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enphase D380, Troubleshooting Manual

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Troubleshooting an Enphase System 

 

 2014 Enphase Energy Inc. 

August 2014 

11 

Envoy and Communications Issues 

The following sections describe possible problems and 
solutions. Areas include: 

 

Envoy Issues

 

 

Networking and Internet Issues 

 

Power Line Communication Issues between 
the Envoy & Microinverters

 

 

 

WARNING

: Do not attempt to repair the 

Enphase Envoy; it contains no user-
serviceable parts. Tampering with or 
opening the Envoy will void the warranty. If 
the Envoy fails, contact Enphase customer 
service to obtain an RMA (return 
merchandise authorization) number and 
start the replacement process. 

 

 

Envoy Issues

 

A physical Ethernet connection is not 
practical at the site 

The location for the Envoy yields a good signal-
strength between the Envoy and the Microinverters 
(over the power lines), but it is remote from the 
router. An Ethernet cable from the broadband router 
to this spot is not practical. 

Try these solutions: 

 

Use an Enphase Wireless Adapter (order 
WF-01) as shown. 

 

Use Enphase power line communication 
bridges (order ELPC-01) with the Envoy as 
shown.  

 

Or, you can use a third-party wireless 
Ethernet bridge (available at computer 
stores). 

 

 

Broadband 

Router 

Envoy 

Power line 

communication 

bridges 

Wireless 

Router 

Envoy 

Wireless 

Adapter 

Summary of Contents for D380

Page 1: ...Troubleshooting an Enphase System 2014 Enphase Energy Inc August 2014 1 Installer s Guide to Troubleshooting an Enphase System ...

Page 2: ...vision reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected Consult the deale...

Page 3: ...e 17 LCD shows a valid IP but also shows Web 17 The router or DSL modem at the site has only one Ethernet port 17 Internet service is not available on site 18 Are my power line communication bridges working 19 Issue Internet Traffic is Slower After Installing a Bridge 19 Asoka PL9650 19 Asoka PL9660 Q1 19 ReadyNet EN200 19 Tenda P200 20 The Envoy cannot get a Web even though all premises networkin...

Page 4: ...ule production history 32 There is an event or alert message on the system 32 Messages and Alerts 33 ACFOOR AC Frequency Out of Range 33 ACVOOR AC Voltage Out of Range 34 ACVOOR in an entire branch or multiple branches 34 ACVOOR in only a few microinverters 36 Critical Temperature 37 DC Resistance Low Power Off 37 DC Too Low 39 DC Too High 40 Device Produced No Power 40 Envoy not Reporting 40 Gate...

Page 5: ... Use extreme caution and follow instructions carefully WARNING This indicates a situation where failure to follow instructions may result in burn injury NOTE This indicates information particularly important for optimal system operation Follow instructions closely Safety Instructions General Safety CAUTION Before installing or using the Enphase Microinverter read all instructions and cautionary ma...

Page 6: ... prior to installing the PV modules Microinverter Safety WARNING Risk of Skin Burn The body of the Enphase Microinverter is the heat sink Under normal operating conditions the temperature is 15 C above ambient but under extreme conditions the microinverter can reach a temperature of 80 C To reduce risk of burns use caution when working with microinverters WARNING Risk of electric shock Risk of fir...

Page 7: ...n the Engage Cable drop connectors to be sure that the cable matches the electrical utility service at the site Use 208 VAC Engage Cable at sites with three phase service or use 240 VAC Engage Cable at sites with single phase service NOTE There are two release holes in the drop connector on the cable These are not for mounting but are used to disconnect the connector Keep these release holes clear...

Page 8: ...mation refer to http www enphase com support Troubleshooting areas covered in this document include Envoy and Communications Issues Microinverter PV Module Issues Messages and Alerts Best Practices Use the troubleshooting table on page 9 to find information on a problem according to category Production issues Envoy not reporting Microinverter not reporting General troubleshooting ...

