New Install Clipping/Not Installed Correctly?

[Mrbrock]

Received PTO on my 8.16kw system late last week. Finally had some great sun days over the weekend. 24 340w panels in a 5x5 rectangle and a Delta M8 inverter. Facing due south on 20* pitch roof. Max output has been 4.1kw and it has already reached that today. Not seeing any type of bell curve for output. Definitely looks like clipping to me and only half the panels or only 1 string is reporting. Thoughts on how to fix?

 

[Mrbrock]

The “today” with 12.9kw was a snapshot yesterday (Sunday)mid day. The other today is from this morning (Monday). Sorry for any confusion. I thought I had an image of the full day from yesterday. Here is the proper image.

 

[lucassaugen]

Yeah, give them a call. That's not right.

Could be they only ran a single string to the inverter and didn't split them between the two MPPTs. They just need to come back and install some jumpers in the inverter.

Could also be a CT thing.

Download the M Professional app and use bluetooth to log into your inverter and make sure the production log matches what you are seeing in the Tesla app.

No matter what give them a call.

 

[Mrbrock]

Thanks! On hold with them now. Will check on the app when I get off the phone.

 

[jjrandorin]

Try calling the energy support phone number, I have always had good luck with them picking up the phone on that number. Meaning, dont try calling your project advisor, etc.

 

[Mrbrock]

Try calling the energy support phone number, I have always had good luck with them picking up the phone on that number. Meaning, dont try calling your project advisor, etc.

Yeah, I texted my advisor yesterday and got a reply to call the Tesla Energy number. They took down the information and they are elevating to Tier 2. She agreed that it sounded like a string wasn’t working.

The app for iOS (thought it was only for Android as mentioned in the manual) is called M Tool. Nothing on the download page indicates Delta. Password (SN) was the date code for mine as indicated in the Delta manual. I have attached a picture for the download page if anyone is having trouble finding it or is concerned it isn’t the correct app. I also added pictures from the app and it is pretty clear that no power is coming down PV2.

 

[jjrandorin]

Yeah, I texted my advisor yesterday and got a reply to call the Tesla Energy number. They took down the information and they are elevating to Tier 2. She agreed that it sounded like a string wasn’t working.

The app for iOS (thought it was only for Android as mentioned in the manual) is called M Tool. Nothing on the download page indicates Delta. Password (SN) was the date code for mine as indicated in the Delta manual. I have attached a picture for the download page if anyone is having trouble finding it or is concerned it isn’t the correct app. I also added pictures from the app and it is pretty clear that no power is coming down PV2.

I dont have a delta inverter, but, if you look at the developer for that app you have in the screenshot, it is clearly not an organization, but an individual. its likely that whatever you are looking at there is not an "official" app. That doesnt mean it doesnt work, or anything like that, but it sounds like you think this is an official app, from the statement "I thought it was only for android as mentioned in the manual".

Its entirely possible that the "official" app IS only for android, and you found someone elses app that they published.

I, personally, am extremely careful about apps I download, etc, especially if I want the "official" app from some company. There are always apps masquerading as the official one.

 

[Mrbrock]

I dont have a delta inverter, but, if you look at the developer for that app you have in the screenshot, it is clearly not an organization, but an individual. its likely that whatever you are looking at there is not an "official" app. That doesnt mean it doesnt work, or anything like that, but it sounds like you think this is an official app, from the statement "I thought it was only for android as mentioned in the manual".

Its entirely possible that the "official" app IS only for android, and you found someone elses app that they published.

I, personally, am extremely careful about apps I download, etc, especially if I want the "official" app from some company. There are always apps masquerading as the official one.

Um, here is a screenshot from the Delta manual clearly stating which app to download for Android. Yes, it does not say it is signed by Delta but it is what their manual tells you to download...The second image from the manual shows the app and it matches what the app I downloaded looks like.

 

[jjrandorin]

Um, here is a screenshot from the Delta manual clearly stating which app to download for Android. Yes, it does not say it is signed by Delta but it is what their manual tells you to download...The second image from the manual shows the app and it matches what the app I downloaded looks like.

Like I said, I dont have a delta inverter. I would expect a delta app to have "delta" as the developer, not "jiang tao yao", and I would expect the app to be called exactly what it was called in the manual (M series App) not M Tool.

Shrug.. its not like it impacts me one way or the other, I just dont think that the iOS app you are looking at is an "official delta app". That doesnt mean it doesnt work.

EDIT: In any case, I was not intending to derail your thread, so sorry about that. to get back on topic, let us know what happens in relation to your issue after you hear back.

Those plateau's on the chart definitely look like either something isnt reporting, or it is clipping for quite some time.

 

[trautmane2]

I have a Delta M-series inverter for my solar roof and have primarily used the M Professional app (from the same developer) on IOS. I also tried the M Tool app more recently just to see what differed. I don't know whether those apps are "official", but I've seen others post about using them and decided that the risk of using them was pretty low. Maybe that's naive ...

