Inverter Functioning

[Salvator Grimard]

TheSmart Inverter Working Group (SIWG) grew out of a collaboration between the CPUC and California Energy Commission (CEC) in early 2013 that identified the development of advanced inverter functionality as an important strategy to mitigate the impact of high penetrations of distributed energy resources (DERs).The SIWG has pursued development of advanced inverter functionality over three phases. Phase 1 considered autonomous functions that all inverter-connected DERs in California will be required to perform. Phase 2 considered the default protocols for communications between IOUs, DERs, and DER aggregators. Phase 3 is currently considering additional advanced inverter functionality that may or may not require communications.

IEEE 1574.1-2020 was published May 21, 2020, and its release triggers significant efforts on the part of the SIWG in the areas of both requirement harmonization and cybersecurity. The CPUC invites you to participate in a series of SIWG biweekly calls to address these issues. Additional topics may be proposed and discussed. Regular calls take place between 1 and 2:30 PM PST on alternating Thursdays.

The SIWG released it updated Phase 3 Recommendations in March 2017. Previously, the SIWG hosted webinar meetings to develop these recommendations as well as discuss coordination issues between the SIWG, related CPUC proceeding and relevant organizations (California Energy Commission, Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE), Underwriters Laboratory, etc.).

The SIWG released its Phase 2 Recommendations for Utility Communications with Distributed Energy Resources (DER)Systems with Smart Inverters in February 2015. The IOUs submitted Rule 21 tariff revisions incorporating the Phase 2 recommendations on December 20, 2016. The Commission's Energy Division subsequently approved the revisions. The implementation of the recommendations is available through each utility's Rule 21, interconnection technical handbook, and an IEEE 2030.5 Common Smart Inverter Profile (CSIP) Implementation guide.

In D.14-12-035, the Commission adopted seven functions that smart inverters must perform autonomously. The seven Phase 1 functions will be mandatory for all interconnecting DERs on September 8, 2017. D14-12-035 was informed by the SIWG's Recommendations for Updating the Technical Requirements for Inverters in Distributed Energy Resources document.

I tried to search for this and couldn't find anything. The power on/off button on the remote display panel for the 2000w Xantrex inverter in my LEII does not work. Whether the main power button on the inverter unit under the bed is in the on or off postion, the remote power button does nothing. Everything else is working as designed. I called Xantrex tech support and was told that the remote power button should turn the unit on when the main unit button is "off". He suggested a hard reset by disconnecting the batteries and then firmware updates.

1 - take the four screws that hold the remote panel off and gently remove the panel. There should be a phone style connector in that back of that panel - unplug it and re-plug it in three of four times - and - do the same thing where the other end of the wire goes into the inverter.

@geO I have also tried everything Bill suggested in addition to a hard-reset by disconnecting the battery power for 30 minutes - and still no luck. So did you have the exact same problem (remote working as designed except for non-functioning power button) ? Thanks

Glad you posted. Mine will shut the inverter OFF, but I have to get under the bed to turn it on! Appreciate that there are good suggestions here and that it's not necessarily something I'm doing wrong. ?

Back in the Spring of this year I seemed to be having these same "remote" symptoms again. I don't remember exactly why but while poking around (be careful with poking around given the voltage that is in this area) I found that the negative side cables were loose on the inverter. I simply tightened those up and all returned to "normal".

Bill, thanks for sharing this. I made the original post and never followed up here. I purchased a new remote panel from Amazon and installed. It did not fix the problem. Like the original panel, it displayed correctly but the power button was inoperative. I also tried using the new cable (like a phone/cat5 connector) and that didn't change anything either. I called xantrex and they had me do another reset by removing battery power for a few hours and still nothing. Finally they want me to pull out the inverter and send it to them. Im second owner and it's over 2 yrs old so I don't think I have any warranty. I have been just getting on my knees and turning the inverter on/off at the main unit through the portal. Reading your post, I'm going to, yet again, poke around with the cables and see if I can get anything to happen - so thanks.

I basically went through the same routine. The new remote can only shut off the inverter, not on, but ONLY with the new cable provided with the new remote. So I assume it's now a firmware issue. Old inverter versus a 2022 remote - dated on the side of the remote. I sent a support ticket to Xantrex, but have heard nothing. They may be laughing, due to age of inverter. I may buy a new one, they appear to be the same exact form factor, but first will see if I even use it enough to warrant a new inverter. Wait until it too dies.

I have the 3000w inverter but also have the same problem. The on/off switches on both the remote and the inverter don't seem to do anything. The only way I've turned off the inverter is by tripping the breakers, or turning off/on the Lithiums. It's been like that since I got the trailer. It's not really a problem though, so far.

Where I store my trailer, the only shore power is from a 120v outlet, and the trailer doesn't seem to want to run off that. The lights flicker. So I turn on the batteries and all is good with both shore power and batteries on.

My 9 months old Phoenix Inverter Smart 12/2000W (1600VA 3000VA) have stopped working all of sudden. It is connected to 12V/200Ah Lithium battery and when switched on, all 3 lights on the panel comes up for couple of seconds and then goes off, without any humming sound (that it used to have when it was working ok). Lithium battery is fully charged. I have checked the circuit breaker ok (200amp heavy duty MP brand and to make sure replaced with another brand new one).

change the battery with one that has NO internal BMS as a test - and or check the voltage at the terminals in the inverter and make sure its the correct voltage WHEN the inverter is first turned on - sometimes the inverter surge current - when its first connected to a battery will cause the batteries internal BMS to turn off as it exceeds the batteries BMS specs.

I don't have another battery to test but have sent message to seller to test the inverter & battery, only they are closed for until after new year. So trying to see if the fix is simple (like if there is a reset button on inverter?).

Background of incident when/how it happened - Inverter was working ok with Microwave which I used for 2 minutes only that morning. I switched off inverter after this use and switched on again after about 30 min when it stopped working. Otherwise battery is only being used for running a 12V fridge/freezer (consumption about 35Ah/day) and charging some gadgets by USB. I always switch off the inverter after use - which is 2-3 times a day for maximum 20-30min/day.

A power inverter, inverter, or invertor is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).[1] The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular device employed. Inverters do the opposite of rectifiers which were originally large electromechanical devices converting AC to DC.[2]

The input voltage, output voltage and frequency, and overall power handling depend on the design of the specific device or circuitry. The inverter does not produce any power; the power is provided by the DC source.

A power inverter can be entirely electronic or maybe a combination of mechanical effects (such as a rotary apparatus) and electronic circuitry.Static inverters do not use moving parts in the conversion process.

Power inverters are primarily used in electrical power applications where high currents and voltages are present; circuits that perform the same function for electronic signals, which usually have very low currents and voltages, are called oscillators. Circuits that perform the opposite function, converting AC to DC, are called rectifiers.

A typical power inverter device or circuit requires a stable DC power source capable of supplying enough current for the intended power demands of the system. The input voltage depends on the design and purpose of the inverter. Examples include:

An inverter may produce a square wave, sine wave, modified sine wave, pulsed sine wave, or near-sine pulse-width modulated wave (PWM) depending on circuit design. Common types of inverters produce square waves or quasi-square waves. One measure of the purity of a sine wave is the total harmonic distortion (THD).[4] Technical standards for commercial power distribution grids require less than 3% THD in the wave shape at the customer's point of connection. IEEE Standard 519 recommends less than 5% THD for systems connecting to a power grid.

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