. If the Envoy shows a self-assigned IP (169.254.120.1) and “-Web”, either a physical Ethernet connectivity issue is preventing it from obtaining a DHCP-issued IP address, or there is a setup problem. What is DHCP? During the power-up sequence, the Envoy requests a DHCP-issued IP address from the broadband router.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System the Envoy Menu button; after two seconds you will see the Envoy menu. Continue holding the Menu button; when the LCD window displays “Get New IP Address”, release the Menu button. f. If using an Ethernet CAT5 cable between the Envoy and router, try replacing this cable. g. Is there an “Envoy not Reporting” event in Enlighten? If so, see page 40. 3.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System The Envoy connects to these servers using their DNS names. If you add firewall rules for Envoy reporting, Enphase recommends using the DNS names rather than the underlying IP addresses as the IP addresses are subject to change without notice. WARNING: Do not change the Envoy DHCP setting to use a static IP address unless you also reserve the same IP address on the broadband router. See the section on DHCP Reservations in your router's setup manual.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Install a broadband router to allow multiple private LAN connections to the single WAN connection. See Setup 1 below. What are LAN and WAN? WAN = The Wide Area Network is the network beyond your local premises. LAN = The Local Area Network is the network within your local premises. Also, if the broadband connection is setup to only allow one Internet-connected host at a time, contact the ISP to change the account to allow multiple hosts to connect at one time.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Are my power line communication bridges working? Use the status lights to verify connections.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System 2. Press and hold the Sync / Reset button for two seconds on each unit. After this, the Ethernet light flashes. The units then reset and attempt to link using default factory settings. Tenda P200 1. Verify that both adapters are plugged in to an outlet and that one adapter is connected via Ethernet cable to the router while the other is connected via Ethernet cable to the Envoy. 2. On adapter one, press and hold the Reset/Pair button for two to three seconds, then release.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Power Line Communication Issues between the Envoy & Microinverters Enphase Microinverters use a power line transmission protocol at the site for communication with the Envoy. All electrical loads at the premises share this common collection of power lines and circuits, and terminate at the load center, the location of the circuit breakers. The load center is typically found on the side of the house or building or in the garage.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Microinverters are not detected, or, power line communication level is low or poor If the Envoy LCD level indicator displays 2 or fewer bars,, or you may be seeing “Microinverter Failed to Report” events. 1. The Envoy may be plugged into an AC outlet that is too far from the electrical load center. Relocate it to an outlet physically closer to the load center. 2.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System 4. There may be a Phase imbalance. Have an electrician evaluate the circuit breakers in the load center to see how many breakers, and of what size, are on each of the two phases of the split-phase 240 VAC service to ensure that the phases are balanced. As a troubleshooting technique, you may want to try plugging the Envoy into an outlet of a circuit on the other phase or moving the breaker of the circuit in which the Envoy is plugged onto the other phase. 5.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System The LCD displays Device Scan Active, and the Envoy begins a 30-minute scan (if a longer scan is not already in progress) to identify all of the microinverters deployed at the site. Alternatively, if you have an installer account, you can use Enlighten to start a new device scan: Log into Enlighten, select the site, and click the Settings ( Click the Status tab in the information pane on the right. Click the Envoy serial number.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Power line communications with a Line-side Tap (or Supply-Side, or PLC) Installation Note that line-side taps are called “parallel installations” in Canada. For information on line-side versus load-side connections, refer to an informative series by John Wiles, Making the Utility Connection: Perspectives on PV at http://www.nmsu.edu/~tdi/pdf-resources/IAEI-9-10-05.pdf.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Using an Aftermarket Filter to Isolate Communication Domains For some larger systems, it is convenient to install commercially available power line filter products. Power line filters are available in a variety of ampacities and voltage configurations. This variety of ratings available allows maximum flexibility in your design choices. Refer to the commercial planning tools at http://www.enphase.com/support for more information.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Microinverter and PV Module Issues This section describes ways to isolate failures within microinverters or PV modules using: Microinverter LEDs Power Production Microinverter LEDs Startup LED Operation The status LED on the underside of each microinverter lights green about six seconds after DC power is applied. It remains lit solid for two minutes, followed by six green blinks.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System For M190, M210, D380 and for M215-60-2LL-S22, S23, or S24, this indicates a GFDI fault. Troubleshoot as described in “GFI Tripped on page 41 or "DC Resistance Low" on page 37. The Microinverter LEDs are flashing red To determine the problem, perform the following checks. 1. Check DC voltages. Use a voltmeter to measure the PV modules VOC (Open Circuit Voltage) and inspect the positive and negative markings on the PV module and microinverter. 2. Check AC voltages.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System The seven-day time-lapse animation of a non-productive, or under producing PV/microinverter pair repeats can show production patterns that indicate shading. The following Enlighten snapshot shows an example of a system with shading impacts. To view a time-lapse animation of a system: In the View tab, click the Energy/Power drop-down menu. Under Power, select Past 7 Days. Click the playback icon.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System 3. When the graph displays, select Power: Past 7 days from the drop-down menu. The default view of the 7-day graph shows a production with a blue line. 4. At the base of the graph, click DC Voltage to add DC Voltage measurements. 5. Move the cursor along the green line to view the voltage reading or along the blue line to view the power production at a point in time. 6. Verify that the PV module meets the required voltage to start the microinverter.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System with any other events at the site, such as a power-outage, lightning activity, or other change in the electrical environment? The PV modules are dark and no production displays in Enlighten Modules that are shaded gray, with no indication of production level, have temporarily lost connectivity with the Envoy. This is different than a unit that is reporting, but reporting 0W AC power.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System You can also generate reports for specific modules. From the View tab, click the module you want to report on, then click on the module serial number. Click the ‘Reports’ tab and then select from report options drop-down menu. Microinverter Energy Production Microinverter Recent Power Production – Lists the power production of a module in 5-minute increments. View module production history 1. In the View tab, click the module. A status message displays. 2.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Messages and Alerts You can view event messages in Enlighten or in the Envoy interface. Event messages show a summary of the detected issue and a recommended action. ACFOOR (AC Frequency Out of Range) The microinverter reports that the frequency coming from the utility is either too low or too high as specified by UL standards (UL1741). The typical frequency is 60.0 Hz. Microinverter Model Nominal Frequency Range (Hz) M250 57 to 62.5 Hz M215 57 to 61 Hz M190 59.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System ACVOOR (AC Voltage Out of Range) The microinverter reports that the AC voltage coming from the utility is either too low or too high as specified by UL standards (UL1741).