Page 9: ... 30 Other Things to Check 30 Envoy not reporting Envoy not Reporting 40 Gateway Failure 40 LCD displays Envoy Failure 12 LCD periodically shows Web for minutes or hours at a time 17 LCD shows a good IP but also shows Web 17 LCD shows a non routable self assigned IP address and also shows Web 15 The Envoy cannot get a Web even though all premises networking is intact 20 The Envoy is using a static ...

Page 10: ... one Ethernet port and it is being used 17 The Envoy is in a circuit on the primary load center the solar circuits are on a downstream subpanel 24 The Envoy is slowing down other Internet traffic 19 The Microinverter LEDs are flashing orange 28 The Microinverter LEDs are flashing red 28 The Microinverter LEDs are not lit 28 There is an event or alert message on the system 32 This is a Line side Ta...

Page 11: ...A return merchandise authorization number and start the replacement process Envoy Issues A physical Ethernet connection is not practical at the site The location for the Envoy yields a good signal strength between the Envoy and the Microinverters over the power lines but it is remote from the router An Ethernet cable from the broadband router to this spot is not practical Try these solutions Use a...

Page 12: ... initiate the upgrade LCD displays Envoy Failure This message displays after the Envoy has tried unsuccessfully three times to initialize This may happen when the Envoy has been moved and its initialization process interrupted 1 Unplug the Envoy from the electrical outlet and then plug it in again Leave the Envoy in place for at least 15 minutes 2 If it continues to display Envoy Failure or if it ...

Page 13: ...nclosures impede wireless communication Stucco and plaster wall construction may contain metal mesh which can affect wireless range If you cannot see your router or access point in the list on the Envoy or cannot maintain a connection relocate the Envoy to be closer to your router or access point If you remove the wireless adapter wait about 15 seconds before re inserting it Issue How Set Up Wi Fi...

Page 14: ...cast may be blocked If so enter the SSID name and password If your network is not blocked and not listed click Re Scan to refresh the list of networks Status messages appear during the connection process including Connection Test and Confirmation h Click Join Network when displayed After joining the network displays in bold in the list of available networks i Disconnect the Ethernet cable Within t...

Page 15: ...e rear of Envoy next to the LAN port is the Envoy network port light lit If so the Envoy is waiting for a response from Enlighten and will show Web soon If not reseat connections or try another CAT5 cable 2 Did the Envoy previously have an Internet connection at this site a If so what has changed Is it a new router or ISP Was there a power outage b If yes to any of these remove power from all unit...

Page 16: ... rule of Allow all outbound traffic but disallow all inbound traffic This allows you to view any website but prevents unsolicited Internet traffic from coming into the premises via the router The Envoy initiates outbound connections to Internet servers Such connections may be restricted by firewall rules set up on the site s broadband router Broadband routers typically allow all outbound connectio...

Page 17: ...the router instructions Failure to reserve the static IP address on the router will result in duplicate IP addresses and intermittent Internet connection problems with the Envoy For more information on how to use the Envoy Interface refer to the Envoy Installation and Operation Manual at http www enphase com support LCD periodically shows Web for minutes or hours at a time If the Envoy LCD intermi...

Page 18: ...lation and Operation Manual at http www enphase com support Internet service is not available on site Consider buying an air card or hot spot There are some cases where this is the only Internet connectivity option for the site Air cards are also called EVDO or CDMA cards and typically provided by Sprint Verizon or AT T Purchase an air card compatible router e g Cradlepoint MBR 95 Plug the air car...

Page 19: ...f bridge you have Asoka PL9650 1 Verify that both adapters are plugged in to an outlet and that one adapter is connected via Ethernet cable to the router while the other is connected via Ethernet cable to the Envoy 2 Change the password for your pair of bridges so that neighboring devices can no longer gain access to the Internet through your bridge Use Asoka s free Windows only configuration soft...

Page 20: ...pter one press and hold the Reset Pair button on adapter two for two to three seconds then release it The power LED starts flashing 4 The Power and PLC LEDs on both adapters display a solid light to indicate that an encrypted private network is successfully created The Envoy cannot get a Web even though all premises networking is intact If you have gone through all appropriate troubleshooting exer...

