Solmetric PVA-1500T I-V Curve Tracer Manuals

Manuals and User Guides for Solmetric PVA-1500T I-V Curve Tracer. We have 3 Solmetric PVA-1500T I-V Curve Tracer manuals available for free PDF download: User Manual, Quick Reference Card

Solmetric PVA-1500T User Manual (150 pages)

PV Analyzer I-V Curve Tracer

Brand: Solmetric | Category: Measuring Instruments | Size: 4 MB

Table of Contents
5
Getting Started
13
Overview
13
Computer Minimum System Requirements
14
Equipment
15
Curve Tracer Equipment (PVA-1500Xx, PVA-1000S, PVA-600 )
15
Solsensor Equipment
15
Specifications
16
PVA-1500Xx I-V Measurement Unit Specifications
16
PVA-1500Xx Test Lead and Clip Specifications
18
PVA-1000S I-V Measurement Unit Specifications
18
Specifications
20
Solsensor 200/300/300V2 Specifications
21
Safety and Regulatory
22
PVA-1500Xx Safety and Regulatory
22
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
22
Declaration of Conformity
23
Cleaning
23
Instrument Markings
23
PVA-1000S Safety and Regulatory
23
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
23
Declaration of Conformity
24
Cleaning
24
Instrument Markings
24
Safety and Regulatory
24
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
25
Declaration of Conformity
25
Cleaning
25
Instrument Markings
25
Solsensor 300 and Solsensor 300V2 Safety and Regulatory
27
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
27
Declaration of Conformity
27
Cleaning
27
Instrument Markings
27
Solsensor (Original) Safety and Regulatory
28
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
28
Declaration of Conformity
28
Cleaning
28
Instrument Markings
29
Precautions
30
PVA-1500Xx Precautions
30
Using Test Leads and Clips
30
Using PV Connector Saver Jumpers
31
Pv/Electrical Safety Precautions
31
Battery Precautions
33
Measuring High-Efficiency PV Modules
33
PVA-1000S Precautions
33
Using PV Connector Saver Jumpers
33
Pv/Electrical Safety Precautions
34
Battery Precautions
35
Measuring High-Efficiency PV Modules
35
Precautions
35
Using PV Connector Saver Jumpers
35
Pv/Electrical Safety Precautions
36
Battery Precautions
37
Measuring High-Efficiency PV Modules
37
Solsensor 300Xx, Solsensor 200, and Original Solsensor Precautions
37
Covering the Irradiance Sensor
37
Cleaning the Irradiance Sensor
38
Battery Precautions
38
Installation Procedure
39
I-V Measurement Unit Installation Procedure
39
Hardware Installation
39
Software Installation
39
Figure 2. Welcome Screen
39
Figure 3. Prerequisites Dialog
40
Figure 4. Installation Default Location Dialog
40
Figure 5. Insert Wireless Usb Adapter Dialog
41
Figure 6. Insert Wireless Usb
41
Figure 7. Installation Complete Dialog
42
Figure 8. Launching the Pva
42
Figure 9. Splash Screen
42
Updating the PV Equipment Databases
43
Figure 10. the Software User Interface Shared by the
43
Figure 11. Directory Structure of
43
Solsensor Installation Procedure
44
Charging the Battery
44
Charging the Battery on the PVA-1500Xx I-V Measurement Units
44
Figure 12. Battery Charger Connector on the Figure 13. Charger Connected
44
Charging the Solsensor 300Xx Battery
45
Charging the Battery on the PVA-1000S and PVA-600 + I-V Measurement Unit
45
Charging the Solsensor Battery of the Original Solsensor
46
Figure 14. Battery Charger Connector on the Figure 15. Charger Connected
46
Your Wireless Network
47
Your PVA-1500Xx/Solsensor 300Xx Wireless Network
