Solar Crooks

We had solar installation done nothe was done right absolutely nothing lies bad service and even had the cheek to say my business partner was to cheap if any one want to use solar never use Sunlite4life EVALUATOR: JAUN FROM PLAN MY POWER PTY.LTD Site 1: Main Lodge 1. PV ARRAY: 32 x 250W panels strung in series A. The panels were configured in strings of 4 x 250W panels. In our opinion, but without knowing the specifications of the MPPT supplied (no Manual, nor details on MPPT), the accumulated voltage would probably be too high, and the strings should thus be of 3 panels only (which would then require an additional panel to make 33). Most modern MPPTs are limited to 150V input. However, the MPPT supplied appears to differ markedly from modern Industrial standards sold in SA and is closer to a Grid Tie specification (higher than usual input voltages). B. The panel frames were bolted onto the channels of the roof instead of the ‘rib’. This will exacerbate the potential for roof leaks down the line. C. There was no ‘earthing’ facility for the panels when installed (client has made his own arrangement). A lightning Stake, or Mat, is essential for such a lightning-prone area. D. The wiring for these panels was 6mm and should have been at least 16mm to prevent losses over distance with this amount of power. E. The wiring was installed in a very haphazard manner with no protective tubing and a paucity of securing points. Wiring was also not cut to size with surplus wiring left coiled on the roof. F. The panels were installed without taking shading into consideration and by mid -afternoon (in the summer!) the panels were already being shaded by a neighbouring tree. In view of the fact that the panels are strung in 4s, this would have considerably reduced daily yield. Winter will see an even greater loss. However, the panels can probably be relocated to obviate this being a major factor. G. The angle of the panels at around 45 degrees will favour winter months – which is no longer the accepted norm in the industry. The panels should rather be at around 20-30 degrees to optimise summer months when ‘fronts’ tend to limit PV yield due to frequent cloud cover. MPPT (solar regulator). This was a Pan Power unit – again without any specifications by way of a Manual, or obvious detail on the unit itself. With 32 panels producing some 8.2A at 30V (VMP), strung in series of 4; each string would produce some 120V VMP and 148V VOC. This is charging into a bank of 24 x 180Ah(?) represented by 12V batteries configured to 96V strings (3 strings of 8 batteries) The evaluator attempted to ‘toggle’ the menu on the MPPT LCD screen, but he could only get the battery charge voltage which was 116V (OK for a 96V system). There was no indication for input voltage, battery temperature sensor, PV yield data, etc.

The MPPT, from specifications downloaded from the Internet, appears to have a built-in safeguard against “Thunder” which, allowing for possible “Lost in translation”, would assumedly mean ‘Lightning’(refer attached specification sheet). Again, from the downloaded spec sheet, it appears as if the MPPT can take a minimum input voltage of 100 with a maximum of 240V – so stringing panels in 4s is probably OK. BATTERY BANK: The batteries appear to have suffered from over-charging and had started to swell. We are not sure if this occurred after the Thunderstorm that the client felt had damaged the system, or if it was a pre-condition caused by to over-heating and/or overcharging. It is doubtful if these batteries will last much longer due to their condition. The battery interconnecting Buzz-Bars were covered in battery acid. The client when contacting the battery supplier was told to change the batteries himself – assumedly revoking any warranty on the bank of 24 batteries. There appear to be no battery temperature sensors on any of the systems? INVERTER: IT IS A 10Kw Pan Power, 3 phase inverter – details of which we managed to load down from the website. Summary: This is a very poor installation, disregarding many of the basic principles of modern solar installations. There is no system monitoring facility to be able to establish yield, battery discharge history, consumption, etc. – which a system of this size should definitely have installed. We have not, as yet, been able to determine what led to the condition of the battery bank and whether the various components are operative, or not. A further follow-up visit will be required. Report and findings on 4 Solar Power systems for Hope Springs Eternal Date: 5th August 2017 System 1: Top Three cottages: Cottages power demands: • Each cottage has a peak power draw of 100Watts for lighting and 80Watts for when the fridge is running. In total that is a nominal load of 540Watts should all the lights also be switched on in all three cottages. • Heating of the cottages and kettles are gas driven, leaving the possibility of a hairdryer, laptop, camera and cell phone chargers to draw any excess power. Geysers are solar geysers with no backup element. • The 8 kW UPS/Inverter is an over**** for this application!!!! Brief listing of Solar System components: • 12 x 250Watt Polycrystalline panels (no manufacturer