Solar Lattice

Measurement

Abrupt DC power and voltage change

ID
meas:dc-power-voltage-change
IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/meas/dc-power-voltage-change
Status
active

If the inverter's ground fault circuit detects leakage current from the PV array, it raises an alarm and the inverter stops operating, so output changes abruptly instead of drifting down. CPS inverters report this condition as a high leakage current fault, such as Fault0090 for dynamic leakage current or GFCIErr. To find the faulty string, isolate all strings, then reconnect them one at a time and restart the inverter until the alarm comes back. Trace that string for leakage to earth ground. Measure leakage to ground to confirm a DC ground fault. A DC arc fault is a sudden high-power discharge between conductors. Arcs are brief and hard to catch, so they are usually detected by spectrum analysis of the current and voltage waveforms. Snow on the modules can also cause an abrupt drop in production after a snowfall, followed by a gradual recovery as it melts or slides off. Rule this out before looking for an electrical fault.

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Signals

Monitoring channels where this signature appears, named by SunSpec model point.

PointUnitPattern
model_103.DCWWsudden change in mean DC power
model_103.DCVVsudden change in mean DC voltage

Referenced by

Data