POLAR ESS ALPS HY3.6-GL Hybrid Solar Inverter Instruction Manual

POLAR ESS ALPS HY3.6-GL Hybrid Solar Inverter

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Product Description
The Polar ESS ALPS series models are mainly used for energy storage. That can be the energy stored by solar PV, or energy from the grid. They can also be used to feed energy to the grid for profit, or as a backup power source to provide electricity to the user when grid power is lost. This manual provides product information and installation instructions for ALPS users. For other detailed information, please refer to https://polar-ess.co.uk/ or contact our customer service technicians. Note that in the event of content updates, without notice to the user, the latest release version prevails. Please contact our customer service team to obtain. In the following manual, we will refer to the product as an ALPS inverter. The Polar ESS ALPS inverter includes:

• ALPS HY3.6-GL
• ALPS HY6.0-GL

Safety declarations

CAUTION
The ALPS is designed according to international safety regulations. It has been rigorously tested to ensure its safety and reliability. Please refer to the contents of this manual and the relevant safety information before any operation of the inverter, and strictly observe them during installation and use. During installation, make sure that the installer has the relevant qualifications and that the installation and use comply with local regulations or standards. Any installation or use of the product that does not comply with the product’s safety instructions or regulatory requirements may result in the following problems:

• Result in injury or death to the installer, the user, or a third-party organization
• Damage or other irreversible effects on the ALPS inverter and other property etc. attributable to the user or third-party organization

Safety instructions
During the pre-installation/installation/post-installation and subsequent use and maintenance of the inverter, there are safety issues including but not limited to the following. Installers and users are requested to read the following carefully:

DANGER
Dangers of high voltages and large current

• CAUTION PV HIGH VOLTAGE HAZARD. Avoid electric shock by disconnecting the DC switch on the inverter before and during installation
• CAUTION GRID HIGH VOLTAGE HAZARD. Avoid electric shock by disconnecting the AC switch at the grid connection before and during installation
• CAUTION BATTERY HIGH CURRENT HAZARD. Switch off the battery module before and during installation to avoid electric shock
• Do not disassemble the inverter during inverter operation to avoid electric shock or damage from system operating voltage/current
• Do not operate the inverter when the inverter is running except for the LCD and panel buttons. The rest of the inverter should only be touched when switched off or in other safety situations
• Do not plug or unplug any connection cables (including PV, battery, power grid, communication cables, etc.) during operation
• Ensure that the inverter is reliably earthed and that the operator ensures that they are well protected by reasonably reliable insulation (e.g. personal protective equipment)
• Carefully check at the installation site that the existing wiring is in good condition before installation, operation, or maintenance
• Carefully check that the connections between the machine and the PV, battery, and grid are in good condition during installation to avoid damage or injury due to poor contact

WARNING
Avoid misoperation and inappropriate usage

• Installation work for the inverter(system design, installation, operation, setup, configuration, and maintenance) must be carried out by qualified personnel as required
• All connections must comply with the relevant local and national standards and regulations
• The inverter and its system may only be connected to the public grid if the public grid allows it
• All warning labels and nameplate cards on the inverter must be visible and not allowed to be removed, obscured, or covered
• Installation must be done by selecting the correct and suitable location according to
• the requirements of this manual, taking into account the safety of the user’s subsequent operations
• Ensure that children can’t touch or misuse the inverter and its associated systems
• Be aware that most areas of the inverter and its associated systems may be hot during operation. During inverter operation, only the LCD and buttons should be touched

NOTE

• Please read this manual carefully before performing any work on the inverter. After the installation is complete, keep this manual in a safe place so that you can refer to it at any time
• Qualified installers should be trained in the installation and commissioning of electrical systems, and the handling of hazards, and should also have the knowledge to read and understand this manual and other relevant documents. As an installer and operator, it is important to familiarise yourself with local regulations and directives

INSTALLATION

Packaging list

Installation instructions

Installation position

• Do not install in direct sunlight or near water sources; the inverter must be installed in a dry environment
• The inverter must be installed in an ambient area — the temperature should be below 40° to ensure optimal operation
• The wall where the inverter is mounted must be able to support its weight and dimensions
• Do not install on flammable construction materials
• The humidity of the installation position should be 0-95% and no condensation
• The installation position should be safe
• Do not put anything on the inverter; prevent covering the inverter
• Do not install it near the TV antenna or another antenna power cable
• The unit must be installed in an easily accessible location. The status display must be visible and not obstructed
• The inverter must be installed vertically with connections always positioned at the bottom; never install horizontally and avoid tilting the unit
• The inverter should ideally be installed indoors but must be dry, the inverter is IP20

• Observe the minimum clearances to walls, other inverters, or objects as shown in the diagram below to guarantee sufficient heat dissipation

