SMA SUNNY BOY User Manual
Solar Inverter
SUNNY BOY / SUNNY MINI CENTRAL
User Manual
SB_SMC-BEN092840 | TBE-ALL | Version 4.0
EN
SMA Solar Technology AG Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Notes on this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.1 Area of Validity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2 Target Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 Symbols Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1 Appropriate Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 Safety Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.3 Identifying the product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3 Operating Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.1 Activating the Display Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2 Initial Phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.1 All LEDs are on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.3 Normal Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.3.1 All LEDs are off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.3.2 The green LED is continuously on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.3.3 The green LED is blinking slowly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.3.4 The green LED is blinking rapidly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.3.5 The green LED goes out briefly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.4 Failures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.4.1 The red LED is continuously on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
3.4.2 The Red LED is blinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4.3 The yellow LED is continuously on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3.4.4 The yellow LED blinks twice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.4.5 The yellow LED blinks three times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.4.6 The yellow LED blinks 4 times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.4.7 The yellow LED blinks 5 times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3.4.8 The yellow LED blinks 6 times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 3
Table of Contents SMA Solar Technology AG
3.4.9 The yellow LED blinks 7 times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4 Information on the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.1 Display Messages in the Startup Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.2 Display Messages During Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.2.1 Display Messages when Fault Warnings Occur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.2.2 Display Messages for Plant Disturbances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.2.3 Rapid Blinking of Background Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
5 Maintenance and Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.1 Checking Heat Dissipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.1.1 Cleaning the Cooling Fins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.1.2 Cleaning the Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.2 Cleaning the Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
6 Measurement Channels and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
6.1 Measuring Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
6.2 Status Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
6.3 Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
7 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
8 Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4 SB_SMC-BEN092840 User Manual
SMA Solar Technology AG Notes on this Manual
1 Notes on this Manual
This manual contains instructions on how to operate the SMA inverters Sunny Boy and Sunny Mini
Central. Store this manual where it will be accessible at all times.
1.1 Area of Validity
This manual applies to the following SMA inverters:
Sunny Boy Sunny Mini Central
SB 1100
(discontinued model)
SB 1200
(available on request)
SB 1700SB 1700 SMC 7000HV
SB 2100TL SMC 7000HV-11
SB 2500
SB 3000 SMC 7000TL
SB 3300TL HC SMC 8000TL
SB 3300 SMC 9000TL-10
SB 3800 SMC 9000TLRP-10
SMC 4600A
SMC 5000A
SMC 6000A
SMC 6000TL
(available on request)
SMC 10000TL-10
SMC 10000TLRP-10
SMC 11000TL -10
SMC 11000TLRP-10
1.2 Target Group
This manual is for the user of the inverter types listed in the section "Area of Validity".
1.3 Additional Information
For information on assembly, installation, commissioning and servicing of the inverter, as well as for
the device-specific technical data, please refer to the attached installation guide.
You will find further information on special topics, such as details of the operating parameters, in the
download area at www.SMA.de/en.
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 5
Notes on this Manual SMA Solar Technology AG
1.4 Symbols Used
The following types of safety instructions and general information are used in this manual:
DANGER!
DANGER indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or
serious injury.
WARNING!
WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or
serious injury.
CAUTION!
CAUTION indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor or
moderate injury.
NOTICE!
NOTICE indicates a situation that can result in property damage if not avoided.
Information
Information provides tips that are valuable for the optimum installation and operation of
your product.
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SMA Solar Technology AG Safety
2 Safety
2.1 Appropriate Usage
The Sunny Boy / Sunny Mini Central is a solar inverter which converts the DC current of the PV
generator to AC current and feed it into the public grid.
More precise information on this subject and on your device can be found in the installation guide.
The operational limits specified in the installation guide for the particular inverter must be observed.
All inverters may only be operated with PV generators (modules and cabling) of Protection Class II
rating. Do not connect any sources of energy other than PV modules to the inverter.
Do not use the inverter for purposes other than those described here. Alternative uses, modifications
to the inverter or the installation of components not expressly recommended or sold by the
manufacturer void the warranty claims and operating permission. If you have questions regard ing the
proper usage of the inverters, please contact the SMA Solar Technology Serviceline.
Principle of the string inverter
The string inverter is used to connect a small number of series-connected solar modules (strings) to the
public supply grid. This way, even a large PV generator can be constructed from a large number of
individual strings, each having its own string inverter. The energy is then combined on the AC side.
Principle of a grid-connected PV system with a Sunny Boy
Sunny Boy
PV-Modules
Distribution
Public grid
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 7
Safety SMA Solar Technology AG
Principle of a grid-connected PV system with a Sunny Mini Central
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SMA Solar Technology AG Safety
2.2 Safety Precautions
DANGER!
High voltages in the inverter. Death resulting from electric shock and burns.
The following work on the inverter must be carried out by a qualified personnel only.
• Electrical installation
• Repairs
• Modifications
Even when no external voltage is applied, high voltages can still be present in the device.
These high voltages can result in death or serious injury.
CAUTION!
Enclosure body can get hot during operation. Risk of burn injuries. Do not touch.
