Solar PV "Power failure"? Technicians in North East? Help!

debitcardmayhem

Does your inverter have an app?

Telegraph_Sam

Honest answer is I don't know.  Would the  user manual or even just the precise model no give us the answers?

NedS

Sometimes your inverter App will show AC grid voltages, otherwise you can purchase a plug-in 'power meter' from Amazon for £10-15 that can read/display volts, amps, kWh in real time (also really useful for seeing how much power various appliances use, so a really useful thing to own anyway)

Netexporter

Get something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electricity-Backlight-Overload-Consumption-Monitoring/dp/B0DNT3ZZ54

Plug it in somewhere you can see it easily, kitchen worktop height plugs are probably favourite. Select the voltage function and note what voltage you get after dark. There will some variance but it shouldn't be more than a few volts. Then monitor during the day. If the voltage varies wildly, with the light level, it is probably the DNO's problem.

If you get large variations then report it to the DNO, who should monitor your voltage for a day or two, remotely if you have a smart meter, or they will come and fit a recording device if you have a dumb meter.

debitcardmayhem

Sam have you tried ESE Solar , Washington 
https://esesolar.co.uk/
 Aurora  https://esesolar.co.uk/aurora-uno-photovoltaic-inverters-pvi-3-0-3-6-3-8-4-2-tl-troubleshooting-guide/

Telegraph_Sam

What I've got is a "Plug-in Electricity Cost and Usage Calculator" which seems to be used for calculating the consumption going through a socket - there are 3 buttons for Function, Power and Cost respectively. Whether it can tell what the house voltage is is anyone's guess.
ESE Solar looks like a useful contact anyway though their web site gives the not uncommon impression that they are more interested in sales than in repairs.
There is a meter next to the inverter that records things like "Total Annual Import" and "Total Annual Export".

NedS

Telegraph_Sam said:

What I've got is a "Plug-in Electricity Cost and Usage Calculator" which seems to be used for calculating the consumption going through a socket - there are 3 buttons for Function, Power and Cost respectively. Whether it can tell what the house voltage is is anyone's guess.

My guess is it can - try pressing some of the buttons (function maybe) and see if you get a voltage reading.

It's common for the voltage to change by around 3v when you go from importing to exporting. The voltage will drop when you start importing and increase as you start exporting - try turning a kettle on/off to see it.

debitcardmayhem

looking at your pictures one of them said voltage , i guess the up/down arrows cycle the display. Does the manual say anything.
If you don’t contact ese you can’t assume they don’t repair, my link shows error codes etc. Just ring them and ask, you can’t guess what. they will say, you need to be proactive this has been going for too long .

QrizB

Netexporter said:

If it is tripping out when it is sunny, I'd suggest monitoring your local voltage.

This is a complete red herring, I'm afraid.

Overvoltage would cause the inverter to cut out. It wouldn't cause the RCD and/or MCB to trip.

debitcardmayhem said:

Does your inverter have an app?

Sam's Aurora inverter is 13 years old. It doesn't have an app.

QrizB

Telegraph_Sam said:

Looks like my electrician has done a vanishing act. I"ll need to find a replacement.
I doubt that I'm "losing'" anything like the £££'s you mention. Small consolation

Are you on metered export?

If not, the only way to tell is to look at your records of your generation meter readings.

What did your generation meter read immediately before this problem started? What does it read now?