Step-by-step installation

1. The minimum required wall thickness for mounting the inverter is 80mm. Place the wall mounting bracket horizontally onto the wall and mark the position of the bracket holes
2. Drill 3 holes at the marked positions, at least 55mm deep. Fix the mounting rack to the wall using 3 wall plugs, or other suitable fixings. (E.g., grey/red Fischer plugs and M8 coach screws/bolts).
3. Install bracket using 2 fixings
4. Mount the inverter then secure it with 1 screw in the bottom bracket

Connection

System wiring diagram

An external AC breaker is needed for an on-grid connection to isolate from the grid when necessary. Below are the AC breaker requirements. Use a suitable breaker for the installation methodology. For example, Type A RCBO:

Please note: if the EPS port load is 6kw– 9kw, the switch should be 230VAC/63A inverter overview.

E

| Comm port| RS485/CANBUS
Meter and CT
Digital out/Digital in
F| DRM CAN/485 parallel com terminals
G| WiFi terminals
H| Ground terminals

PE connection

The main earth connection should be connected to the grid-tied terminal block.

Please note: the earth bond point on the bottom of the inverter is designed for connection to the battery and additional earth bonding.

Grid and EPS connection

On/off-grid load connection

• According to the rated power of the inverter, rationally distribute the load on the AC grid side and EPS side. The wirings are as follows:

AC connection

Suggested cable requirement for AC wires:

1. Strip 1/4 to 5/16 inch (6-8mm) insulation from one end of the AC/EPS wire
2. Release the screw, pull down and open the lower cover to expose the inner wiring bay, and remove the dust plug from the AC input/output port
3. Use an art knife to cut a hole, pass the AC/EPS wire through the AC input/output holes, and insert it into the connecting port of the AC terminal block
4. Tighten the screws on the AC connection terminal block to ensure that the wiring is stable and not loose

CT/Meter connection
To accurately measure the power interaction between the system and the grid, it is necessary to install a CT at the total output port of the system, usually as close to the supplier’s meter as possible. Ships with a standard CT.

Meter outlet pin definition: If customers wish to use meters, they need to purchase them separately, and connect the communication cable directly to the METER port. If the customer needs to prepare the wire separately, please refer to the following definition. We recommend a shielded cable for meter comms. For the correct installation position and installation mode of the CT/ electric meter, refer to the above wiring examples. The arrow on the CT must point to the inverter.

Battery comms connection
When the lithium battery is connected to the inverter, the system can run normally only when the battery communication cable is connected to the inverter. The battery communication port is an RJ45 socket, and the related pins are defined as follows. The battery product accessories shipped with the inverter already contain finished wire. If you need to make another wire, please refer to the following pin definition, models currently support CAN and 485 communication.

Port| Pin1 orange

-white

| Pin2 orange| Pin3 green

-white

| Pin4 blue| Pin5 blue

-white

| Pin6 green| Pin7 brown

-white

| Pin8 brown
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
CAN

/RS485

| /| /| GND| CANH| CANCEL| /| RS485+| RS485-

We use the connection of TS568B.

PV connection

WARNING
Please check the minimum ambient temperature of the installation site. The rated Voc on the solar panel nameplate is obtained at 25 °C. Solar panel Voc will increase with the decrease of ambient temperature. Ensure that the maximum solar panel string voltage corrected at the lowest temperature does not exceed the maximum inverter input voltage. Recommended PV cable:

NOTE

• The inverter has two independent MPPTs, there is one string input per MPPT
• When the customer has only one string, and the current is large, its output line can be connected to two MPPT interfaces, and it can also work normally
• When two PV channels are connected, this will limit the total solar input power to 9KW, and the maximum input power of a single MPPT is limited to 4.5KW. When only one PV is connected, this limits the maximum MPPT input power to 6KW
• Follow the wiring annotation underneath the connector block

Battery connection

1. Open the lower cover of the inverter to expose the internal wiring bay, and remove the dust plug on the battery input port
2. Strip 1/4 to 5/16 inch (6-8mm) insulation from one end of the battery positive and negative output wires, and crimp the OT terminals (model QT25-8, wire hole 22-25mm2, screw hole 8, 4mm) to the wires (mark the OT terminal aperture)
3. Pass the battery wire through the battery input hole, and fix the OT ring on the corresponding terminal block
4. Tighten the screws on the battery connection terminal block to ensure that the wiring is stable and not loose

DRMS function
When the inverter is used in Australia, it may need to connect the DRMS device and DRMS terminal of the inverter to run. The RJ45 terminal is defined as follows:

Pin| Pin1 orange

-white

| Pin2 orange| Pin3 green

-white

| Pin4 blue| Pin5 blue

-white

| Pin6 green| Pin7 brown

-white

| Pin8 brown
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---
DRMS| DRM1/5| DRM2/6| DRM3/7| DRM4/8| Ref/Gen| GND| /| /