Troubleshooting an Enphase System 2. As an alternative, you can check AC voltage in Enlighten. To view the AC measurements: Click on the module under review in the View tab. In the pop-up, click the graph icon. Click Power: Past 7 Days. The 7-day graph displays production in blue. At the bottom of the graph, select AC voltage to display AC voltage in brown. Move the cursor over the AC voltage and verify that AC voltage has been consistent and within range. 3.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System ACVOOR in only a few microinverters 1. If the condition alternates among microinverters, incorrect cabling may be in use. The following array in Enlighten shows the result of using 208 Volt cabling at a site with 240 Volt service. Only every third unit is productive. 2. If only one unit experiences an ACVOOR, and the condition persists with consistent, out of spec readings, the problem is likely with the microinverter. The microinverter may need to be replaced. 3.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System o A step-up transformer installed on site between the primary load center and the Enphase branch circuits can create ACVOOR conditions. If you checked and verified all of the previous conditions and ACVOOR nuisance tripping is still occurring, and neither the installer nor the utility can mitigate, Enphase can modify all of the microinverter grid profiles to allow for slightly expanded trip-points, while still remaining within spec.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System To send the clear-dc-resistance-low message to a microinverter: 1. From the Envoy Administration menu, choose Device Conditions and Controls. NOTE: Do not check the box in the Select column. 2. Click the serial number of the unit displaying DC Resistance Low - Power Off. The Control Flags screen displays. CAUTION: Do not select the reboot and cmd-alert control flags unless recommended by Enphase.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System 4. Click Send Command. DC Too Low A DC Too Low condition occurs when the microinverter detects that DC input voltage from the PV module is too low. This is normal in the morning and in the evening. If this condition triggers during daylight hours, any of the following conditions may trigger this event: 39 There is an extended period of low solar irradiance (for example, a period that includes the night hours plus a few hours of low sunlight after sunrise).
Troubleshooting an Enphase System DC Too High The microinverter reports that DC input voltage from the PV module is too high. If one microinverter reports DC Too High events, then the PV module may be incompatible. The PV module may generate a higher voltage than is recommended for the microinverter. Refer to the Module Compatibility Calculator at http://enphase.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System GFI Tripped This condition occurs only with the M215, M190, D380, M210, M200, and M175 microinverters. A solid red status LED on the microinverter indicates a ground fault (GFDI) error. The LED remains red and the Envoy continues to report the fault until the error has cleared. If a microinverter registers a GFI Tripped condition, you can attempt to clear this condition through the Envoy Interface. An Envoy is required to send the clear-gfi message to clear the condition.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System 3. In the clear-gfi menu, select set. 4. Click Send Command. Grid Gone The microinverter reports that power from the utility is no longer present or is out of voltage or frequency specification. In most cases, no action is required. Solar production resumes when conditions normalize. Enphase microinverters are utility interactive and require a connection to the utility.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Microinverter Failed to Report A microinverter that reports a Microinverter Failed to Report condition is unable to communicate with the Envoy over the AC power lines. Occasional instances of this error may be ignored as microinverter communications will likely recover on the next reporting cycle. Verify that the site has service from the electrical utility and that no solar circuit-breaker has tripped.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Best Practices Installation sequence Enphase considers following sequence of steps to be a best practice that reduces installation delays. 1. Register the System 2. Connect the Envoy Communications Gateway 3. Position the Enphase Engage Cable 4. Attach the Microinverters to the PV Racking 5. Dress the Cable 6. Connect the Microinverters 7. Terminate the Unused End of the Cable 8. Connect the Cable to the AC Junction Box 9. Complete the Installation Map 10.
Troubleshooting an Enphase System Will the array provide power during when it is snowing or hailing? Full sun is not required for the array to produce, but in poor weather, the panel production won’t be 100%. On a cloudy day, the modules will produce at a much lower rate. If snow is accumulates on the modules, production may be zero. Snow tends to slide off modules more quickly than other roof surfaces, and the modules are usually installed in a south-facing direction.