47
Figure 16. the W I F I Network of the Figure 17. Network Icon
47
Your PVA-1000S/600 /Solsensor Wireless Network
48
Figure 18. Network Diagrams
49
Setting up and Using the I-V Measurement Unit and Solsensor
50
System Controls and Settings
50
Operational States of the PVA-1500Xx I-V Measurement Units
50
Operational States of the PVA-1000S & 600
52
I-V Measurement Unit
52
Setting up the I-V Measurement Unit
53
Setting up Solsensor
54
Figure 20. Sols
54
Mounting Sol Sensor to Apv Module Frame
55
Figure 21. Sols
55
Figure 22. Sols
56
Figure 23. Tip of Frame Clamp Properly Seated on Inside Surface of Module Frame
56
Figure 24. Thermocouple Plugged into the Figure 25. Locating the Thermocouple Tip on a Single Free
57
Figure 26. Sol Sensor Pushbutton with
58
Optimizing Wireless Transmission Range
59
Mounting Solsensor on a Tripod
59
Figure 27. Tripod Mounting Setup
60
Connecting to the Solar Pv Equipment
61
Figure 28. Example of I-V M
62
Powering-Up the I-V Measurement Unit
63
Figure 29. Powering - up the
63
I-V Measurements
64
Sweep Disabled
64
Over-Temperature Protection
64
Sweep-To-Sweep Delay and Thermal Capacity of the PVA-1500Xx
65
Operating under High-Temperature Conditions
66
Over-Voltage Warnings
67
PVA-1500Xx Over-Voltage Condition
67
PVA-1000S Over-Voltage Condition
67
Over-Current Warnings
67
Over-Voltage Protection
67
Reverse Polarity Protection
68
Software Overview
69
Using Projects
69
Using the System Tree
70
Main Screen Overview
70
Menu Bar
71
File Menu
71
Browse Project
71
Recent Projects
71
Export Trace for Active Measurement
71
Export Traces for Entire System
71
Figure 31. File Menu
71
Export Meg Test Data
72
New Project
72
Figure 32. the Site Info Screen of the Figure 33. Controls in the Site
72
Figure 34. most Common Settings for a Horizontal Single
73
Figure 35. the Time Zone Control in the Figure 36. the Pv M
73
Selecting Your PV Module
74
Figure 37. Selection of the Pv
74
Creating the System Tree
75
Figure 38. Array Navigator with
75
Using the Symmetrical Tree Builder
76
Figure 39. Finished Array Tree for a Utility
76
Figure 40. the Default System Tree in the Figure 41. Controls for Editing the String Wiring Properties of Your Array Tree
76
Cloning, Modifying, and Reusing a Previous Project
79
Properties Menu
79
Figure 42. Directory Structure Used by the Figure 43. Properties Menu
79
View Menu
80
Trace View Options
80
Show Meg Test Tab
80
Utility Menu
80
Figure 44. Utility Menu
80
Help Menu
83
Figure 45. Help Menu
83
Using the Tab Screens
84
Traces Tab
84
Figure 46. Traces Tab
84
Figure 47. Table Tab
89
History Tab
90
Meg Test Tab
91
Figure 48. History Tab
91
Description of the Exported I-V Data File
92
Basis of Pv Performance Predictions
97
Solsensor Irradiance Calibration
97
Irradiance Measurement
98
Prediction of PV Performance
98
Translation of Measured Values to STC
98
Measurement of I
99
Pva Pc Software Updates
99
Pva-1500V2/V3/V4/Tand Sol Sensor 300V2 Firmware Updates
99
Making Measurements
101
Introduction
101
Before You Go to the Field to Make Measurements
101
Charge the Equipment
101
Check that You Are Using the Latest PVA Software
101
Create a Project in the PVA Software
101
Make Sure You Have All Your Equipment
102
Assure Adequate Irradiance for Your Measurements
102
Making Measurements in the Field
102
Measure the Open Circuit Voltage Voc
102
Place the I-V Unit Near the PV Circuits to be Measured
