RFI

[K8MHZ]

I’m an FCC licensed ham radio operator who has experienced tremendous RFI (radio frequency interference) throughout
the medium wave (AM broadcast) thru the 2-30 MHz spectrum and to a lesser extent up into the VHF range.
I’m also worried about damage to the apparently non-RFI suppressed system since I transmit with RF power of
up to my legal limit of 1500 watts.

Apparently the supplier SolarEdge did get RFI certification from the FCC for its individual components such as the inverter and the “optimizers” which are the individual panel managers. However apparently the system was not tested in the real world as an integrated system.
It generates RFI that wipes out radio communication for up to a mile from a site.

With pressure from the FCC and the American Radio Relay League in Newington, SolarEdge responded by drop shipping 28 new optimizers to me and about 56 supression ferrite core assemblies. The new optimizers use spread spectrum technology so as to not concentrate the RFI at any given frequency.
Apparently Solaredge is aware of the problem as complaints are escalating nationwide. My system is still under warranty.
The local installation contractor was supposed to handle the this months ago but keeps stalling. In part I think his staff has no familiarity with RFI issues, especially after I mentioned that the ferrite cores have to spaced propwrly and the wires wound with the correct turns around the panel’s DC lines.
My’background is electrical engineering but at my age roof climbing is not my bag.

Any thoughts technical
or otherwise?

Have you been on the QRZ Forums and asked around there for advice?

 

[K8MHZ]

This might help, too.

https://www.solaredge.com/sites/default/files/se-emi-performance-application-note.pdf

 

[ggunn]

Option 2 is to not use the solar system? Do they have on and off switches? Switches that will shut down the panels and optimizers?

Yes. PV systems require a disconnect switch by code, and opening that switch shuts down the optimizers in accordance with the rapid shutdown requirements in the NEC.

 

[winnie]

Yes. PV systems require a disconnect switch by code, and opening that switch shuts down the optimizers in accordance with the rapid shutdown requirements in the NEC.

Are you sure? I know it shuts down the output of the optimizer, but there is still DC power to the input, and the optimizer has to remain on enough to 'wake up' when the system is turned on again.

Meanwhile the OP has corrected optimizers in hand but needs cooperation to get them installed.

Jon

 

[K8MHZ]

Yes. PV systems require a disconnect switch by code, and opening that switch shuts down the optimizers in accordance with the rapid shutdown requirements in the NEC.

Do they shut them down, or just disconnect the output?

 

[ggunn]

Do they shut them down, or just disconnect the output?

It does not disconnect them, it stops them from exporting power. They put 1VDC each on their respective DC bus and they cannot pass any current.

I hasten to add that I am not an RF expert; I do not know if the optimizers will cease to be a problem for the ham radio operator in that state.

 

[gadfly56]

It does not disconnect them, it stops them from exporting power. They put 1VDC each on their respective DC bus and they cannot pass any current.

I hasten to add that I am not an RF expert; I do not know if the optimizers will cease to be a problem for the ham radio operator in that state.

I think the video K8MHZ linked to suggested that with the optimizers' output shut down but the optimizers still active, there was still a noise issue, just not as severe.

 

[jaggedben]

The optimizers won't completely shut down if there's sunlight. But the RFI only appears when the system is outputting real power. Based on my real world experience.

 

[RFIOptimizers]

Are you sure? I know it shuts down the output of the optimizer, but there is still DC power to the input, and the optimizer has to remain on enough to 'wake up' when the system is turned on again.

Meanwhile the OP has corrected optimizers in hand but needs cooperation to get them installed.

Jon

My experience is different, there is major interference from my neighbor regardless if the system is "on" via the disconnect breaker. The optimizers continue to emit RFI as long as there is sun and their is interference from the inverter.

 

[RFIOptimizers]

Have you been on the QRZ Forums and asked around there for advice?

Did the new optimizers and

I’m an FCC licensed ham radio operator who has experienced tremendous RFI (radio frequency interference) throughout
the medium wave (AM broadcast) thru the 2-30 MHz spectrum and to a lesser extent up into the VHF range.
I’m also worried about damage to the apparently non-RFI suppressed system since I transmit with RF power of
up to my legal limit of 1500 watts.

Apparently the supplier SolarEdge did get RFI certification from the FCC for its individual components such as the inverter and the “optimizers” which are the individual panel managers. However apparently the system was not tested in the real world as an integrated system.
It generates RFI that wipes out radio communication for up to a mile from a site.

With pressure from the FCC and the American Radio Relay League in Newington, SolarEdge responded by drop shipping 28 new optimizers to me and about 56 supression ferrite core assemblies. The new optimizers use spread spectrum technology so as to not concentrate the RFI at any given frequency.
Apparently Solaredge is aware of the problem as complaints are escalating nationwide. My system is still under warranty.
The local installation contractor was supposed to handle the this months ago but keeps stalling. In part I think his staff has no familiarity with RFI issues, especially after I mentioned that the ferrite cores have to spaced propwrly and the wires wound with the correct turns around the panel’s DC lines.
My’background is electrical engineering but at my age roof climbing is not my bag.

Any thoughts technical
or otherwise?

Did the new optimizers and ferrites solve the issue for you?

 

[jaggedben]

My experience is different, there is major interference from my neighbor regardless if the system is "on" via the disconnect breaker. The optimizers continue to emit RFI as long as there is sun and their is interference from the inverter.

I seem to recall that some interference started when the optimizers are connected to the inverter, but that it more or less tripled when the inverter output power. This being in average sun, iirc. I would expect the RFI to increase with power output.

 

[synchro]

I’m an FCC licensed ham radio operator who has experienced tremendous RFI (radio frequency interference) throughout
the medium wave (AM broadcast) thru the 2-30 MHz spectrum and to a lesser extent up into the VHF range.

Apparently the supplier SolarEdge did get RFI certification from the FCC for its individual components such as the inverter and the “optimizers” which are the individual panel managers. However apparently the system was not tested in the real world as an integrated system.
It generates RFI that wipes out radio communication for up to a mile from a site.

That's certainly a high level of RFI. A suggestion to help quantify any incremental improvements would be to insert a step attenuator so you can bring down the interference to a consistent reference noise level that you would consider acceptable (as an example, the noise floor that you might expect to see during daytime). That way, after making a change, whatever dB attenuation you can remove and obtain the same reference noise level will be the amount of improvement that has been achieved. Obviously this would be done in Rx only.

With pressure from the FCC and the American Radio Relay League in Newington, SolarEdge responded by drop shipping 28 new optimizers to me and about 56 supression ferrite core assemblies. The new optimizers use spread spectrum technology so as to not concentrate the RFI at any given frequency.

As you apparently are aware, jittering the clock edges of the switching supplies in order to spread out the spectrum will reduce the worst case "spur" levels but not the total power of the interference. And so if there are any relatively quiet gaps in the spectrum it could end up making them more noisy.