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PV-100208 Photovoltaic Inverter
Operation and Maintenance Manual
Copyright 2003, Xantrex Technology Inc.
DOCUMENT: 151700
4-2
SECTION 4
OPERATION
The user should be aware of the following conditions governing PV-100208 state transitions:
• Utility power must be present for all states of operation.
• Fault states are automatic from any state of operation. A fault will cause the PV-100208 to
immediately stop processing all power. The fault condition will be reported to the operator
interface LCD.
• Most PV-100208 faults are latching and must be cleared at the operator interface keypad before
transitioning to another operating state.
• The On/Off switch, located on the front door of the PV-100208, must be in the On position for
all operating states except Matrix Test, in which case it must be in the Off position.
OPERATION FEATURES
Fixed Unity Power Factor Operation
The Xantrex PV Series grid tied inverters maintains unity power factor during operation. The control
software constantly senses utility voltage, and constructs the output current waveform to match the
utility voltage. The PV line of inverters is not capable of operation without the presence of normal
utility voltage, nor is it capable of varying the output power factor off unity.
Utility Voltage/Frequency Fault Automatic Reset
In the event of a utility voltage or frequency excursion outside of preset limits, the PV-100208 will stop
operation and annunciate a fault at the operator interface. Once the utility voltage has stabilized within
acceptable limits for a period of at least five minutes, the PV-100208 will automatically clear the fault
and resume normal operation. Voltage and frequency fault setpoints are detailed later in this section.
Active Island Detection
Much concern has been given to the possibility of an inverter causing a ‘utility island’ condition during
a utility power outage. An island condition is defined as grid tied inverter maintaining operation and
supporting a load that has been isolated from the utility power source. This requires the load to be
closely balanced to the output power of the inverter as well as having a resonant frequency close to
60Hz. Needless to say, this is an extremely remote possibility. To insure this condition does not occur,
the PV-100208 control software contains an active phase-shift-loop algorithm, which destabilizes a
balanced load, which may otherwise be capable of maintaining inverter operation in the absence of
utility voltage. This feature has been extensively tested and proven to exceed the safety requirements of
UL-1741 and IEEE-929-2000.
Ground Fault Detection
The PV-100208 is equipped with a ground fault detection circuit and current transducer. In the event of
a 10 amp ground fault, the PV-100208 will execute an orderly shutdown and annunciates a ground fault
at the operator interface. (See Section 5, Troubleshooting).