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EG4 6000XP and flickering lights .

F

FrankieG3011

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Could anyone who is using the new EG4 6000XP, post their experiences, if any, with flickering lights on this inverter.

Just wanted to know if this is an issue. Thanks.
 
Can you elaborate more on when it happens , if something triggers it or it happens all the time?

I have a Luxpower SNA5k and back in September when I was using hybrid mode, I noticed flickering lights at the end of day with Sun going down.
 
I currently don't have one. I am considering purchasing one. I currently have the the EG4 6500EX, and have flickering issues.
 
On this subject: I've been using a 6000XP for a few months now (along with three new LL-S batteries) (8-to-2 Combiner box, output #1 to SSC input #1(9S) 305W panels + combiner box output #2 to SSC #2 (7S) 37V 310W panels and have had absolutely no issues at all. What a great system!

However... I recently added a second string of panels to the #2 side of the combiner box (7S 37.6V 250W) in parallel with the existing string (7S 310W) panels. [2170W + 1750W = 3920W sufficiently below the 4000W max input to the 6000XP]. The result is that when there's a good full-strength sustained burst of sunshine some of my LED lights flicker AND my 600VA CyberPower UPS unit where I have my media center equipment plugged into repeatedly clicks and beeps about once every 10 seconds. It doesn't like something!

I don't have an O-scope to look at the sinewave so I can't say what's going on. Everything's well within the max input voltage and wattage for each side of the 6000XP. The issue usually goes away when the panels stop putting out full power...however, sometimes a power reset of the 6000XP is required to make it behave again. Ideas?
 
I seem to recall reading that flickering lights have to do with using LED bulbs.... I think you need the type that are dimmable... or perhaps the opposite... can't remember.
 
Been running my 6000XP for several months now - no flickering lights here ever. @floridafraze I have no idea why adding that second series string in parallel might be triggering the issues you're describing. That seems very weird. Sounds like something I would give EG4 a crack at figuring out. Does anything show up in the Event History section of the monitoring portal when you see this kind of behavior?
 
I have a 6000xp and have been using it for a couple months now. I've had a few different LED light bulb fixtures flicker or pulse. I swapped out the existing bulbs to the Phillips "Ultra Definition" LED bulbs (purple box) and all flickering went away immediately. When a motor starts (refrigerator or furnace) there still might be a minor pulse for a second or two but it has been a major improvement. All of the bulbs I had that were flickering were LED and dimmable and on dimmers. I've tried GE, Feit, Sylvania and Ecosmart, all of which had varying flickering issues but the Phillips Ultra Definition is by far the best and have been working perfectly
 
I believe as long as the panel voltages on the two parallel strings are reasonably close (which they are) the amount of adjusting required by the SCC to optimize the combined outputs shouldn't be excessive and shouldn't be an issue.

After experiencing another episode of this today, it seemed to occur when the batteries reached 100% and there was still strong sun and high output from the PV. Once I turned off the PV input to the 6000XP and ran some high drain loads for a few minutes (batteries down to low-to-mid 90s %) then recycled everything, upon 'rebooting' the issue had gone away.

Yes, I think this probably warrants some assistance by Signature Solar. Will contact them tomorrow.

Thanks for the comments.

f
 
The first thing Signature Solar (as well as other on this forum) will ask is how and where are your neutral and grounds bonded.

A wiring diagram of your installation as well as pictures of the breaker panels would be helpful as well
 
Kent86 said:
I have a 6000xp and have been using it for a couple months now. I've had a few different LED light bulb fixtures flicker or pulse. I swapped out the existing bulbs to the Phillips "Ultra Definition" LED bulbs (purple box) and all flickering went away immediately. When a motor starts (refrigerator or furnace) there still might be a minor pulse for a second or two but it has been a major improvement. All of the bulbs I had that were flickering were LED and dimmable and on dimmers. I've tried GE, Feit, Sylvania and Ecosmart, all of which had varying flickering issues but the Phillips Ultra Definition is by far the best and have been working perfectly
Click to expand...
I don’t have a 6000xp, I’m running a Growatt SPF 12000T and my experience has also been it’s not the inverter, it’s the quality of the LED lamps. I have several dozen GE Lightstick lamps all over the house and they never flicker. In my basement home office I have ceiling lights with no name Amazon lamps that flicker constantly and change brightness depending on the load on the Growatt.
 

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['The first thing Signature Solar (as well as other on this forum) will ask is how and where are your neutral and grounds bonded.']

And that they did. Layla was very helpful. PROBLEM RESOLVED. Disabling the 6000XP internal ground-bond solved the problem.

