Solaredge w/Powerwalls not charging during outage

[Flick75]

New to the forums. A lot of good information here.

I know this topic has been brought up quite a bit here but I haven't seen a solution for my issue. I prefer not to say where I live in the USA but I do have installer access to both the Tesla gateway and my two Solaredge inverters. I have 4 PW's.That's a story in itself as to why I was able to have that access, but I am the owner of the aforesaid equipment.

So as the title says, my Solaredge inverters won't come back on after 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes when I simulate a power outage. I haven't gone longer because I figure it's a moot point. I have two SE7600H inverters with no displays. As mentioned above, I have full access to the settings for both of them through Solaredge setapp.

As for the Tesla gateway, I've tried different standards from different states, i.e. UL1741(2016/2019), IEEE1547 2014 etc. in the Tesla gateway wizard. I've also changed the frequency range on both inverters in the wakeup configuration to 59.3 to 60.5.

I've tried this at multiple charge levels from 40-80%. I understand that the PW's will shutdown the inverters around 98-99% by the PW's raising the frequency to 65hz.

I will say that the state I live in doesn't want it to work. It's automatic rapid shutdown and dc discharge even though I have 4 PW's perfectly cable of charging and sustaining my home. The standard in the Tesla gateway only exists in my state. As stated above, when using the above standards in the Tesla gateway wizard, the inverters do not discharge but do shutdown initially as intended, but will not come back on. The voltage stays around 382VDC. I have 54 320W panels. I have checked the voltage on every simulated power outage at the main breaker to ensure the PW's are not feeding back on the grid and they're not.

My question is does anyone know or can someone PM me their configuration that allows the inverters to come back on and start charging after an outage? Or tell me what settings need to be changed in the Tesla gateway and/or the inverters to get them to come back on during an outage?

I would also understand if no one want's to help as it's not what my states electrical code intended.

Thanks in advance for any information on this matter.

 

[BrettS]

I’m happy to help as I can. If you want me to check specific settings on my solaredge inverters I would be happy to do so. I think I have less access to my gateway/powerwalls, but I’m happy to check what I can there as well.

One thing that I think would be interesting for you to try is to see if you can figure out exactly what’s happening and why the inverters aren’t coming online. If you have some way to measure the line frequency (I just have a Kill-A-Watt which will measure it for me). I’d love to see if the gateway pushes your frequency up over 60.5Hz when you have an outage and then just doesn’t bring it back down, in which case it would point to an issue with the gateway/powerwalls. Or if the frequency stays at 60Hz, which would indicate something going on with the inverters that prevents them from coming back online.

 

[Flick75]

I’m happy to help as I can. If you want me to check specific settings on my solaredge inverters I would be happy to do so. I think I have less access to my gateway/powerwalls, but I’m happy to check what I can there as well.

Thank you. The problem is at this point I'm not sure what settings to have checked. I was really hoping setting the frequency range from the defaulted 59.9-60.1 to 59.3-60.5. I tried to change the country and power to just plain US 240 as well.

One thing that I think would be interesting for you to try is to see if you can figure out exactly what’s happening and why the inverters aren’t coming online. If you have some way to measure the line frequency (I just have a Kill-A-Watt which will measure it for me). I’d love to see if the gateway pushes your frequency up over 60.5Hz when you have an outage and then just doesn’t bring it back down, in which case it would point to an issue with the gateway/powerwalls. Or if the frequency stays at 60Hz, which would indicate something going on with the inverters that prevents them from coming back online.

The frequency usually floats around 59.6-59.7 when the power is out and on the PW's. I'm use a fluke 77 to check my work bench outlet. Thus that's what led me to change the above mentioned frequency settings to the broader range.

 

[BrettS]

Thank you. The problem is at this point I'm not sure what settings to have checked. I was really hoping setting the frequency range from the defaulted 59.9-60.1 to 59.3-60.5. I tried to change the country and power to just plain US 240 as well.

Tomorrow I can take some screen shots of my inverter configuration screens and you can see if something is configured differently.

The frequency usually floats around 59.6-59.7 when the power is out and on the PW's. I'm use a fluke 77 to check my work bench outlet. Thus that's what led me to change the above mentioned frequency settings to the broader range.

This to me says that it’s an inverter setting. As far as I know (and I’ll freely admit that I don’t know very far) the only way the gateway/powerwalls control the inverter is by raising the line frequency. But if the frequency is at a normal range and the inverters don’t come back on then I feel like it must be something in the inverter configuration.

But at the same time, how then do the inverters know when the power has been restored?

Just to be clear, you are saying that when the power fails your inverters shut off and do not come back on again until the power has been restored. Is this correct?

 

[Flick75]

Tomorrow I can take some screen shots of my inverter configuration screens and you can see if something is configured differently.

Oh that would be great. Thank you so much.

