Can anyone confirm whether the AC Inverter can monitor inputs from 2 separate PV strings with physically separate feeds to the house wiring? There is provision for PV1 and PV2 in the data but my installer is saying that this is only relevant to Hybrid inverters.
David_R Yes it does. I have 2 pv systems with a single AC3 looking after my batteries
Interesting. At present the inverter is only monitoring the main PV that feeds in to the CU. There is no metering on the second feed that connects in an outbuilding so the monitoring data doesn't add up (house load goes to zero when the sun shines!). I think I need a meter out there with a LoRa link back to the inverter.
David_R So your installer did not configure this for you? When configuring my system with my installer I made it very clear I needed the AC3 to monitor 2 PV systems.
David_R I'm prettry sure the AC3 only has one monitor for genertion (via CT). The only way it can accurately handle two generation systems is if their combined AC putput can be monitored at a single point. If your systems are connected seperately into your consumer unit the AC3 can only monitor one of them. Of course there's nothing stopping you rewiring them so that they can be monitored at a single point.
The PV1 and PV2 data you refer to is the DC voltage from each string. The AC3 doesn't care about the DC Voltages from your strings and has no way of knowing about them. The AC3 only cares about the AC output from your solar inverter(s).
David_R I think an expert is needed as there are two issues, one being the need to conform to DNO requirement and the second is how to analyse the system.
From a DNO requirement as long as the system in the remote building cannot possibly ever exceed the DNO max export figure then nothing is needed for that one. The system near the consumer unit then just has to control its output to ensure that the DNO max export is not exceeded so it throttles back when needed.
From an analytical point of view it's a different story, where do you view the data? I don't think that the AC3 has the ability to provide the split, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.
I think it may depend o how they are wired up. Does each set of solar panels feed into it's own inverter before connecting to the AC3. I have 2 strings and both feed into my single Solis inverter, The outputs are combined there and only the total feeds into the AC3 so I only have a reading for PV1. I think the AC3 can handle two sources, but I think they would need to be wired such that each is competely separate with their own inverter before connecting to the AC3
Karen Mine is via a Growatt inverter to the AC3 and I suffer the single feed in problem as well. The Growatt is OK at looking at string level (only for a rolling three months) but has no way that I can find of me imorting individual mppt data. Growatt don't appear to be able to even talk about it.
Karen Two separate Enphase arrays with separate AC feeds
Thanks for your responses. Seem to be differences of opinion on this. I will have to try and get a definitive answer from GivEnergy.
I'm sure I read somewhere you can have two CT clamps for PV plus the meter for grid import export. I might be wrong, but it rings a bell.
GivEnergy have confirmed that the AC Inverter CAN monitor two separate PV feeds, via meters with IDs of 2 & 3.
Yep doesn't have to be PV either. Can monitor a turbine for example.
But wouldn't usually be configured, since by the time the excited pixies get to the AC3 they have been transformed into 240v megazords and so it doesn't give a stuff about the strings, unless you request it specifically.
AC3 can monitor 2 PV strings independent.
EM115 ID1 for grid as standard.
Change blue passive CT for 2 x EM115s
ID2 and ID3 for the 2 solar arrays. Needs recommission.
Or if the 2 PV supplies are close, pass both Live wires through the same CT. They will be simply added together as 1.