103
Connect the Test Leads to the PVA
103
Launch the PVA Software
103
Load Your Project
103
Insert the Wireless USB Adapter (PVA-1000S and PVA-600+)
103
Mount Solsensor
104
Attach Solsensor Thermocouple
104
Turn on the I-V Measurement Unit, and Connect Wirelessly to Your PC
104
Turn on Solsensor
105
Prepare the PV Source Circuits for Measurement
105
Are You Measuring Strings in Parallel
105
Are You Measuring High-Efficiency Modules
105
Connect the Test Leads to the PV Equipment
106
Select the First PV Circuit to be Measured
106
Make Your First Measurement
106
Select the Next PV Circuit and Take Another Measurement
107
View the Consistency of Your Data before Moving on
107
From Time to Time, Back up Your Data
108
Troubleshooting Pva Operation
109
Troubleshooting Using Status Messages
109
Troubleshooting by Symptom
112
Measuring Irradiance, Temperature, and Tilt
117
Introduction
117
Measuring Irradiance with Solsensor
119
Solsensor Irradiance Sensor
119
Preliminary Irradiance
119
Solsensor Precautions
119
Protecting the Irradiance Sensor Element
119
Cleaning the Irradiance Sensor
119
Orienting and Mounting the Irradiance Sensor
120
Albedo Effects
120
Diffuse Light
120
Determining Irradiance from the Measured I-V Curve
121
Entering Irradiance Manually
122
Measuring Pv Module Backside Temperature with a Thermocouple
122
Selecting a Thermocouple Wire Gauge
123
Selecting a Thermocouple Tip
123
Selecting a Tape for Thermocouple Attachment
123
Attaching the Thermocouple to the Module Backside
124
Choosing a Location to Mount the Thermocouple on the Module or Array
124
Measuring Pv Module Temperature with an Infrared Thermometer
125
Determining Cell Temperature from the Measured I-V Curve
126
Using Smarttemp to Measure Cell Temperature
127
Interpreting Measured I-V Curves
129
Introduction
129
Inputs to the Pv Model
129
I-V Curve Terminology
130
Performance Factor
130
Fill Factor
130
The Shape of a Normal I-V Curve
131
Interpreting I-V Curves
132
Notches or Steps
134
Array Is Partially Shaded, or Non-Uniform Soiling or Debris Is Present
136
PV Cells Are Damaged
136
Cell String Conductor Is Short Circuited
136
Low Current
136
Uniform Soiling
137
Strip Shade
137
Dirt Dam
137
Module Degradation
138
Incorrect PV Module Is Selected for the PV Model
138
Number of PV Strings in Parallel Is Not Entered Correctly in the Model
138
Irradiance Changed between Irradiance and I-V Measurements
138
Irradiance Sensor Is Not Oriented in the Plane of Array
138
Albedo Effects (Reflection) Contribute Additional Irradiance
138
Irradiance Is too Low, or the Sun Is too Close to the Horizon
139
Manual Irradiance Sensor Is Not Accurate
139
Low Voltage
139
PV Cell Temperature Is Hotter than the Measured Temperature
140
One or more Cells or Modules Are Completely Shaded
140
One or more Bypass Diodes Are Conducting or Shorted
140
Rounder Knee
141
Steeper Slope in Horizontal Leg
142
Shunt Paths Exist in PV Cells or Modules
142
Module I Sc Mismatch
143
Tapered Shade or Dirt Dam
143
Less Steep Slope in Vertical Leg
144
PV Wiring Has Excess Resistance or Is Insufficiently Sized
144
Electrical Interconnections in the Array Are Resistive
145
Series Resistance of PV Modules Has Increased
145
Troubleshooting Pv Arrays
145
Translation of I-V Data to Standard Test Conditions
147
Parameter Definitions
147
Translation Equations
148

