Solar Lattice

Mitigation

Wiring and terminal check

ID
mit:wiring-terminal-check
IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/mit/wiring-terminal-check
Status
active
Also known as
Check Electrical Connections, Check cable terminals, Check After Wiring

A wiring and terminal check means inspecting cable connections and terminal screws, for example on the AC, DC, communication and grounding terminals of an inverter, and correcting anything that is loose, damaged or wrongly connected. For AC connections, pull lightly on each cable to confirm the terminal holds it fully, look for stray strands left outside the terminal, and confirm the terminal screws are torqued to the specified value. During routine maintenance, check all conductor connections every 6 months to one year, depending on how much the temperature swings at the site. Tighten any loose terminal to the proper torque, and repair or replace any cable with a damaged jacket. The O&M guidelines list checking cable integrity, terminal condition and tightening as a minimum yearly task for cabinets and cables. Wiring checks are also a troubleshooting step. For a fan failure alarm, look for faulty wiring and loose terminations in the fan circuit before doing a fan test. A module whose power has dropped to almost zero, with strongly reduced Voc, may have an array wiring fault that needs checking. Make sure plus and minus wires go to the matching terminals. Do not connect aluminum terminals directly to a copper AC terminal block, because this causes electrochemical corrosion and makes the connection less reliable. After connecting a grounding cable, apply paint or silica gel to the ground terminal to protect it from corrosion. A check does not always clear the fault. If the wiring checks and the follow-up tests do not fix a fan failure, contact the manufacturer's service.

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