Inverter demand response modes:

rated power
DRM3| Connect Pin3 and Pin5| Charge power should be less than 75% of the rated power
DRM4| Connect Pin4 and Pin5| Charge power should be less than 100% of the rated power
DRM5| Connect Pin1 and Pin5| Disallow discharge
DRM6| Connect Pin2 and Pin5| Discharge power should be less than 50% of the rated power
DRM7| Connect Pin3 and Pin5| Discharge power should be less than 75% of the rated power
DRM8| Connect Pin4 and Pin5| Discharge power should be less than 100% of the rated power

DRM1-4 is only effective for charging and does not limit charge power; DRM5-8 is only effective for discharging and does not limit charge power.

Data collector connection

WiFi/4G dongle connection

Users can use the WiFi/4G dongle to monitor the inverter, and can remotely view the monitoring data on the mobile app. To use the Polar ESS app on your mobile phone, please download it first and follow the instructions to register an account. 4G dongle connection is the same as the WiFi dongle connection, but check SIM card(s).

DESCRIPTION OF LCD DISPLAY

The inverter is equipped with an LED screen, an LED indicator, and 4 function buttons allowing customers to view relevant information and set some functions. The buttons and indicators are described below:

Status indicator

| The green light always on| Run normally
The red light always on| Fault state
Green light flashing| Standby or bypass state
Red light flashing| Alarm state
Red and green lights flash alternatively| Software updating

Containing the grid, PV battery, load power, energy flow, current operating mode, and basic.

Basic information view

Main interface:
If the screen is dormant, it can be woken up by pressing any button. The screen will now display the main interface, containing the grid, PV, battery, load power, energy flow, current operating mode, and basic status of the inverter.

• Countdown Timer: 0S
• System Mode: Tied Grid
• Inv/Bat Status : Normal / Charge
• Normal

Main interface:
When the screen wakes up, press the OK button to enter the system menu. You will then see the system information interface. Press the down button to turn down the page. You can view the basic parameters of the system, the current operating state, the history of power generation, and other information .

Parameterization
With the screen awake, press OK to enter the system menu. Press down to skip the system information screen and find the parameter setting screen.

Control setting:

• System Time Sync: Calibrates system time, requires internet access
• Enter Restart Inverter: Restart the inverter. Please note that the power supply may be disconnected during the restart process
• Active Battery: When enabled, the battery will be activated by power and requires a normal grid and PV connection for using

Basic setting:

• Certification: Safety regulations for switching ECOs
• System Frequency: Modify the system grid frequency
• Meter Enable : When turned on, it will allow the user to connect to a matching smart meter

HMI Setting

• Communication Address: Modify the external communication address of the accumulator
• CT/Meter Direction: Modify the input direction of CT/meter, used in case the direction of the CT/Meter is reversed
• Meter Type : Switch the matching meter type

Remote Control Setting

• UPS : Switch on/off UPS function
• Active Power Percent : Set the maximum active power percentage of the output
• Reactive Power Percent : Setting the maximum output reactive power percentage
• Battery Type : Switch access to battery types, including lead-acid and lithium batteries
• BAT Cap Set : Set battery ampere-hours, effective for lead-acid batteries

Protection Setting

• Battery High Limit : Setting the maximum battery voltage protection value, effective for lead-acid batteries
• Battery Lower Limit: Setting the minimum battery voltage protection value, effective for lead-acid batteries
• Buzzer: Switch on/off the buzzer
• Min Discharge SOC: Set the minimum discharge SOC value of the battery island
• Check: Enable/disable island checking function

DC-DC Setting

• Battery Discharge: Enable/disable battery discharge. Battery Charge: Enable/disable battery charge
• Self-Use: Enable/disable self-generation and self-use mode, enabled by default
• Export Limit : Enable/disable the export limit function
• Export Limit Power : Sets the maximum export limit power value

DC-DC Setting2
Set the time for the inverter to enter the charging priority mode and the charging cut-off SOC value. A total of three time periods can be set.

Power and battery settings
On this page, you can set all the generator-related settings according to your actual status.

MODE SETTING

ALPS can be set to different working modes to meet the needs of customers in different application scenarios:

Refer to the WiFi documentation for settings.

Self-generation and self-use mode (default)
In this mode, the priority of load response is photovoltaic > battery > power grid, and the priority of photovoltaic energy flow is load > battery > power grid. Automatic self-use is the factory default mode. This mode is used when the inverter is not in any other mode. You can also manually disable this mode. After this mode is disabled, the battery will no longer respond to the load.

