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Over driving SMA Sunny Boy 1.5

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 2:48 pm
by bpabpa
Hi

I have a Sunny Boy 1.5 inverter with 8 x 120 watt panels totalling 960 watts.
I have on order 4 x JA 545 watt panels that I can just fit in place of the old panels.
IMPP: 13.04 A
Isc: 13.93 A

The position and angle of the panels is poor and the peak output of the 960 watt panels was 750 watts in June of this year.
The Sunny Boy manual states maximum DC power at cos φ = 1 1600 W.
Maximum input current 10 A
Maximum short-circuit current* 18 A

Can I safely connect the new panels to the Sunny Boy? My calculation is the peak could be 1700 watts.

I was going to fit a new Solis 2.0kW Mini S6 inverter but that is a lot more work and expense.

I am know thinking of just replacing the panels and only if there are any problems replacing the Sunny Boy.

Regards

Ian

Re: Over driving SMA Sunny Boy 1.5

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 4:42 pm
by nowty
No problem whatsoever, its very common to load up inverters well beyond their max input / output. The Sunny Boy will just current limit its input at 10A or even lower if it reaches the max 1.5kW output first. And if the angle of the panels is poor you might end up with less efficiency with a larger inverter.

The main thing that kills inverters is overvoltage and you will be on the lower end of that.

The Sunny Boy manual stating "the maximum DC power at cos φ = 1 1600 W" is simply the max amount of power that will be absorbed by the inverter from the panels at the max 1.5kW AC output of the inverter.

Re: Over driving SMA Sunny Boy 1.5

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 5:45 pm
by Tinbum
I have 9kW on a SMA sunny boy 4000 that runs with no problems at all.

Re: Over driving SMA Sunny Boy 1.5

Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2022 6:30 pm
by bpabpa
Many thanks.

Solis cancelled!