True Stories from Fearless Solar-Log Tech Experts
In the spirit of the Halloween season, here are four spooky accounts of bone-chilling solar plant installation errors that the Solar-Log technical support team has witnessed. But don’t be too afraid, we will tell you how to avoid these demons.
Crisscross, not Applesauce.
It’s no surprise that when asked about the biggest solar plant installation error he has ever seen, Technical Support Engineer Herb Flynn told us this bang-up story….
“I was on the phone helping an electrician troubleshoot an installation issue,” Herb said. “He was about to measure the current and right after I reminded him to be careful measuring because it was live, I heard a loud bang! Luckily the electrician was not hurt but he blew up his meter!”
This particular event only happened once, but it stands as a valuable lesson. Please heed the warnings and follow all safety procedures as outlined in the installation manual. Only qualified personnel should work on electrical equipment. He or she should be familiar with the technology and the hazards associated with installation.
He’s Got the Power! Or, Does He….
Dan Hitt, our newest Support Engineer, had a story that serves as a basic but useful reminder.
“Shortly after I first started, I was working with an installer one day who had installed everything according to the installation manuals. The inverter was on and producing, the Solar-Log was installed, and we had completed the Solar-Log WEB set up”, Dan says. “The problem was that even with the correct set-up, the WEB portal was still not showing any solar production.”
Dan explains, “For this particular installation, the inverter was quite a distance away from the Solar-Log. To bypass this challenge we had installed a wireless radio set. After troubleshooting just about every other component, it was discovered that there was no LED light on the radio set…the installer never plugged it in!”
Both the installer and Dan learned a valuable lesson that day. Prior to starting advanced troubleshooting efforts, make sure your Solar-Log and integrated components are plugged in!
Network, Network, Network. Redundancy?
Darryl Koklas, our Lead Technical Support Engineer, has witnessed a countless number of solar plant installation errors. The first that comes to mind is one that is relatively common.
“I received a call one day from a solar installer who was having trouble detecting the inverters and the Solar-Log on the network,” Darryl said. “When it comes to connecting inverters to the Solar-Log through ethernet, it’s common that the installer has questions regarding network set up. In this case, however, when we dug a bit deeper, we discovered that the laptop, the Solar-Log, and the inverters were all on different subnetworks!”
It is becoming more common for inverters to communicate through ethernet. To help, we have outlined all the steps for installing the Solar-Log on the network. Instructions for detecting a networked device can be found in the Solar-Log installation manual. Additional equipment may be needed to complete the set-up so we recommend checking the installation manual prior to arriving onsite.
Black [Widow] in the Box.
Last but not least, everyone’s biggest childhood fear came true the day we received a box back from a customer. When the box was opened, a black, 4-inch, 8-legged stowaway JUMPED out! Let this be a reminder to everyone, please carefully unpack every Solar-Log box. Make sure all the product contents are there… and additional contents are not. If you send items to our support team, please leave your Black Widow friends at home.
Avoid Solar Plant Installation Errors
This Halloween and beyond, don’t be afraid when installation errors have you stupefied. Call our Solar-Log technical support team who is here to save you!
