Off-Grid CyboInverter Installation Guide. For CI-Mini-1200H Solar Mini-Inverter for Electric Water Heaters

Off-Grid CyboInverter Installation Guide For CI-Mini-1200H Solar Mini-Inverter for Electric Water Heaters 1

Read This First Safety Info and Symbols This guide contains important safety instructions to follow during the installation and maintenance of CyboInverters. The following safety symbols are used throughout this guide to indicate dangerous conditions and important instructions. Warning: Indicates a situation where failure to follow the instructions may cause lethal injury or hardware damage. Attention: Indicates that a part or process requires your special attention to meet the requirement. Note: Indicates information that may be useful for you to achieve optimal system performance. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 2

Safety Instructions - 1 Never connect the Off-Grid CyboInverter to the AC grid. Doing so will damage the unit and void the warranty. Only qualified personnel should install or replace CyboInverters. Perform electrical installations in accordance with NEC, ANSI/NFPA70, and local electrical codes and practices. The aluminum enclosure of the CyboInverter can reach 85 C (185 F). Do not touch! The CyboInverter must be earth-grounded in accordance with national and local electrical standards. Never connect or disconnect any DC or AC connectors of the inverter without first disconnecting the AC loads. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 1

Safety Instructions - 4 Build a separate Off-Grid AC Circuit for connecting to a heating element of the electric water heater. Use this CyboInverter for powering electric water heaters or heating elements only. The Off-Grid CyboInverter sends a test voltage up to 90V periodically to the Off-Grid AC Circuit. Special protection against lightning strike may be required to meet certain local and national standards. Do not attempt to repair the CyboInverter. It contains no user-serviceable parts. If the solar panel is in the sun, there will be DC voltage output. Be careful. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 4

CyboInverter H Model Q & A No Question Answer 1 Can I use the H model for single-element electric water heaters? 2 My heater has 2 elements but only 1 thermostat. What can I do? 3 How do I set the temp setpoints for the upper and lower thermostat? Yes. You have to disconnect the grid AC from the heater. Otherwise, the grid AC can damage the CyboInverter. You should add a thermostat. This will allow you to switch off the grid power. Contact us for more detailed suggestions. Upper Thermostat = 98-100ºF (37-38 ºC) Lower Thermostat = 135-140ºF (57-60ºC) Hot water circulates upwards so the Upper Element does not turn on if temp is higher than the setpoint, resulting in electricity savings. 4 Can I use this for tankless electric water heaters? 5 How about electric heaters? Yes. You can. Yes. Just make sure the inverter output and grid AC are not connected. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 5

CI-Mini-1200H Tech Data - 1 DC Input (per Channel) 60 Cell Panel 72 Cell Panel Recommended Input Power 220W 270W 240W 320W Operating Input DC Voltage Range 15V 48V 20V 48V Peak Power Performance Range 30V 48V 30V 48V Maximum Input Voltage / Current 58V / 9A 58V / 9A Maximum Input Power 300W 300W AC Output Data Peak Output Power 1150W Rated Continuous Output Power 960W Nominal Output Current (RMS) 9.5A (RMS Root Mean Square) Operating Output Voltage Range 10V 264V (Single-Phase) Nominal Frequency / Range 50Hz (49.5Hz 50.5Hz) Power Factor >0.95 Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 1

CI-Mini-1200H Tech Data - 8 Efficiency Peak Efficiency 96% MPPT Tracking 99% Data Mechanical Data SI U.S. Ambient Temperature Range -40 C to +65 C -40 F to +149 F Internal Operating Temp Range -40 C to +88 C -40 F to +190 F Dimensions without the mounting bracket (L x H x W) 32cm x 24cm x 5.8 cm 12.5 x 9.5 x 2.3 Weight 6.5 kg 14.25 lbs Cooling / Enclosure DC Connectors / Wires AC Wires Natural Convection, No fan / Potted MC-4 or compatible / 14 AWG and 1 foot 12 AWG, 3 feet, No AC connectors Made in U.S.A Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 8

CI-Mini-1200H Tech Data - 3 Features and Compliance Compatibility Communication Standard Warranty Safety and EMC Compliance Data Most 60-Cell and 72-Cell PV Solar Panels None 3 Years (Extended Warranty Available) UL1741 and IEEE1547 (E113426), CSA107.1, FCC Part 15 Class A Enclosure Environmental Rating Outdoor NEMA 6 Ground Fault Detector Interrupter (GFDI) Built-In This product is specially designed for powering dual-element or double-element electric water heaters. To power lights, fans, TV, PC, phone-chargers, food processors, etc., please use regular off-grid CyboInverters. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 9

Installation Procedure 7 Steps No Step Note 1 Know your water heater Understand the wiring change. 2 Wire AC to the Heater (a) Inside, or (b) Outside. 3 Set Thermostat Setpoints To save electricity. 4 Mount CyboInverer (a) Inside, or (b) Outside. 5 Ground the System Run a bare grounding wire. 6 Connect to Solar Panels Make DC connections. 7 Commission the System Inspect and turn on. Parts Included: a Standalone Off-Grid CyboInverter H model. Parts Required: a switchable AC junction box with outlet or AC switch, an 8 AWG bare grounding wire, screws and nuts, and simple tools. If the CyboInverter is mounted outside, an outdoor AC junction box is required. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 10