details) wired 3 sets of 4 panels in series = 3000Watt Peak • 1 x Aquila Solar Regulator. No specifications on unit, seems to have been used prior to being installed in current system. • 1 x 8kW UPS/Inverter running on 96 V DC • 16 x 170Ah Telco Lead Crystal batteries, 2 strings of 8 batteries, wired in parallel = 340Ah battery bank @ 96 Volts DC Feedback on system components, installation of peripherals: Feedback on Solar Array: • Panels are lying flat which is completely wrong, especially for winter sun where the system cannot and will not produce near enough current due to the much lower arc of the sun, to be able to charge the 340Ah bank of Lead Crystal batteries. Losses due to the array's incorrect orientation is easily 20% +, especially in Winter months. • Furthermore as a result of the flat angle of the panels, dirt tends to accumulate a lot faster which can and will cause the panels to underperform by as much as another 25 - 30%. Due to a combination of the above factors, the battery bank will and has suffered irreversible damage due to undercharging them, especially in winter. • The array has not been earthed which further exposes the system to being damaged due to fact that the area is prone to high lightning strikes due to the geomorphology of the surrounding koppies. Feedback on Charge controller: • The Charge controller displays Current on the left and voltage on the right, further to that nothing else. One has absolutely no idea if that is the actual Voltage and current from the array, or an indication of the state of the battery bank. • There is no way of knowing what the peak power input is from the array or how much power the array yields per day in Ah or kW hours. • The other concerning factor is that there is no proof whether the Aquila controller was ever programmed correctly for the Lead Crystal type batteries used in this system. It is vital that the voltage does not exceed specific values as the batteries will get damaged. Feedback on UPS/Inverter: • The 8kW UPS/Inverter used in this system is not only over**** for the loads present, but also the wrong type of equipment to use for an off-grid system such as this. • There is no information displayed on the front of the unit to indicate load percentage, voltage or any errors for that matter. • A unit like this has quite a high self consumption rating not making it feasible for an off grid system.

Feedback on battery bank: • Lead Crystal batteries have been supplied and installed for this application. They can be used for Solar Applications but need to be charged correctly or else like in this case, they will get damaged and not last long. • The total capacity of the battery bank is 32kW hours. The array can supply an average of 13-15 kW hours per day taking winter and summer into consideration. The maximum power consumed per day is between 4-5 kW hours at 8 hours of usage of all lights and the three fridges running 24/7. There is more than enough power generated and stored to cater for the consumption profile. • There is absolutely no history or indication as to what the charging parameters were set to on the Charge controller that regulates charge to this battery bank from the array. • The Maximum Current that the Controller could supply is 26A which doesn't meet the minimum requirement of 34A in order to ensure adequate charging of the battery bank. Summary of system: • The array is more than adequate to generate the required daily power needs, but is undersized to provide enough current to battery bank that has been installed. • Batteries have been damaged by inadequate charging due to incorrect panel orientation causing major inefficiencies in the array and excessive dirt accumulation on panels, further restricting sunlight to the panels. • No protection fuses between inverter and battery bank. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ System 2: Owners House (Rae's House): Power demands: • Each room has a max load of 45 Watts in LED lighting used 1 - 2 hours per day. • 1 x Fridge Freezer • 1 x Microwave • 4 x 10Watt Outside lights used 10 hours per day • 1 x Pressure pump - used intermittently Brief listing of Solar System components: • 10 x 250W panels wired in 5 sets of 2 in series then in parallel = 2500Watt Peak array! • 1 x Aquila Solar Regulator. No specifications on unit indicating size or charging capability. • 1 x 5kW PAN UPS/Inverter running on 48 V DC • 12 x 170Ah Lead Crystal TELCO batteries = 510 Ah battery bank Feedback on system components, installation of peripherals: Feedback on Solar Array: • Panels are lying right against the roof preventing airflow to dissipate heat coming from the back of the panels thus decreasing power generation from the panels to excess heat build up. • The 2500 Watt array cannot and will not produce enough current to ensure adequate charging of the 510Ah battery bank, which will shorten the life span of the battery as a result. • The panels are shaded by a Wild Syringa tree which causes more losses in the system. • The array has not been earthed which further exposes the system to being damaged due to fact that the area is prone to high lightning strikes due to the geomorphology of the surrounding koppies.