Solmetric PVA-1500T User Manual (128 pages)

I-V CURVE TRACER

Brand: Solmetric | Category: Measuring Instruments | Size: 4 MB

Table of Contents
5
Getting Started
12
Overview
12
Computer Minimum System Requirements
13
Equipment
13
Curve Tracer Equipment
13
Solsensor Equipment
14
Specifications
15
PVA-1500 I-V Measurement Unit Specifications
15
PVA-1500 Test Lead and Clip Specifications
17
Table 2. Electrical and Mechanical Specifications for the Test Leads and Clips Provided with the Pva-1500
17
Solsensor Specifications
18
Table 3. Solsensor Specifications
18
Safety and Regulatory
19
PVA-1500 Safety and Regulatory
19
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
19
Declaration of Conformity
20
Cleaning
20
Instrument Markings
20
Solsensor Safety and Regulatory
21
Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
21
Declaration of Conformity
21
Cleaning
21
Instrument Markings
21
Precautions
22
PVA-1500 Precautions
22
Using Test Leads and Clips
22
Figure 1. Pva-1500S/V2/V3/V4/T MC-4 to Alligator Clip ( Left ), and Pva-1500He Banana Jack to
22
Using PV Connector Saver Jumpers
23
Pv/Electrical Safety Precautions
23
Battery Precautions
24
Measuring High-Efficiency PV Modules
25
Solsensor Precautions
25
Covering the Irradiance Sensor
25
Cleaning the Irradiance Sensor
25
Battery Precautions
25
Installation Procedure
26
I-V Measurement Unit Installation Procedure
26
Hardware Installation
26
Software Installation
26
Figure 2. Welcome Screen
26
Figure 3. Prerequisites Dialog
27
Figure 4. Installation Default Location Dialog
27
Figure 5. Installation Complete Dialog
28
Figure 6. the Software User Interface
28
Updating the PV Equipment Databases
29
Solsensor Installation Procedure
29
Charging the Battery
29
Charging the Battery on the PVA-1500 I-V Measurement Units
29
Figure 7. Directory Structure of Pva Software
29
Figure 8. Battery Charger Connector on the I-V Measurement Unit
29
Charging the Solsensor
30
Figure 9. Charger Connected
30
Your Wireless Network
31
Your PVA-1500/Solsensor Wireless Network
31
Figure 10. the Wifi Network of the PVA-1500, Solsensor, and Your PC
31
Setting up and Using the I-V Measurement Unit and Solsensor
33
System Controls and Settings
33
Operational States of the PVA-1500 I-V Unit and Solsensor
34
Table 4. Pushbutton Led
34
Setting up the I-V Measurement Unit
35
Setting up Solsensor
36
Figure 12. Sol Sensor Mounted on the Frame of Apv Module
36
Mounting Sol Sensor to Apv Module Frame
37
Figure 13. Solsensor Tool Lanyard Secured to a Racking Member
37
Figure 14. Solsensor Correctly Seated Along the Upper Horizontal Leg of the Module Frame
38
Figure 15. Tip of Frame Clamp Properly Seated on Inside Surface of Module Frame
38
Figure 16. Thermocouple Plugged into the Tc1 Connector
39
Figure 17. Locating the Thermocouple Tip on a Single Free-Standing Module
39
Optimizing Wireless Transmission Range
40
Figure 18. Sol Sensor Pushbutton with Led Lit . Led Blinks until Wireless Network Is Established
40
Mounting Solsensor on a Tripod
41
Figure 19. Tripod Mounting Setup
42
Connecting to the Solar Pv Equipment
43
Powering-Up the I-V Measurement Unit
44
Figure 20. Example of I-V Measurement Unit Test Leads Clipped to the Buss Bars of Apv Combiner
44
I-V Measurements
45
Sweep Disabled
45
Over-Temperature Protection
45
Figure 21. Powering-Up the I-V Measurement Unit
45
Sweep-To-Sweep Delay and Thermal Capacity of the PVA-1500
46
Table 5. Sweep-To-Sweep Delay
46