 

[Mrbrock]

I have a Delta M-series inverter for my solar roof and have primarily used the M Professional app (from the same developer) on IOS. I also tried the M Tool app more recently just to see what differed. I don't know whether those apps are "official", but I've seen others post about using them and decided that the risk of using them was pretty low. Maybe that's naive ...

What were the differences you noticed between the two apps?

 

[Mrbrock]

Like I said, I dont have a delta inverter. I would expect a delta app to have "delta" as the developer, not "jiang tao yao", and I would expect the app to be called exactly what it was called in the manual (M series App) not M Tool.

Shrug.. its not like it impacts me one way or the other, I just dont think that the iOS app you are looking at is an "official delta app". That doesnt mean it doesnt work.

EDIT: In any case, I was not intending to derail your thread, so sorry about that. to get back on topic, let us know what happens in relation to your issue after you hear back.

Those plateau's on the chart definitely look like either something isnt reporting, or it is clipping for quite some time.

Last comment on the app, if you look at the screenshot section 5.5.2 the last line, it says "Search "M-Tool" in Google Play". This is what I did in iOS so it seems that is mainly just poor manual writing by referring to it as M Series App and E series App in the same section as M Tool. In other words, the "M Series App" is called M-Tool.

I will let you know when I hear back from Tier 2 or if it is elevated to Tier 3 although the rep did say sometimes they have enough info and send it straight to the field team to implement the fix, sometimes without the customer even knowing when Tesla will show up.

 

[dareed1]

1. The app recommended in the Delta M manual does not work, in my and other people's experience. I use the app called M Professional by the HDC SPA team. Use the date code on the side of the inverter (mine is 2015, which I suppose means week 15 of the year 2020). To gain more info (and possibly mess things up if you don't practice restraint) click the Gear icon and activate using code 6532. Your phone needs to be within a few feet of the inverter to connect.

2. I have very similar symptoms, with output flat at 4.2kW, except up to 4.6kW when there is reflection from a passing cloud. My configuration is 12 panels facing south and 12 facing west. After a fair amount of back and forth with Tesla, they sent a technician to investigate and he found that the two strings were connected in parallel at the roof, with only two conductors coming to the inverter. They are currently scheduled to come Thursday 25th morning to rewire from the roof. In my case it is possible that the problem arose because my system was sold and permitted to use SolarEdge and they substituted Delta at the time of installation. In our situation jumpers in the inverter can not help. I suppose that the parallel configuration confuses the MPPT.

 

[Mrbrock]

I have the exact same problem. System was designed with SolarEdge and wired as such then noticed the inverter was Delta so they came back a week later to rewire the strings,“bring a second string down” I was told but that must not have been done correctly. I have not opened the inverter to see the wiring in there.
As far as the Apps, what about M-Tool didn’t work for you? I am able to see the inverter and other information that I posted in my screen shots. If there more functionality you wanted? What does M Professional allow you to do beyond viewing current output?

 

[dareed1]

As far as the Apps, what about M-Tool didn’t work for you? I am able to see the inverter and other information that I posted in my screen shots. If there more functionality you wanted? What does M Professional allow you to do beyond viewing current output?

I have an Android phone and M Tool doesn't appear in the PlayStore that I could see. There is an app called MyDeltaSolar which did not work for me. M Professional allows updating the software, running IV curves, checking MCI status, Zigbee communication info, view the arc log and error logs....

 

[lucassaugen]

Someone recently shared that the app Trinahome by the same developer also works with some different info.

 

[Mrbrock]

I have downloaded all 3 apps but didn’t get a chance to check them out today. The MyDeltaSolar app requires a WiFi gateway from delta, not Tesla’s proprietary one. No update from Tesla on a fix so hopefully by the end of the week as there is a lot of solar being wasted with one string not working.

 

[Odobo]

If you have multiple arrays, the m-tools or m professional will let you see each arrays output.

There are other apps from the same developer in Google store.... In those other apps you can pull error log from the inverter. M tools/professional can only show you the current status. That's the main difference.

If you have the E series inverter, then you can use it to set different mode too

 

[Mrbrock]

Tesla just reached out asking me to schedule service through the App. First available time 3+ weeks out. I’ll grab some screen shots later of the log attached to the appointment specifying what needs to be done when they come out. Pretty insightful as to what they think is wrong. Short story is one string is likely wired wrong and there might be a missing jumper between MPPT 2 and 3 which is required for all unused MPPTs per Delta. No pictures of the install were uploaded so they can’t evaluate without being onsite.

 

[lucassaugen]

Great. That will take care of the clipping issue. Now keep an eye out for your Delta inverter shutting down when slightly shaded because of bad firmware that they've been promising to fix for about a year now.