What are Fronius 567 and 102 Error Messages?
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A common question we are asked is why does my solar inverter trip out?
Often people will ring our office having seen an Error State 567 or 102 on their inverter.
Error State 567 is letting you know the voltage in the grid is higher than it should and therefore your Fronius inverter will go into a Grid Voltage Dependent Power Reduction mode, GVDPR for short. Because of this, the inverter reduces its power output to keep the grid voltage within acceptable limits.
If your inverter cannot maintain a voltage between 250 - 258 volts and it exceeds this limit, it will temporarily show error state 102 and shortly after go into a standby mode.
The network provider in South Australia, SA Power Networks (SAPN) is required by law to provide an electrical network with a grid voltage of between 216v-253v. The ideal target voltage is 240 volts.
In recent years with the increase in renewable generation, both wind and solar, the grid has seen a large input of excess solar generation during sunny conditions. Excess solar generation can force up grid voltage. This issue is more common in Spring and Autumn when there are usually more sunny days but little electrical demand from large loads like air conditioners or heaters.
In this situation, the panels are working at high efficiency and there is typically minimal load in the home meaning the majority of the solar production is being sent back to the grid.
In these conditions, it is not uncommon for the electrical grid in some residential areas to experience a voltage rise in excess of 253v.
Australian standard AS 4777 requires that inverters shut down when grid voltage exceeds 258 volts to protect your home, and the appliances in it, from damage.
It is the responsibility of the network operator, SAPN to keep grid voltage below this level.
What does your inverter do to deal with high grid voltage?-
As the grid voltage rises closer to 258 volts your inverter will reduce your solar power output to fight the increase in voltage and prevent the voltage reaching 258v. At 258 volts your inverter will go into standby mode or “Cut Out”.
This may seem like you are missing out on generation during high efficiency conditions, however, it is a far better option than having your inverter constantly cutting out and producing nothing at all.
If you notice your inverter showing an Error state 567 or 102, it is letting you know that voltage has exceeded 250 volts. This message can be found on the screen of your inverter or under “Service Messages” in your Fronius Solarweb monitoring account.
What can you do about over voltage issues?
Although it is ultimately the responsibility of SAPN to keep your grid voltage under 258 volts, it is generally a slow process to get them to fix the issue in your area. The reason for this is that overvoltage issues are usually temporary and usually only during periods of high solar generations and low demand for electricity. SAPN will send someone out to test your grid voltage but they will often do it early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the over-voltage issue is not occurring. As you could imagine, they are reluctant to spend money to enhance the stability of the grid voltage.
Although ultimately a call to SAPN may be your best hope of a permanent resolution. A battery solution is also another option which will help with voltage saturation as excess generation will be stored (this will only be helpful until the battery is full and then the same issue will remain).
It is important to know that when the voltage is back in range, the inverter will automatically switch itself back on. Also, this process will not damage the inverter, it is designed to protect not only itself but the rest of the appliances in your home… your fridge will fail prematurely if it has to continually try to run on a 260AC voltage.
This is a generally rare occurrence, however if your inverter does frequently cut out, we will engage SAPN and have them perform tests on the grid. They can then make necessary upgrades to Grid Transformers if needed.
Hopefully this gives you more clarity on what High Voltage means for your Solar Inverter. Try to remember this is generally only a seasonal issue and is only short lasting.
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