This article covers the explanation and resolution of key alarms that you may experience from time to time.
Occasionally, your inverter may emit an alarm to alert you to any alterations in its functionality or to indicate a potential issue. These typically disappear on their own but if this does not happen, they can be easily resolved by following the instructions provided for each alarm below:
Grid Over Voltage
Grid Over Voltage alarms indicates that your District Network Operator (DNO) is pushing more voltage to your property than usual and not an issue with the inverter itself. As standard, the grid should operate at 250 volts however there is a variance in input voltage depending on where you are on the line, so if you are at the end of the line they will need to push more to you, resulting in these alarms occurring.
A single-phase system is subject to fluctuations or changes in the voltage or current in the system over time. These grid import fluctuations may be caused by various factors, such as changes in load demand or changes in the supply voltage. While this is usually small, Solis inverters are relatively sensitive to grid voltage changes.
The DNO will be responsible for ensuring that this does not continue to happen however they do not make any changes to stop this happening unless the voltage that they are sending that causes the alarms goes over 254 volts. If you are experiencing these alarms and it goes over this, please contact your DNO and request that they look into this. If you are unsure who your DNO is please take a look at this useful link and input your postcode in order to be directed to the correct operator.
You can find out the voltage readings at the time of your alarms by going into your Solis Cloud account under your inverter information and taking a look into Grid Voltage to confirm the voltage information for your DNO.
No Grid
The fault NO-GRID is caused by the inverter temporarily not detecting any voltage from the grid. This does not always indicate that there is an issue with the connection itself and it can be that this is just a temporary dip in the system. If this does occur, the inverter will need to be reset using the instructions below:
- First, locate the red AC disconnect switches, and switch these to the ‘Off’ positions. There are normally two of these, one located next to your inverter, and the other next to your fuseboard.
- Next, follow the same procedure for the black DC disconnect switches that are located between your solar array and inverter.
- Wait for 5 minutes: It is important to wait for at least 5 minutes to allow the inverter to fully shut down and reset.
- Once you've waited for 5 minutes, turn on the DC disconnect switch. This will start the inverter's initialization process.
- After the DC disconnect switch has been turned on, turn on the AC disconnect switch. The inverter will start generating power and feeding it back into your home's electrical system.
- Check the inverter status: Once the inverter has restarted, check its status to ensure that it is operating correctly. You can do this by checking the display on the inverter or by using the monitoring software provided by the manufacturer.
Once this has been completed, please monitor your system for a few days and let the installation team know if you are still experiencing the same issue.
CAN_Comm_FAIL
This alarm gets triggered if the inverter is having (or thinks it's having) issues communicating with the batteries. Often a reset of the system can resolve this. Please follow the instructions above to reset the inverter and monitor your system for a few days. If you are still experiencing the same issue, let the installation team know for further assistance.
MET_Comm-FAIL
This indicates that the inverter and the external meter (Acrel meter) are not currently communicating. A reset of the system can resolve this issue. Please follow the instructions above to reset the inverter and monitor your system for a few days. If you are still experiencing the same issue, let the installation team know for further assistance.
If no meter is installed, please contact Solis to request that they remotely change your inverter setting to "No Meter".
Alarm BMS
This alarm occurs when your inverter detects a change in the communication with the battery.
In order to resolve this, please take note of the battery status lights that you can currently see and follow the instructions below to reset the battery/batteries.
- Turn off the batteries (small switch on the face of each)
- Turn off the AC Isolators (should be labelled but will have a red 'handle')
- Turn off the DC Isolators (should be labelled but will be grey and black)
Instructions for turning the system back on are the opposite:
- Turn on the DC Isolators
- Turn on the AC Isolators
- Turn on the batteries
- It may be necessary to push the small red button (SW) to get the lights going after switching the batteries on.
This should clear any alarms you are experiencing. Once this has been done, please let us know if you are still experiencing the same issue and we will be happy to help with the next steps.
If you come across any alarms that are not mentioned in the list above, don't worry! Simply follow the reset instructions provided earlier and keep an eye on your system for a few days. In case the alarms persist and don't go away, please reach out to our installation team who will be more than happy to lend a hand and help you out with any issues you might be facing.