• Countdown Timer: 0S
• System Mode: Tied Grid
• Inv/Bat Status: Normal / Charge
• Normal
• Countdown Timer: 0S
• System Mode: Tied Grid
• Inv/Bat Status: Normal / Discharge
• Normal

Charge priority mode

In this mode, the energy of the photovoltaic will preferentially charge the battery. Until the power reaches the set SOC, the excess energy will be supplied to the load or fed into the grid, and the battery will not actively discharge. This mode is suitable for frequent power outages, high peak electricity prices, large demand for electricity at night, and other scenarios. First store battery energy, and then discharge the load when necessary.

• Countdown Timer: 0S
• System Mode: Tied Grid
• Inv/Bat Status: Normal / Charge
• Normal

Settings
Set the required working period and the SOC you want to stop charging, and you can enter the charging priority mode. Automatically cut in and out at the set period.

Discharge priority mode

• Countdown Timer: 0S
• System Mode: Tied Grid
• Inv/Bat Status: Normal / Discharge
• Normal

To enter the Discharge priority mode, enable Battery Discharge, and set the required working period, and the SOC that you want to stop discharging.

AC charge function
When enabled, the inverter will allow the use of energy from the grid to charge the battery. It is possible to store power for the battery for arbitrage or emergency use.

• Countdown Timer : 0S
• System Mode: Tied Grid
• Inv/Bat Status: Normal / Discharge
• Normal

Export limit function
When this feature is enabled, the maximum value of power fed to the grid by the inverter will not exceed the value set by the user. It is suitable for areas where there is an upper limit of grid-connected power requirement.

TROUBLESHOOTING AND MAINTENANCE

Troubleshooting based on LCD displays
If your system displays a fault code, please refer to the following troubleshooting guide. If the issue persists, reach out to the Polar ESS support team.

DC high

| High DC component of output current|

Restart the inverter; contact Polar ESS for technical support.

PV isolation low

|

Low insulation resistance of photovoltaic panels

| Check that the connection between the PV panel and the inverter is good. Check that the earth wire of the inverter is well connected.

NTC open

|

NTC open circuit fault

|

Switch off the inverter and contact the Polar ESS support team.

Bus voltage high

|

High bus voltage

| Check the PV panel input voltage; and whether it is within the rated input voltage range of the inverter. Restart the inverter.

PV voltage high

|

High PV voltage

| Check the PV panel input voltage, and whether it is within the rated input voltage range of the inverter.

Boost over temperature

|

Boost over- temperature

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

BuckBoost over temperature

|

Buckboost over temperature

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

INV over temperature

|

Inverter overheating

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

EPS output short fault

|

Off-grid output short circuit

| Check the EPS port loads for damage or shorts. Check the EPS port for damage or the presence of foreign objects.

Init model fault

| Itilisation mode exception|

Check the inverter mod number.

Bus Voltage Unbalance

| Positive and negative bus voltage imbalance|

Restart the inverter; contact Polar ESS for technical support.

FW Unmatch

|

M3 and DSP version mismatch

| Check that the connection between the PV panel and the inverter is good. Check that the earth wire of the inverter is well connected.

PV1 Short Fault

|

PV1 short circuit fault

|

Switch off the inverter and contact Polar ESS customer support.

PV2 Short Fault

|

PV2 short circuit fault

| Check the PV panel input voltage; and whether it is within the rated input voltage range of the inverter. Restart the inverter.

NE Detect Fault

|

Zero ground fault detection

| Check the PV panel input voltage, and whether it is within the rated input voltage range of the inverter.

Exter Device Faulty

|

Failure of external equipment

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

Internal Com Fault1

|

Internal communication failure 1

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

Internal Com Fault2

|

Internal communication failure 2

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

GFCI High

|

High leakage current

| Check the EPS port loads for damage or shorts; check the EPS port for damage or the presence of foreign objects.

Internal Com Fault3

| Internal communication failure 3|

Check the inverter mod number.

Internal Over Temp

|

The inner ring temperature is too high

| Check that the ambient temperature is within the specifications for the use of the inverter.

Fan Fault

|

Fan failure

|

Check for clogged fans; restart the inverter; and replace the fan.

Hardware Unmatch

|

Hardware version mismatch

|

Restart the inverter.

Meter Comm Loss

|

Loss of meter communication

| Check that the meter is working properly; check that the meter communication cable is connected properly.

Fan maintenance
Please check and clean the fans regularly. The recommended period is 6 months, but maybe sooner depending on the environment. Please check the fan following the below steps. If there is a problem with the fan, turn off the system and wait for more than 5 minutes before disassembling the machine.

1. Remove the fixing screws.
2. 2. Remove the fan. Please note that there is an internal power cable connected.
3. Clean up fan dust and check whether the cable is damaged.
4. If the fan is damaged, remove the fan, replace it with a new one, and install it as described above.

DATASHEET

• www.polar-ess.co.uk

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