Feedback on Charge controller: • The Maximum Current that the Controller could supply is 42-45 A which is less than the required 50A current to ensure adequate charging of the Lead Crystal battery bank. • The Charge controller displays Current on the left and voltage on the right, further to that nothing else. One has absolutely no idea if that is the actual Voltage and current from the array, or an indication of the state of the battery bank. • There is no way of knowing what the peak power input is from the array or how much power the array yields per day in Ah or kW hours. • The other concerning factor is that there is no proof whether the Aquila controller was ever programmed correctly for the Lead Crystal batteries used in this system. It is vital that the voltage does not exceed specific values as the batteries will get damaged. Feedback on Solar Inverter: • The 5kW PAN UPS/Inverter is not appropriate for off grid systems due to high self consumption. • The inverter is adequate in power rating to handle the loads wired to it. Feedback on battery bank: • Lead Crystal batteries have been supplied and installed for this application. They can be used for Solar Applications but need to be charged correctly or else like in this case, they will get damaged and not last long. • The total capacity of the battery bank is 19.2kW hours which is completely over**** for the power needs of the building. • There is absolutely no history or indication as to what the charging parameters were set to on the Charge controller that regulates charge to this battery bank from the array. Summary of system: • Poor installation, not up to industry standards whatsoever!!!! • The array is inadequate to generate the required Current to look after the Lead Crystal batteries. • Panels have been installed incorrectly and are partly shaded by a tree. • No protection fuses between inverter and battery bank. • System is however in working order. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ System 3: Workshop System supplying Farm house and three other units: Farm house power demands: • 8 kW array wired to Solar regulator which is wired to a bank of Lead Crystal batteries that in turn provides power to an 10 kW 3-Phase UPS/Inverter to power the Farm house and three smaller cottages. • There are two fridges and two freezers in the main house. • Heating of the buildings and kettles are gas driven, leaving the possibility of a hairdryer, laptop, camera and cell phone chargers to draw any excess power. Geysers are solar geysers with no backup element. • The 10 kW 3-Phase UPS/Inverter !!!! Brief listing of Solar System components: • 32 x 250Watt Polycrystalline panels (no manufacturer details). 8000Watt Peak array! • 1 x Aquila Solar Regulator. No specifications on unit, seems to have been used prior to being installed in current system. • 1 x 10kW 3-Phase UPS/Inverter running on 96 V DC • 24 x 170Ah Telco Lead Crystal batteries, 3 strings of 8 batteries, wired in parallel = 510Ah battery bank @ 96 Volts DC

Feedback on system components, installation of peripherals: Feedback on Solar Array: • Panels have been configured 4 in series and three sets of 4 panels in parallel with each other for the first two rows totalling 24 panels. The third row has only 8 x 250Watt panels, 2 sets of 4 in parallel with each other causing an imbalance in the array input to the MPPT which will cause the MPPT to not track the Power Point effectively and ultimately resulting in wastage of power from the array. • Panels once again have not been earthed which allows a wide open path for the MPPT and batteries to suffer damage from lightning strikes. • The hardware used to mount the panels on the IBR roof is of poor quality and has not been assembled with much care. Holes have been drilled in the valley of the IBR profile instead of on the flute to prevent water leakage. Some of the panels are not secured and are loose. With a strong enough wind some of the array will most likely be blown off of the roof. • The second row of panels casts a shadow on the third row causing them to be even less efficient for most of the day, especially in Winter months. • The cables between the panels and the three arrays have been left to lie directly on the roof and in the sun without any conduit. High temperatures affect DC negatively which causes even further power loss from the array to the MPPT. • The cables have also been coiled up the roof in a mess and no efforts have been made to streamline the cabling to ensure optimum efficiency. Feedback on Charge controller: • The PAN - MPPT used has no handbook or specification leaflet on it's operation. It was registering 116V from the panels and that is all it indicates. Once again there is no information displayed or even the possibility of knowing whether the PAN - MPPT can be programmed correctly for