Technical data

PVI 1800/PVI 2500(Rev A) Installation and Operation Manual

DOCR-070570-A

The heat sink serves to conduct away heat generated from energy losses in the power electronics. Internal

temperature regulation provides protection against excessively high temperatures inside the PVI 1800/PVI

2500. The maximum power processed from the PV array is automatically reduced to limit excessive inverter

temperature.

The PVI 1800/PV2500 will only operate in parallel with the utility grid. AC grid monitoring is done by

microcontrollers set up to meet the requirements of UL1741/IEEE1547. This includes grid voltage or

frequency fluctuations outside of the required limits, anti-islanding and other limitations and requirements,

which ensure that the inverter shuts down immediately if the grid goes down, or if the grid gives surges, sags,

changes frequency or otherwise shows signs of instability. If this happens, the inverter will check the grid

and reconnect to the grid 5 minutes after the grid is back to normal. (The display then shows: “Waiting for

restart”.) Disconnecting from the grid is important to protect the electrical and utility line workers who may

be working to restore the grid as well as electricians working at a site with PV systems.

Power grid faults that will cause the PVI 1800/PVI 2500 to isolate itself from the power grid:

 AC grid voltage

The grid voltage must not go outside the range of +10/-12% of the nominal 240 or 208V AC grid

voltage (as per IEEE Std 1547, § 4.2.3). The inverter will isolate itself from the power grid if these limits

are exceeded either way. The PVI 1800/2500 is factory set to 208 or 240VAC. A qualified installer can

reconfigure the grid voltage setting in the field using a computer, Solectria provided software and an

available serial communication cable.

 AC grid frequency

The power grid frequency can be within a range of +0.5Hz, -0.7Hz of the nominal 60Hz grid frequency

(as per IEEE Std 1547, § 4.2.4). The inverter will isolate itself from the power grid if these permitted

limits are exceeded either way.

Another important safety feature is galvanic isolation of the utility grid and the PV array as well as ground

fault detection and interrupt (GFDI) of the PV array. The PV array negative is grounded inside the inverter

(and must not be grounded at any other point).