Page 21: ...ide of the Envoy communicates with the Internet using a standard Ethernet network cable plugged into your broadband router At power up the Envoy performs a power line communication check to determine the strength of the signal between the microinverters and the Envoy This check does not assess Internet communications During power up the Envoy performs a communication check A few minutes after powe...

Page 22: ...AC adapters laptop power cord heavy rotating motors e g fans refrigerators freezers water pumps workshop equipment e g drill press table saw wood routers planers CFLs Compact fluorescent lights with failed ballasts anywhere in the home electronic pest deterrents GFI outlets some brands of arc fault protected outlets arc fault breaker Determine the source of the interfering load by isolating the En...

Page 23: ...rs Check for the following conditions Are the solar circuit breakers in the ON position For the Envoy to communicate with the microinverters the circuit breakers for the solar wiring must be in the ON position at the load center Are the PV modules installed and connected PV modules power the microinverters and microinverters cannot communicate unless powered 6 Not all the microinverters are detect...

Page 24: ...o identify which circuit has the interfering load or loads 1 Turn off all circuit breakers except those for the PV array and for the Envoy 2 Verify that the Envoy and microinverters are communicating 3 Turn on one additional circuit breaker and wait 10 minutes to see if there is any interference 4 If not turn on another circuit breaker and check again After completing these steps to find out which...

Page 25: ...olate each Envoy into a separate communication domain especially for large scale projects Use transformers or aftermarket filters to isolate communication domains In a large scale project each sub system or communication domain consists of modules microinverters cables branch circuit breakers a microinverter subpanel and a filter A filter prevents power line communication signals from one Envoy co...

Page 26: ... of ratings available allows maximum flexibility in your design choices Refer to the commercial planning tools at http www enphase com support for more information For assistance with large system commercial design requiring multiple Envoy devices contact Enphase Field Applications Engineering for a design review How to Get Training on Enphase Power Line Communication For training on Enphase power...

Page 27: ...t AC breaker is not turned on Solid Failed microinverter start up Post Startup LED Indications Use a handheld mirror to view indicator lights on the undersides of the microinverters LED states are LED color State Meaning Green Flashing Normal operation The microinverter is receiving messages from the Envoy and senses that the utility grid is within voltage frequency specifications Orange Flashing ...

Page 28: ...e flashing lights indicate that the microinverters are producing power but not communicating with the Envoy 1 Is there an Envoy plugged in and operating at the site If so what does the Communication Check show This is likely a communications issue See Power Line Communication Issues between the Envoy Microinverters on page 21 If not the microinverters will continue to flash orange until an Envoy i...

Page 29: ... icon Use the controls at the base of the screen to pause replay and change the speed of the animation playback If the periods of low production are consistent and happen at the same time of day then shading is likely the cause 2 Refer to Messages and Alerts on page 33 for other possible causes of low production One unit shows 0W of production but adjacent units are productive The microinverter is...

Page 30: ...our array configuration If the problem moves with the PV module then you can conclude that the PV module is faulty About Open Circuit Voltage Measuring open circuit voltage on the PV module does not conclusively confirm a PV module fault For example excessive resistance limits current flow and is not be apparent until the PV module is connected since there is no current flow at open circuit In thi...

Page 31: ...al number has not yet been detected see Microinverters are not detected or power line communication level is low or poor on page 22 View the PV module production history To view production history for a PV module refer to Run a report to view production history on page 31 or View module production history on page 32 Run a report to view production history The following system wide reports are avai...

Page 32: ...r production of a module in 5 minute increments View module production history 1 In the View tab click the module A status message displays 2 Click the graph icon 1 Click an Energy or Power range from the drop down menu It is useful to select the history of DC Voltage and DC Current for the module in question because this can show a date when one or the other varied from historical patterns There ...

Page 33: ...quency Out of Range events persist troubleshoot as follows Although ACFOOR events can happen because of an actual frequency out of spec condition these events more likely to occur because of either a poorly shaped AC waveform or excessive THD Total Harmonic Distortion emanating from the utility service This type of error rarely affects just one unit and usually indicates an AC service issue Along ...

