2 Day Training

FIRST TO LOOK UP FOR A THREE PHASE SYSTEM UPON
OCULAR INSPECTION
1. Check how many distribution transformer installed on that facility
2. Determine the Line voltage and Phase voltage
3. Analyse how the existing three phase system health
4. Offer additional services to optimize the electrical systems
5. Look for some points to be improve for the RE implementation
6. Measure the total current during peak times to determine the

optimal inverter capacity for installation.
THE USE OF THE EASTRON METER AND ADVANTAGES
EASTRON METER
Home Load
CONNECTION DIAGRAM OF EASTRON METER

CHNT METER
CONNECTION DIAGRAM OF CHNT METER
EASTRON METER SHUNT PARALLELLING CONNECTION DIAGRAM
EASTRON
SDM120-CT
EASTRON
SDM630-MCT
EASTRON SDM630MCT
SOLAR ARRAY SERVICE ENTRANCE
JUNCTION BOX JUNCTION BOX
e ?
d w
u l
h o
S
Lack of proper grounding of the solar PV frame can also contribute to fire risks.
Grounding is essential in any electrical system to provide a safe path for excess electrical
current to dissipate harmlessly into the ground. Without proper grounding:
1. Risk of Electrical Faults: In the event of a fault or malfunction within the solar PV system,
such as a short circuit, without proper grounding, there may not be a path for the excess
electrical current to safely dissipate. This can lead to overheating of components, electrical
arcing, and potentially fire.
2. Increased Risk of Lightning Damage: Grounding helps to dissipate electrical charges,

reducing the risk of damage from lightning strikes. Without proper grounding, lightning
strikes can cause significant damage to the solar PV system, increasing the risk of fire.
3. Static Electricity Accumulation: Improper grounding can result in the accumulation of

static electricity within the system, especially in dry or windy conditions. This static
electricity buildup can increase the risk of electrical discharge and potential fire hazards.
4. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): Proper grounding helps to reduce the risk of

electromagnetic interference, which can affect the performance and safety of the solar PV
system. Without adequate grounding, EMI may interfere with the proper functioning of
electrical components, potentially leading to fire hazards.
What is a ground fault?
A ground fault is an unintentional connection between a current-carrying conductor and a

grounded metal part. On the DC side of a PV array, ground faults typically occur on either the
positive or negative wire.
They can also happen on one of the ungrounded conductors (L1, L2, or L3) on the AC side of
the system. The accidental connection could be with the frame, racking, conduit, electrical box,
or any other metal part.
A ground fault can take two basic forms:
A hard ground fault is a sustained, low-resistance connection between the current-carrying wire
and the metal part. This connection remains unbroken over time.
An intermittent fault is more challenging to locate. It happens when the current-carrying wire
occasionally connects to the metal part. A connection can happen during a rainstorm when
there’s less resistance, or when a tracker moves into a specific position. Over time, an
intermittent ground fault may turn into a hard ground fault.
In PV arrays, several common issues can cause a ground fault:
Installation errors like pinched wires, wires damaged during installation, or wires secured too
close to a racking edge
Thermal expansion and contraction
Wind motion that causes wiring to rub against the module frames, conduit, or racking, causing
wear on the insulation
How are solar inverters protected from a ground fault?
Solar inverters must have a ground fault detection and interruption (GFDI) device to detect and
stop ground faults. It can identify the ground fault, generate an error code, and shut down the
inverter.
The amount of current flowing through the ground fault required to trip the inverter's GFDI varies
based on the inverter type.
Isolated transformer-based inverters use a fuse as a GFDI. Some ground faults may not
have enough current to blow the fuse and shut down the inverter.
Non-isolated inverters without transformers use more sensitive GFDIs with a residual
current device (RCD). The RCD can identify ground faults at a much lower current level than a
fuse.
If the PV grounding is already in place
How to locate a ground fault in a PV string circuit by the

numbers
A PV string circuit without a ground fault will have open circuit voltage (Voc) between positive
and negative conductors. It will have zero volts from positive to ground and from negative to
ground.
When a ground fault is present, measurement will show Voc between positive and negative
conductors. It will also reveal a value other than zero on the positive to ground, negative to
ground, or both.
Let's look at an example with voltage to ground on both positive and negative sides:
First, measure between positive and negative. In this string of 16 modules, each with a Voc of
53.82 VDC, we measure 861.12 VDC, the PV string circuit open circuit voltage (16 x 53.83 =
861.12)
Next, we measure between the positive conductor and ground, and get a reading of 645.84 VDC.
Now we measure between the negative conductor and ground, and get a reading of 215.28 VDC.
We expected zero volts to ground. However, the measurements indicated voltage to ground on
both the positive and negative sides of the PV string circuit. We can divide both readings to
ground by the individual module Voc to identify the location of the ground fault.
645.84 ÷ 53.82 = 12
215.28 ÷ 53.82 = 4
These results indicate that there are 4 modules on one side of the ground fault and 12 on the
other. So the fault is located between modules 4 and 5. Rarely, module cells can create a
ground fault when they contact the module frame.

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FIRST TO LOOK UP FOR A THREE PHASE SYSTEM UPON

1. Check how many distribution transformer installed on that facility

2. Determine the Line voltage and Phase voltage

3. Analyse how the existing three phase system health

4. Oﬀer additional services to optimize the electrical systems

5. Look for some points to be improve for the RE implementation

6. Measure the total current during peak times to determine the

CONNECTION DIAGRAM OF EASTRON METER

2. Increased Risk of Lightning Damage: Grounding helps to dissipate electrical charges,

3. Static Electricity Accumulation: Improper grounding can result in the accumulation of

4. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): Proper grounding helps to reduce the risk of

A ground fault is an unintentional connection between a current-carrying conductor and a

A ground fault can take two basic forms:

How to locate a ground fault in a PV string circuit by the

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