Step 1. Know Your Water Heater As an example, this is a GE dualelement side mount electric water heater. Its Use & Care Manual can be found and downloaded online. Electric Junction box High Temp & Pressure Relief Valve Drain Valve Anode for Electric Wires Hot Water Outlet Upper Jack Access Panel Lower Jack Access Panel Cold Water Outlet Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 11

Required Wiring Change 220-240V AC 220-240V AC Ut t el' Tllennostat Ut t el' Heating Element Lowel' Tllennoshlt To Invel'tel' Ouqmt Lowtl' Heating Element Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy Regular Wiring Cybolnverter Wiring 12

Step 2a. Wire AC to the Heater Electric Junction box If the CyboInverter is mounted inside, connect its 2 output lines to an AC switch or a Switchable AC Outlet. Then, connect to the lower element of the water heater through its electric junction box on the top. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 13

Step 2b. Wire AC to the Heater If the CyboInverter is mounted outside, connect its 2 output lines to an outdoor AC J-box. Connect the AC wires to a switchable AC junction box or an AC switch installed inside. Then, connect the output wires to the lower heating element of the electric water heater. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 14

Wiring Change Diagram Regular Wiring Cybo Inverter Wiring 15

Step 3. Set Thermostat Setpoint Unscrew the Red Wire, Connect CyboInverter Output Line 1 to it. Either output line is OK. Unscrew the Black Wire, Connect CyboInverter Output Line 2 to it. Set the Upper Thermostat to 98º-100ºF (37º-38ºC). Set the Lower Thermostat to 135º-140ºF (57º- 60ºC). Upper Thermostat and Setpoint Unit Lower Thermostat and Setpoint Unit Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 16

Step 4b. Mount CyboInverer Outside Mount CyboInverter on PV Rack Outside Each CyboInverter works with a group of 4 solar panels. Mount the CyboInverter on the left or right side rack of a solar panel that allows the DC connection to reach all 4 solar panels in the group. 5/16-18 x ½ long stainless steel screws and nuts are recommended. 18

Step 5. Ground the System Ground CyboInverters Tighten an 8 AWG bare grounding wire to the grounding lug that is attached to the mounting bracket of the CyboInverter. Run the wire through the CyboInverter to the NEC approved AC grounding rod, typically near the service panel. A grounding lug with screw is attached on the CyboInverter. You may ground the solar panel and inverter together using WEEB or similar products. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 19

Step 6. Connect to Solar Panels Plug in DC MC-4 Connectors Each CyboInverter has 4 pairs of MC-4 DC connectors. Plug in each pair of the MC-4 connectors to its corresponding panel. An MC-4 tool for disconnect Connect the male and female connectors of the pair if no solar panel is available. If your solar panel has connectors other than MC-4, change them to MC-4. Make sure wire polarity is correct. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 20

Step 7. Commission the System Only qualified personnel should perform this work. Make sure the wiring to the electric water heater is properly done. Inspection Make sure no wires are pinched or damaged and the AC junction boxes are properly closed. Commissioning the System Turn the AC Switch to ON position. CyboInverter should send test signals to the off-grid circuit to assure that there are appropriate loads and there is no AC power. If all is OK, CyboInverter will send power to the water heater. Use an AC meter to check the voltage. 10V to 264V is normal. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 21

CyboInverter Troubleshooting No Symptom Why and What to Do 1 LED blinking in Red every 1 second, no power generation. 2 Solar panels are in the sun but LED is not ON. 3 LED is solid Red indicating GFDI Fault. 4 LED is flashing Green. What does it mean? 5 LED is solid Green but AC power seems to be low. AC is detected. Disconnect AC from the CyboInverter. Do not repeat this mistake. a. DC mis-wired. Correct it. b. LED may be broken. Ground Fault has to be physically resolved before CyboInverter can start to work. CyboInverter is starting or is sending testing signals to the load. a. Solar panel may not have enough wattage, b. Panel is not compatible with CyboInverter, c. A cloudy day. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 22

CyboInverter Special Status No Observation Status 1 LED is off. No DC is connected or no sunlight. 2 LED blinking Red for 3 seconds and Green for 1 second. 3 LED blinking Red for 1 second and Green for 3 seconds. 4 LED blinking Red in every 3 seconds no matter how the load is changed. 5 LED showing Red for 1 second and Green for 10 seconds. Low Load. The AC loads are not sufficient or it is an open circuit. This is normal if you do not connect any load to the off-grid AC circuit. High Load. The AC loads are too high for the CyboInverter to power. Remove some load. CyboInverter should start. CyboInverter was somehow damaged possibly because it was connected to the AC grid or by lightning. CyboInverter triggered the over discharge protection for the battery indicating the battery power level is too low. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 23

A Subsidiary of CyboSoft., focusing on the clean energy field. Core technology - MFA control, smart & scalable inverters, many U.S. and international patents. About CyboSoft / CyboEnergy Rancho Cordova, California Founded in 1994, CyboSoft is the leader in control technology serving the worldwide process control, building control, and equipment control markets. Copyright 2014 by CyboEnergy 24