Wish all problems were solved that easily/quickly.

Thanks much.

f
 
I have been quite delinquent in updating this post - sorry (busy doing 'solar & air conditioner stuff')

1. I grounded all three LL-S chassis directly to the grounding bus bar in the 6000XP. Flicker intermittently continues.
2. Grounded all solar panels of the ground arrays directly to ground rod adjacent to the panels and the combiner box. Flicker intermittently continues.
3. Flickering even occurs on INCANDESCENT bulbs, and makes one of my small UPS units 'unhappy', so it is not due to cheap LED bulbs.
4. Initially it seemed like the 'disturbance' occurred primarily only when the batteries reached near 100% charge, but later it seems to be happening randomly, regardless of SOC or significant solar charge activity, time of day, and independent of any active loads in the house (I'm only feeding 10 circuits into the house via Connecticut Electric generator transfer switch so I can easily turn them all off except for the kitchen lights, which are the most easily and frequently noticed display of flickering, and the problem persists.
5. I bought a cheap digital O-scope and recorded the waveform of the 6000XP AC output: (https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ua2JX6eWu5jN9tEw8)

As I've said, the problem occurs not all that often, not every day, or at any specific time of day, and seemingly not relevant to battery SOC or misc loads. The condition can go away on its own (after a seemingly random period of time) or ALWAYS goes away immediately if I power OFF/ON the 6000XP.

Intermittent problems are fun.

Does the waveform video bring any ideas to anyone? Thanks!

f
 
floridafraze said:
I have been quite delinquent in updating this post - sorry (busy doing 'solar & air conditioner stuff')

1. I grounded all three LL-S chassis directly to the grounding bus bar in the 6000XP. Flicker intermittently continues.
2. Grounded all solar panels of the ground arrays directly to ground rod adjacent to the panels and the combiner box. Flicker intermittently continues.
3. Flickering even occurs on INCANDESCENT bulbs, and makes one of my small UPS units 'unhappy', so it is not due to cheap LED bulbs.
4. Initially it seemed like the 'disturbance' occurred primarily only when the batteries reached near 100% charge, but later it seems to be happening randomly, regardless of SOC or significant solar charge activity, time of day, and independent of any active loads in the house (I'm only feeding 10 circuits into the house via Connecticut Electric generator transfer switch so I can easily turn them all off except for the kitchen lights, which are the most easily and frequently noticed display of flickering, and the problem persists.
5. I bought a cheap digital O-scope and recorded the waveform of the 6000XP AC output: (https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ua2JX6eWu5jN9tEw8)

As I've said, the problem occurs not all that often, not every day, or at any specific time of day, and seemingly not relevant to battery SOC or misc loads. The condition can go away on its own (after a seemingly random period of time) or ALWAYS goes away immediately if I power OFF/ON the 6000XP.

Intermittent problems are fun.

Does the waveform video bring any ideas to anyone? Thanks!

f
Click to expand...
@EG4_Jared @Markus_EG4
 
floridafraze said:
I have been quite delinquent in updating this post - sorry (busy doing 'solar & air conditioner stuff')

1. I grounded all three LL-S chassis directly to the grounding bus bar in the 6000XP. Flicker intermittently continues.
2. Grounded all solar panels of the ground arrays directly to ground rod adjacent to the panels and the combiner box. Flicker intermittently continues.
3. Flickering even occurs on INCANDESCENT bulbs, and makes one of my small UPS units 'unhappy', so it is not due to cheap LED bulbs.
4. Initially it seemed like the 'disturbance' occurred primarily only when the batteries reached near 100% charge, but later it seems to be happening randomly, regardless of SOC or significant solar charge activity, time of day, and independent of any active loads in the house (I'm only feeding 10 circuits into the house via Connecticut Electric generator transfer switch so I can easily turn them all off except for the kitchen lights, which are the most easily and frequently noticed display of flickering, and the problem persists.
5. I bought a cheap digital O-scope and recorded the waveform of the 6000XP AC output: (https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ua2JX6eWu5jN9tEw8)

As I've said, the problem occurs not all that often, not every day, or at any specific time of day, and seemingly not relevant to battery SOC or misc loads. The condition can go away on its own (after a seemingly random period of time) or ALWAYS goes away immediately if I power OFF/ON the 6000XP.

Intermittent problems are fun.

Does the waveform video bring any ideas to anyone? Thanks!

f
Click to expand...
How and where are you doing your n-g bonding?
 
System neutral-ground bonding takes place only at the utility power breaker box (since having disabled it inside the 6000XP - per instruction by SS).
 
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