Page 34: ... 183 to 229 VAC L1 L2 to neutral 106 to 132 VAC L1 L2 L3 to neutral 106 to 132 VAC An ACVOOR condition should correct itself as there are often periodic variations in Utility voltage If the condition persists troubleshoot as follows ACVOOR in an entire branch or multiple branches Checks 1 Measure voltages for L L and L N for all phase conductors at the service entrance PCC at each Enphase branch c...

Page 35: ...e breaker is undersized the branch may experience nuisance tripping at peak production times If the breaker is oversized the branch may have been damaged with too much current flow through the microinverters 6 Verify that the service entrance power is not coming from a 240 VAC DELTA or 240 VAC STINGER secondary transformer 7 Make sure that the site does not have undersized conductors either to the...

Page 36: ...ed Enphase branch circuits Something as simple as a wire terminated on a circuit breaker that is not screwed down tightly can cause ACVOOR on a given branch circuit An AC pigtail is defective or its AC connector or one of the microinverters on the branch s AC connector is damaged or defective If for example on a branch circuit the first three units are fine but the remaining 8 or 9 units on the br...

Page 37: ...sor inside the microinverter not the ambient temperature For more information see the Enphase Technical Brief on temperature at http www enphase com support DC Resistance Low Power Off A DC Resistance Low Power Off event occurs only with the M250 Microinverter and some models of the M215 Microinverter and is indicated with a solid red status LED on the microinverter The LED remains red and the Env...

Page 38: ...rols NOTE Do not check the box in the Select column 2 Click the serial number of the unit displaying DC Resistance Low Power Off The Control Flags screen displays CAUTION Do not select the reboot and cmd alert control flags unless recommended by Enphase The functions are reboot reboots the inverter cmd alert clears a condition flag for a command sent 3 In the clear dc resistance low menu click the...

Page 39: ...inverter To check DC input measurements to a microinverter see Check DC measurements under One unit shows 0W of production but adjacent units are productive on page 29 The polarity is reversed If the unit shows zero production does the site use adaptors or jumpers between the PV module and the microinverter Verify by measuring the PV modules VOC Open Circuit Voltage and inspect the positive and ne...

Page 40: ...sistance Low If the solar installer verifies that the connected PV module is working this event can indicate that the microinverter needs to be replaced Envoy not Reporting An Envoy not Reporting event is raised when the Internet connection is experiencing a problem If the Envoy LCD displays Web then the Envoy is not currently communicating with the Enlighten servers The Internet service may be do...

Page 41: ...Envoy is required to send the clear gfi message to clear the condition If the condition does not clear after you perform the following procedure contact Enphase Energy customer support at support enphaseenergy com To send the clear gfi message to a microinverter 1 From the Administration menu choose Device Conditions and Controls NOTE Do not check the box in the Select column 2 Click on the serial...

Page 42: ...d require a connection to the utility Verify that the solar circuit breakers are on at the load center If all breakers are on the condition should clear itself If Grid Gone events repeatedly occur on one microinverter or only on portions of a branch call Enphase Customer Support for assistance What is a Utility Interactive inverter The NEC National Electric Code defines this as An inverter intende...

Page 43: ...ce interfering noise on the power lines If several microinverters are reporting this condition you may need to relocate the Envoy to another electrical outlet to improve communication signal strength For further troubleshooting steps see Microinverters are not detected or power line communication level is low or poor on page 22 Over Temperature See Critical Temperature on page 37 Zigbee Device Fai...

Page 44: ...olar array Installers may want to conduct an annual check of the integrity of mechanical and electrical connections An electrician can verify that the electrical connections are intact and working efficiently Many installers suggest that homeowners visually inspect the modules panels especially after storms and in areas prone to hail and high winds An inspection from the ground use binoculars if n...

Page 45: ...than other roof surfaces and the modules are usually installed in a south facing direction If snow days are likely then factor snow days into the system s projected production Solar modules can tolerate rough weather Most are designed to withstand inch hail at 120 miles per hour and they are also built to stand up to direct lightning strikes Can I add solar panels to the solar power system later Y...

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