2nd Inverter failure. Unlucky? Also talk me into/out of some new panels...

[Quakered]

I confess I am absolutely stunned that you did not check your system in over 3 months.

We have had our SMA inverter for 7 years and (touching wood) has work faultlessly. It is installed in our loft so suspect it has to cope with high temperatures. I agree that SMA software does make you think they should have stuck to making baby milk but again it does work. You can get the Sunnt Portal for a browse on a desktop, also available as an app for iPhone and iPad (and suspect it is also available to Apple's many imitators!) - finally there is also Sunny Place that is both monitor a forum. No reason not be be in touch with you installation daily where ever you are in the world - managed to access ours from Luang Probang in the Loas jungle last year!

[cliffski]

Yeah I'm surprised too, but you would be amazed how stupidly busy my life is...and since the sunny beam died I just never assed...
Anyway installer confirms inverter as dead as donut, say very unlikely to be lack of air circulation. He is anti-SMA despite owning one himself, and has recomended a different model, hopefully getting installed friday.
I like the recommended app, not sure if I'll pay for the pvoutput premium thing...I may do. Annoyingly my office is maybe 3-4 feet out of blue tooth range!

[cliffski]

So! Inverter replaced, with a growatt inverter, which is seemingly tiny in comparison (yay for technological advance) and it cost me £489.60 including installation and VAT. which is fine by me. Actual inverter non-VAT cost was £273.
Sadly it doesn't work with any easy-to-use phone app I can find, so I've asked them to get me one of the remote monitor things for it, which is less than optimal, but I'm just so glad to have it fixed and actually generating power again. It does surprise me that there isn't a universal premium paid app for your phone you can buy that monitors solar panels of any make yet. Seems like a market that can only go in one direction?

[sam_cat]

Here I can help!!

You need a wifi dongle for the inverter: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WiFi-Module-for-Growatt-Inverter/282060805007
ShinePhone on the mobile, or use their online tools: http://server.growatt.com/

The online tools have a demo mode, so you can see what it can do (example plants, bottom left). I really rate it.



Default page shows today so far in small splits (25mins I think):



By day:


By month:


Can also do by year, not shown.
Double click on a period and it drills into it, so double click '2018' and its shows by month, double click may and it shows may by day, double click a day to see the part day split.

You can also do 'plant' and see by inverter, so each inverters output is overlayed:


Devices and datalogger (which is the wifi dongle bit):


Devices and inverter:


I have a 1kW and a 1.5kW inverter, also briefly had a broken 1kW inverter as was spotted very quickly here:


Double click an inverter and you get into the logs for it:


easily exported/loaded into excel and has loads of info.

Tons of other stuff too that I haven't gone into here...

As I say, I rate the software.. have used a few and really got along with this one. Not perfect but pretty darn good!

[Sprinter]

the growatt should give you auto access to the growatt site, you will need to register the device then you can monitor it online

http://server.growatt.com/login.do

I have a monitor that i never used somewhere, it uses bluetooth i think, but its better to get the ethernet dongle as suggested and use the web site

[cliffski]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. I got the wifi dongle, and its all up and running and monitoring happily, this is awesome

[sam_cat]

Excellent! Its Pretty good software isnt it!