Table 6. Thermal Capacity
46
Operating under High-Temperature Conditions
47
Over-Voltage Warnings
47
PVA-1500 Over-Voltage Condition
47
Over-Current Warnings
48
Reverse Polarity or Zero Volts Detection
48
Software Overview
49
Using Projects
49
Using the System Tree
50
Main Screen Overview
50
Menu Bar
51
File Menu
51
Browse Project
51
Recent Projects
51
Export Trace for Active Measurement
51
Export Traces for Entire System
51
Figure 23. File Menu
51
Export Meg Test Data
52
New Project
52
Figure 24. the Site Info Screen of the New Project Wizard
52
Figure 25. Controls in the Site Info Screen, Set for a Fixed Array with 180-Degree Azimuth
52
Figure 26. most Common Settings for a Horizontal Single-Axis Tracking System
53
Selecting Your PV Module
54
Creating the System Tree
55
Using the Symmetrical Tree Builder
56
Figure 31. Finished Array Tree for a Utility
56
Figure 32. the Default System Tree in the Figure 33. Controls for Editing the String Wiring Properties of Your Array Tree
56
Cloning, Modifying, and Reusing a Previous Project
59
Figure 34. Directory Structure Used by the Figure 35. Properties Menu
59
Properties Menu
60
View Menu
60
Trace View Options
60
Show Meg Test Tab
60
Utility Menu
60
Table 7. Utility Menu Description
61
Help Menu
64
Figure 37. Help Menu
64
Table 8. Help Menu Description
64
Using the Tab Screens
65
Traces Tab
65
Table 9. Traces Tab Description
66
Figure 39. Table Tab
69
History Tab
70
Table 10. Table Tab Description
70
Figure 40. History Tab
71
Table 11. History Tab Advanced
71
Meg Test Tab
72
Figure 41. Meg Test Tab
72
Description of the Exported I-V Data File
73
Table 12. Meg Test Tab Description
73
Figure 42. Headeri
74
Table 13. Description of Theh
74
Figure 43. the Measurement Vs
75
Figure 44. the Sol Sensorm
75
Figure 45. Modeld
76
Table 14. Description of Thes
76
Table 15. Description of Them
77
Basis of Pv Performance Predictions
78
Solsensor Irradiance Calibration
78
Figure 46. the Voltage , Current
78
Irradiance Measurement
79
Prediction of PV Performance
79
Translation of Measured Values to STC
79
Measurement of I
80
Calibration Verification
80
Figure 47. Calibrationv
80
Pva Pc Software Updates
81
PVA-1500 and Solsensor 300V2 Firmware Updates
81
Making Measurements
83
Introduction
83
Before You Go to the Field to Make Measurements
83
Charge the Equipment
83
Figure 48. Charging Icons
83
Figure 49. Over-Temp Charging Icon
83
Check that You Are Using the Latest PVA Software
84
Create a Project in the PVA Software
84
Make Sure You Have All Your Equipment
84
Assure Adequate Irradiance for Your Measurements
84
Making Measurements in the Field
85
Measure the Open Circuit Voltage Voc
85
Place the I-V Unit Near the PV Circuits to be Measured
85
Connect the Test Leads to the PVA
85
Launch the PVA Software
85
Load Your Project
86
Mount Solsensor
86
Attach Solsensor Thermocouple
86
Turn on the I-V Measurement Unit, and Connect Wirelessly to Your PC
86
Turn on Solsensor
87
Prepare the PV Source Circuits for Measurement
87
Are You Measuring Strings in Parallel
87
Are You Measuring High-Efficiency Modules
87
Connect the Test Leads to the PV Equipment
88
Select the First PV Circuit to be Measured
88
Make Your First Measurement
88
Figure 50. Results of an I-V
88
Select the Next PV Circuit and Take Another Measurement
90
View the Consistency of Your Data before Moving on
90
Alerts
91
Table 16. Measurement Alerts
91
Data Backup
92
Figure 51. Project Backups
92
Troubleshooting Pva Operation
