Emergency: Classics stopped charging

[krementz]

I have an emergency. I have two MN Classic 150s charging from two identical arrays of 2500w each.

At 9:30am 12/12, one of my Classics stopped charging, the other continued on till darkness. There has been zero cumulative watt/hours since.

Even with very dark weather, I usually get some trivial charging showing during the day. I have never seen daylight-hours flat zero. The weather has been overcast, not heavy rain.

My urgency is I am a 5 hour drive, then $120 air taxi to get to the location. I cannot imagine what would "kill" two chargers. No lightning or thunderstorms. I am down to 69% SOC, even with systems turned off. There are no errors reported on the SMA inverters.

Could a PV circuit breaker tripped? How? I find it hard to believe that both chargers would die suddenly. Are there are settings that could be changed. I have looked at them remotely; all seem normal.

Ideas/suggestions?

[ClassicCrazy]

How do you remote monitor them ?
What was the history before the failure ?
Hard to diagnose what could have happened - don't have a clue to what the installation is on your setup . Could be anything . Seems like onsite visit is your only venue .


Larry

[WillEert]

I have had the Classic Mode turn itself to "off" for some unknown reason. This has occurred a few times. I don't know how you monitor your system or what you can see remotely but I can tell you that if the mode is "off" the Classic stops producing power.

Will

[krementz]

The Classics are connected to a pair of SMA 6048 inverters and the SMA Webbox. My small Outback system runs the data communications gear, so I can monitor and control the big SMA system remotely, even when the SMA system is in Standby (inverters off). The charging (Classics) work regardless of the SMA system being in Standby.

The system has been active (not standby) since I was last there, about 2 months ago. I turned the SMAs to Standby to reduce parasitic losses since they weren't charging.

Through the Webbox, I can change about 160 Parameters, and view about 125 Spot Values (voltages, SoC, amps, PV watts in, etc.). There have been no warning or errors.

When you said the Classics went "off", what did you do to restart? Any idea why? Is there any non-physical-button way to restart/switch to on?

[WizBandit]

Do you have our LOCAL APP running and connected to the Classics?  You can get a RESTING code for a reason if so.
I suspect winter sun angle, overcast and more overcast and a lack of Irradiance necessary for energy production to be a possible issue.

[krementz]

I do not have the Local App, only the SMA software.

Even with very low irradiance, I have never seen ZERO production, except in very heavy rain (or nighttime). Weather has been semi-cloudy to clear.

Do you know if the resting code is sent to the SMA software?

[WizBandit]

I don't think the RFR is available from the SMA.
Resting can be from hardware failure, software, input out of spec.
Hard to tell you why they are resting without more information.
Maybe the Arrays are gone?  I had one setup where that was the issue.
They ended up down at the bottom of the hill.

[mike90045]

Has there been any wind - could both arrays have been damaged or stolen ?  know anyone who can take a look to see if a tree fell over onto the arrays ?

[Westbranch]

I posted this a few days ago but? I guess it's an Ether Post...

If you do not have a connection to the LOCAL App  or a connection ENABLED TO MyMidNite, which gives you constant data flow to a Data Base ,

I suggest it would behoove you to dig around and see how to set it up so you can gate a few hours of data  via the backup system (good idea BTW)...
thinking about it quickly, I suspect you could load "the APP" on a RPi and save the last sent data to your Monitoring PC...??

also I had one Classic stop charging one winter and reset from a 24V system to a 12V system. took weeks of back and forth  due to NO Net link...

I guess you have a trip coming,  All I can say is take 2 of everything you MIGHT need... 2 Classics?

and load the Local App on your laptop before leaving...

Good Luck

[krementz]

SMA confirmed they are not helpful. 

There has not been any significant wind, no trees nearby, arrays are ground-mounted with massive foundations, and local aircraft have not reported any strangeness.

I will try to get out after Xmas, weather permitting. I will try to get the direct to MN software connected. I had an issue last time, but don't remember what it was.

BTW, since I have 2 150s, do both have to have ethernet cables/IP addresses, or will connecting one will talk to both? I think I only have one open outlet on the router.

[Resthome]

Are your Classics set to reboot every night at midnight? If not that is surely a setting you want to make for any remote site.

[ClassicCrazy]

SMA confirmed they are not helpful. 

There has not been any significant wind, no trees nearby, arrays are ground-mounted with massive foundations, and local aircraft have not reported any strangeness.

I will try to get out after Xmas, weather permitting. I will try to get the direct to MN software connected. I had an issue last time, but don't remember what it was.

BTW, since I have 2 150s, do both have to have ethernet cables/IP addresses, or will connecting one will talk to both? I think I only have one open outlet on the router.

Are your Classics in Follow Me ?  Seems like I read somewhere that Classics in Follow Me can accumulate errors and need a hard reset ever so often to clear them all out and put them back to normal.  But really not sure if that is your issue or not.
Will be great if you get either remote Local Status App or at least My Midnite remote reporting so you can see what is going on when you aren't there.

Larry

[boB]

SMA confirmed they are not helpful. 

There has not been any significant wind, no trees nearby, arrays are ground-mounted with massive foundations, and local aircraft have not reported any strangeness.

I will try to get out after Xmas, weather permitting. I will try to get the direct to MN software connected. I had an issue last time, but don't remember what it was.

BTW, since I have 2 150s, do both have to have ethernet cables/IP addresses, or will connecting one will talk to both? I think I only have one open outlet on the router.

Are your Classics in Follow Me ?  Seems like I read somewhere that Classics in Follow Me can accumulate errors and need a hard reset ever so often to clear them all out and put them back to normal.  But really not sure if that is your issue or not.
Will be great if you get either remote Local Status App or at least My Midnite remote reporting so you can see what is going on when you aren't there.

Larry

No need for Follow-Me when the SMA Sunny Island is commanding the Classics into Float and Bulk-Absorb.

I was going to say that when you get there, if the Classic(s) have crapped out, you can temporarily connect the PV directly
to the battery positive to get some kind of charge into the system.

When the Classic is resting you can connect the PV+ directly to the Batt+.  But  ONLY if the Classic is not running.

Also check the PV input voltage.  If a Classic should blow, it will ~usually~ short the input and so you would see
somewhere around zero volts input.

Hopefully it is something real simple.

boB

[Westbranch]

Krementz, I just read another post in a discussion about 2 classics using Follow-me and boB wrote the following , I don't know if it applies:


There is also another mode we use but is for when using the SMA inverters which act as masters
to control each Classic's charge voltage and report back to the Sunny Island.  This shouldn't have
anything to do with your system but in the MISC menu under COMM sub-menu there is a setting
for that.  You COULD try fiddling with that but it should be good.  You have to reboot the Classic(s)
to have that take effect though.

[krementz]

Westbranch - Thank you. I will look into that when I get out there. From memory, I know there is an SMA mode (which I am in), but do not remember any other details.

boB - Do you know if are there any parameters to set on the Classic that are NOT transferred from the Sunny Island? For example, on the Classic I believe I can set the Lat/Long for sunrise/sunset, but that cannot be set from the Sunny Island.

I reflashed the Classics with a new firmware a few months ago, and just let the SI fill in all the parameters. Are there any others that should be looked at that the SI does not manage?  I assume setting auto-restart at midnight can (should be) enabled.