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

chris_n

QrizB said:

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?

If it is a 13 year old FIT system you will have lost a significant amount, my slightly smaller system close to Newcastle has generated over 500Kwh in the time since you first posted which does equate to £400. If I was still in UK I would have come and had a look at your system FOC a few weeks age when you were struggling to find anyone, unfortunately for you I live in Austria and am unlikely to be back in UK anytime soon.

Telegraph_Sam

Taking your other suggestion I'm waiting for the man from Northern Powergrid to arrive plus his monitoring equipment

Telegraph_Sam

NedS said:

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.

My meter varies between 235 and 240 v depending on whether the kettle is on or off. MCB is currently not tripped whilst earlier this afternoon it was.

Telegraph_Sam

Man from North Pgrid has just been and gone. Confirms that the supply / voltage is A OK.  So the finger of suspicion now turns full circle back to the two trip switches. At present the PV system is not working. This has all the makings of an Agatha Christie Whodonit.
Next move depends on the electrician's return. Unless someone has any further ideas?

QrizB

You are potentially losing £100 a week while this fault persists.

Either get a reliable electrician or a solar PV specialist - you've had several recommendations on this thread already.

Heedtheadvice

QrizB said:

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.

You just ( by quite a few hours) beat me to a similar comment!

paul991

If only thing on circuit it can only be one of 3 things wiring ,unlikely . faulty mcb  or inverter .all can be checked changed cheaply . A 13 year old inverter probably cheaper to replace if fault not obvious .Maybe work out cheaper than FIT money you have  lost. 

Telegraph_Sam

On my meter the voltage is shown at between 23.5 and 24.5. I have not been able to associate voltage levels with my devices tripping but I have yet to make any other positive association. It has happened that we wiĺl be in untripped mode in the morning only for the trip to actuate sometime in the afternoon, possibly midday. And refuse to be re-set the same day
The man from N. Powergrid thought the cause could be some water getting into the system.
Much will depend on my electrician's return from what I assume is holiday
Footnote: I was under the impression that the prime purpose of the RCD / MCB "insulation function" was to prevent the inverter from cutting out.

Telegraph_Sam

Point of info: what is the relationship between the kWh generation figure shown on the meter next to the inverter, and the "Total Annual Export" figure that comes up on my main unit?

Netexporter

Telegraph_Sam said:

Point of info: what is the relationship between the kWh generation figure shown on the meter next to the inverter, and the "Total Annual Export" figure that comes up on my main unit?

The generation meter shows the total generated. You export figure is that total less what you have self consumed.