This to me says that it’s an inverter setting. As far as I know (and I’ll freely admit that I don’t know very far) the only way the gateway/powerwalls control the inverter is by raising the line frequency. But if the frequency is at a normal range and the inverters don’t come back on then I feel like it must be something in the inverter configuration.

I hope that's the case.

But at the same time, how then do the inverters know when the power has been restored?

I'm sure it has something to do with the gateway sensing the power back on. I think it uses the CT's to recognize when power is available or not. I believe that's what allows the anti-islanding relay in the gateway to engage and disengage.

Just to be clear, you are saying that when the power fails your inverters shut off and do not come back on again until the power has been restored. Is this correct?

Yes. That is a true statement.

I see you're in Orlando. Who is your power company? I can configure the gateway to the standard for your power company to at least mimic that setting. Probably nothing I haven't already seen but it's worth a shot. I can even let you know what the safety standard is for your power company if you want to know it after I go in to the gateway wizard to re-configure it.

 

[BrettS]

I'm sure it has something to do with the gateway sensing the power back on. I think it uses the CT's to recognize when power is available or not. I believe that's what allows the anti-islanding relay in the gateway to engage and disengage.

Yes, I’m sure that’s how the gateway knows that the power is back on, but how does the inverter know?

Unless your configuration has something different than mine there is no direct communication between the gateway and the inverter. In my case, at least, the only way the gateway can tell the inverter to turn off is to raise the line frequency to 60.5Hz. Then when it wants the inverter to turn back on it lowers the line frequency again.

But you’re saying that your frequency is low and your inverter is still off when you are off grid. But then as soon as you go back on grid the inverter comes back on. But how does the inverter know that you’re on grid again?

I see you're in Orlando. Who is your power company? I can configure the gateway to the standard for your power company to at least mimic that setting. Probably nothing I haven't already seen but it's worth a shot. I can even let you know what the safety standard is for your power company if you want to know it after I go in to the gateway wizard to re-configure it.

My power company is Duke Energy

 

[Flick75]

Yes, I’m sure that’s how the gateway knows that the power is back on, but how does the inverter know?

Yeah, that I don't know. The only true difference that I have seen when off grid is the frequency drop from a nearly perfect 60.00-60.01Hz measured using my meter to the 59.6-59.7Hz.

Unless your configuration has something different than mine there is no direct communication between the gateway and the inverter. In my case, at least, the only way the gateway can tell the inverter to turn off is to raise the line frequency to 60.5Hz. Then when it wants the inverter to turn back on it lowers the line frequency again.

Yeah agreed. I don't think there is any direct communication between the two other than the frequency shift.

But you’re saying that your frequency is low and your inverter is still off when you are off grid. But then as soon as you go back on grid the inverter comes back on. But how does the inverter know that you’re on grid again?

Correct, but it's not instantaneous. It takes 5 minutes before the inverters start producing again. I think that is standard.
Again not sure how the inverters know power is back other than the shift in frequency back to a near perfect 60Hz.

I really hope your screen shots will reveal something.

My power company is Duke Energy

Got it. Yeah the gateway standard is IEEE1547:2003, which looks like that's what it is for the whole state. I just changed it to that.

 

[BrettS]

I have two SE7600H inverters with no displays.

On a side note, I just noticed this. But I also have two SE7600H inverters with no display as well as 4 powerwalls, so it will definitely be an apples to apples comparison. The only difference is that I only have 48 315W panels. But I’m sure that will make no difference here.

 

[BrettS]

Yeah, that I don't know. The only true difference that I have seen when off grid is the frequency drop from a nearly perfect 60.00-60.01Hz measured using my meter to the 59.6-59.7Hz.

I think that’s normal. My frequency tends to be a hair under 60 when I’m offgrid and running on my powerwalls. This certainly doesn’t stop my inverters from... well... inverting.

Yeah agreed. I don't think there is any direct communication between the two other than the frequency shift.

This is what’s baffling me. Your frequency seems to be in the range that should allow the inverters to come back online, but they don’t. Then somehow they magically know when the grid has been restored and only then do they come back online.

Correct, but it's not instantaneous. It takes 5 minutes before the inverters start producing again. I think that is standard.

This is normal as well and how my inverters behave. They will start up 5 minutes after they are happy with the power line’s condition.

Again not sure how the inverters know power is back other than the shift in frequency back to a near perfect 60Hz.

As I said above, I don’t think this is it. My frequency is also a little low when my powerwalls are powering the house and my inverters have no problem with it.

 

[Flick75]

I just want to get the damn thing working off grid lol. It's so frustrating

Again, I hope the screen shots reveal something I'm missing.

And the more screenshots the merrier.

 

[BrettS]

I just sent you a PM with a whole bunch of screen shots. Good luck and let us know how it goes