the Lead Crystal batteries. Feedback on UPS/Inverter: • The 10kW UPS/Inverter used in this system is not only over**** for the loads present, but also the wrong type of equipment to use for an off-grid system such as this. • There is no information displayed on the front of the unit to indicate load percentage, voltage or any errors for that matter. • A unit like this has quite a high self consumption rating not making it feasible for an off grid system. Feedback on battery bank: • Lead Crystal batteries have been supplied and installed for this application. They can be used for Solar Applications but need to be charged correctly or else as it has happened in this case, they will suffer damaged and not last long at all. The batteries have swollen badly and at present pose a major fire hazard!!!!!! • The total capacity of the battery bank is 50 kW hours. The array if wired correctly will be capable of supplying an average of 37-43 kW hours per day taking winter and summer into consideration. The maximum power consumed per day is between 6-7 kW hours at 8 hours of usage of all lights, the fridges and freezers running 24/7. There is more than enough power generated and stored to cater for the consumption profile, in fact too much for what the loads are. • There is absolutely no history or indication as to what the charging parameters were set to on the Charge controller that regulates charge to this battery bank from the array. Summary of system: • Poor installation, not up to industry standards whatsoever!!!! • The array has been wired and installed incorrectly and will need to be rearranged to avoid shadow casting. • Another 4 x 250Watt panels will need to be added in order to balance the array out. • Batteries have been damaged by inadequate charging due to incorrect panel orientation causing major inefficiencies in the array and excessive dirt accumulation on panels, further restricting sunlight to the panels. • No protection fuses between inverter and battery bank. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ System 4: Building with six small rooms with lights (*** Sty): Power demands: • 500 Watt array wired to Solar regulator which is wired to a bank of 4 x VRLA 105Ah batteries that in turn provides power to a UPS/Inverter to power a single light in each room as well as an outside light. • Each room has a max load of 5-10 Watts utilised 4 - 5 hours per day. • The UPS/Inverter isn't the correct technology for this application but yet adequate for the specified loads. Brief listing of Solar System components: • 2 x 250Watt Polycrystalline panels (no manufacturer details) wired in parallel = 500Watt Peak • 1 x ECCO PWM 12/24 Volt 40A Solar Regulator. • 1 x UPS/Inverter running on 24 V DC (No size or rating on the unit) • 4 x 105Ah CSB Aquila 105Ah Valve Regulated Lead Acid batteries, wired series then in parallel = 210Ah battery bank @ 24 Volts DC Feedback on system components, installation of peripherals: Feedback on Solar Array: • Panels are lying at 4-5 degrees which is yet again completely wrong, especially for winter sun where the system cannot and will not produce near enough current due to the much lower arc of the sun, to be able to charge the 210Ah battery bank. Losses due to the array's incorrect orientation is easily 20% +, especially in Winter months. • Furthermore as a result of the flat angle of the panels, dirt tends to accumulate a lot faster which can and will cause the panels to underperform by as much as another 25 - 30%. Due to a combination of the above factors, the battery bank will deteriorate at a faster rate. • The array has not been earthed which further exposes the system to being damaged due to fact that the area is prone to high lightning strikes due to the geomorphology of the surrounding koppies. Feedback on Charge controller: • The Charge controller displays Current and then Voltage going to the battery bank. • Other than it being a PWM instead of an MPPT, the unit is functioning as it should. Feedback on UPS/Inverter: • The size or power rating of the unit is unknown as there is no name plate or label on it. • There is no information displayed on the front of the unit to indicate load percentage, voltage or any errors for that matter. • A unit like this has quite a high self consumption rating not making it feasible for an off grid system. Feedback on battery bank: • The Valve Regulated Lead Acid batteries are suitable for this system due to the very low power consumption. • The total capacity of the battery bank is 5kW hours. The array can supply an average of 2 - 2.5 kW hours per day taking winter and summer into consideration. • The Maximum Current that the Controller can supply is 18-20 A which just meets the minimum requirement in order to ensure adequate charging of the battery bank. Summary of system: • Poor installation, not up to industry standards whatsoever!!!! • The array is adequate to generate the required daily power needs, but installed incorrectly which will lead to premature failure of the batteries. • UPS/Inverter is not suitable for this application due to it's self consumption which will further deteriorate the batteries over time. • No protection fuses between inverter and battery bank. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ System 5: Williams House: Power demands: • 1500 Watt array wired to Solar regulator which is wired to a bank of 8 x GEL/AGM 200Ah batteries that in turn provides power to a 3kW Microcare inverter to power a fridge, 32" LED TV and 3 - 4 lights in total as well as an outside light. • Each room has a max load of 5-10 Watts utilised 4 - 5 hours per day. Brief listing of Solar System components: • 6 x 250Watt Polycrystalline panels (no manufacturer details). 1500Watt Peak array! • 1 x Aquila Solar Regulator. No specifications on unit indicating size or capability. • 1 x 3kW Microcare Inverter running on 48 V DC • 8 x 200Ah GEL/AGM • batteries, 3 strings of 8 batteries, wired in parallel = 510Ah battery bank @ 96 Volts DC Feedback on system components, installation of peripherals: Feedback on Solar Array: • Panels are lying right against the roof tiles preventing airflow to dissipate heat coming from the back of the panels thus decreasing power generation from the panels to excess heat build up. • The 1500 Watt array cannot and will not produce near enough current to ensure adequate charging of the 400Ah battery bank, which will shorten the life span of the battery as a result. • There were 8 x 250 Watt panels of which two were removed due to them apparently being faulty and were never replaced or the client being refunded. • The array has not been earthed which further exposes the system to being damaged due to fact that the area is prone to high lightning strikes due to the geomorphology of the surrounding koppies. Feedback on Charge controller: • The Maximum Current that the Controller could supply is 25-27 A which is less than half of the required Current to ensure adequate charging of the GEL/AGM battery bank. • The Charge controller displays Current on the left and voltage on the right, further to that nothing else. One has absolutely no idea if that is the actual Voltage and current from the array, or an indication of the state of the battery bank. • There is no way of knowing what the peak power input is from the array or how much power the array yields per day in Ah or kW hours. • The other concerning factor is that there is no proof whether the Aquila controller was ever programmed correctly for the GEL/AGM batteries used in this system. It is vital that the voltage does not exceed specific values as the batteries will get damaged. Feedback on Solar Inverter: • The 3kW Microcare inverter is a solar inverter and also over**** for the items being powered from it. Feedback on battery bank: • The GEL/AGM batteries are suitable for this system as they are for Solar applications. • The total capacity of the battery bank is 19.2kW hours which is completely over**** for the power needs of the building. Summary of system: • Poor installation, not up to industry standards whatsoever!!!! • The array is inadequate to generate the required Current to look after the GEL/AGM batteries which are known for their higher current requirements whilst charging. • Panels have been installed incorrectly and 2 panels are unaccounted for. • No protection fuses between inverter and battery bank.

Suggestions going forward: Main System: Seeing as that Eskom is going to be connected in the next couple of weeks, I suggest that the solar array on the workshop roof area is reconfigured and an proper Hybrid or Grid tied inverter is installed to offset ESKOM power consumption by the farmhouse and immediate surrounding buildings, during sunlight hours. Top 3 Cottages: Running mains cable to the top three units would A. cost a lot of money and B. become a glorified lightning conductor given the lightning strike ratio for the area, which will cause major damage to electrical circuits and appliances. The daily power requirement isn't that high so 4 x 200Ah batteries will be adequate as the batteries in the top system will need to be replaced. The array will need to be angled correctly for proper incidence of light. The MPPT controller will need to be replaced with a unit that can be programmed as well as provide data on the system allowing for future adjustments to be quick and accurate. The 96 Volt UPS/Inverter to be replaced with a 3kW 48 Volt Solar Inverter. Williams house: The battery bank there can be halved, the panels raised by 10cm above the roof and a proper MPPT solar regulator installed. The 8 batteries will need to be tested in order to get the 4 best batteries to be kept for system use.