93
Troubleshooting Using Status Messages
93
Figure 52. Status Indicator
93
Troubleshooting by Symptom
97
No I-V Measurement Unit" Message
97
Solsensor Parameter Values Are Not Displayed
98
Communication to I-V Measurement Unit or Solsensor Briefly Drops out
98
It Takes more Time than Usual to Return and Save a Measurement
99
I-V Curve Does Not Reach down to the X-Axis
99
I-V Trace Consists of Straight Line Segments
99
Trace Is Noisy
99
I-V Curve Drops to Zero Current at One or more Points
99
Short Circuit Current Is Much Higher, or Lower, than Predicted by the Model
100
Unstable Voltage Message
100
I-V Measurement Unit Cannot be Turned on
100
Thermal Fuse
100
Measuring Irradiance, Temperature, and Tilt
101
Introduction
101
Table 17. Sensor Choices
102
Measuring Irradiance with Solsensor
103
Solsensor Irradiance Sensor
103
Preliminary Vs Effective Irradiance
103
Solsensor Precautions
103
Protecting the Irradiance Sensor Element
103
Cleaning the Irradiance Sensor
103
Orienting and Mounting the Irradiance Sensor
103
Albedo Effects
104
Diffuse Light
104
Determining Irradiance from the Measured I-V Curve
105
Entering Irradiance Manually
106
Measuring Pv Module Backside Temperature with a Thermocouple
106
Selecting a Thermocouple Wire Gauge
107
Selecting a Thermocouple Tip
107
Selecting a Tape for Thermocouple Attachment
107
Attaching the Thermocouple to the Module Backside
108
Choosing a Location to Mount the Thermocouple on the Module or Array
108
Measuring Pv Module Temperature with an Infrared Thermometer
108
Determining Cell Temperature from the Measured I-V Curve
109
Using Smarttemp to Measure Cell Temperature
110
Interpreting Measured I-V Curves
111
Introduction
111
Inputs to the Pv Model
111
I-V Curve Terminology
112
Performance Factor
112
Fill Factor
112
The Shape of a Normal I-V Curve
113
Figure 53. Definition of the Fill
113
Figure 54. Anormal I-V
113
Interpreting I-V Curves
114
Notches or Steps
116
Array Is Partially Shaded, or Non-Uniform Soiling or Debris Is Present
118
PV Cells Are Damaged
118
Low Current
118
Uniform Soiling
119
Strip Shade
119
Dirt Dam
119
Module Degradation
119
Incorrect PV Module Is Selected for the PV Model
119
Number of PV Strings in Parallel Is Not Entered Correctly in the Model
119
Irradiance Changed between Irradiance and I-V Measurements
119
Irradiance Sensor Is Not Oriented in the Plane of Array
120
Albedo Effects (Reflection)
120
Manual Irradiance Sensor Is Not Accurate
120
Low Voltage
121
PV Cell Temperature Measurement Is Incorrect
121
One or more Bypass Diodes Are Shorted
121
Rounder Knee
122
Steeper Slope in Horizontal Leg
123
Tapered Shade or Dirt Dam Across All Cell Groups
123
Increased Shunting in PV Cells
123
Less Steep Slope in Vertical Leg
124
PV Wiring Has Excess Resistance
124
Electrical Interconnections in the Array Are Resistive
125
Series Resistance of PV Modules Has Increased
125
Troubleshooting Pv Arrays
125
Translation of I-V Data to Standard Test Conditions
127
Parameter Definitions
127
Translation Equations
128

Solmetric PVA-1500T Quick Reference Card (2 pages)

Brand: Solmetric | Category: Measuring Instruments | Size: 0 MB

I-V Measurement Unit Specifications
1
Test Lead and Clip Specifications
1
I-V Unit LED
1
Measurement Example - Testing Strings at a Fused Combiner Box
2
Troubleshooting I-V Unit & Solsensor Operation
2
Software Updates
2
Technical Support
2

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