The temperature of some parts of the inverter enclosure – in particular the temperature of
the heatsinks – can reach over 60 °C in normal operation.
• Only touch lid and display during operation.
NOTICE!
Overvoltages in the inverter Destruction of the inverter and voiding of warranty
claims.
• Please contact your installer whenever the inverter reports an error.
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 9
Safety SMA Solar Technology AG
2.3 Identifying the product
You can identify the inverter by the type plate. The type
plate is usually located on the right side of the enclosure.
The type plate specifies among other things the device
type (Type / Model), the serial number (Serial No.) and
the device-specific key data of the product.
The type plate illustrated here is a typical example
showing the Sunny Boy 3800.
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SMA Solar Technology AG Operating Modes
3 Operating Modes
The different operating modes are indicated by 3 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the inverter lid, and
also via the integrated display (see Section 4 "Information on the Display" (page24)). To allow the
device to signal its operating mode via the 3 integrated LEDs, the inverter must be connected to the
DC side of the system. The level of solar irradiation must be high enough to supply the inverter with
sufficient DC voltage.
The following diagram shows the 3 LEDs, as exemplified by the Sunny Boy 3800.
LED Meaning Inverter
Green In operation All Sunny Boys / Sunny Mini Centrals
Red Ground fault or varistor
defective
Ground fault, varistor defective
or string fuse defective
Yellow Disturbance All Sunny Boys / Sunny Mini Centrals
For the Sunny Boy models SB 1100, SB 1200,
SB 1700, SB 2100TL, SB 2500, SB 3000, SB 3300,
SB 3300TLHC, SB 3800
and Sunny Mini Central models SMC 4600A,
SMC 5000A, SMC 6000A, SMC 7000HV,
SMC 6000TL, SMC 7000TL, SMC 8000TL.
For Sunny Mini Central models SMC 9000TL-10,
10000TL-10, 11000TL-10 and SMC 9000TLRP-10,
10000TLRP-10, 11000TLRP-10
LED Display
If you do not have any means of plant communication, it is advisable, particularly during
the first year of operation, to keep a close eye on this display at different times of day and
under varying solar irradiation conditions. This will enable you to recognize errors at an
early stage.
A detailed description of the possible LED signals and blink codes is given in the following section.
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 11
Operating Modes SMA Solar Technology AG
3.1 Activating the Display Illumination
The background illumination is switched on by tapping on the enclosure lid. Tapping again switches
the display on to the next message.
After 2 minutes, the illumination switches off automatically.
3.2 Initial Phase
3.2.1 All LEDs are on
Initialization
The inverter's on-board computer is now in the initializing
phase. The on-board power supply is present, but there is
insufficient energy for feeding the grid. Data transmission
is also not possible yet.
All LEDs are blinking
If during the initialization phase the energy fed into the inverter is not sufficient to power
the on-board computer, all LEDs are extinguished. After this, initialization restarts. If there
is very weak solar irradiation, the LEDs appear to blink. This apparent blinking indicates a
normal operating mode. No fault has occurred in the system.
3.3 Normal Operation
If no LED, or only the green LED is on or blinking, the inverter is operating normally. If all 3 LEDs are
lit up simultaneously, this is also an indication of normal operation ("initialization"). All other signals
are a sign of faulty operation.
3.3.1 All LEDs are off
Overnight Shutdown
The inverter is in the so-called overnight shutdown mode.
This situation occurs if the inverter's input voltage is too
lo w bo th f or fe edi ng i nto the g rid and for sati sfy ing the onboard voltage requirements.
If this operating mode occurs during a sunny day with
good irradiation, have the PV voltage checked by your
installer.
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SMA Solar Technology AG Operating Modes
3.3.2 The green LED is continuously on
Feeding Operation
The inverter has passed the self-tests of the measurement
electronics and grid monitoring, and is now in normal
grid-feed operation.
3.3.3 The green LED is blinking slowly
Waiting, Grid Monitoring
The inverter is checking if the start conditions necessary
for feeding the grid (e.g. start voltage, start time) are
fulfilled, and then begins monitoring the grid. The PV
voltage must reach the specified minimum value at least
once before the inverter begins feeding into the grid.
3.3.4 The green LED is blinking rapidly
Stop
The inverter is in "Stop" mode. This occurs, for instance,
when the measurement electronics are being calibrated.
After this, the device switches to "Waiting" mode.
The "Stop" mode can be manually pre-set by the installer
via an appropriate communications product. In this case
the inverter remains in "Stop" mode until a new operating
mode ("MPP mode", "Constant voltage mode", "Turbine
mode") has been set.
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 13
Operating Modes SMA Solar Technology AG
3.3.5 The green LED goes out briefly
Derating
The "Derating" mode is a normal operating mode which
may occur occasionally and can have several causes:
• Temperature derating
The temperature monitoring of the inverter has reduced the output power to prevent the device
from overheating. The inverter switches to the "Temperature derating" mode. If the Sunny Boy /
Sunny Mini Central frequently switches to this mode, please check the heat dissipation (see
Section 5.1 "Checking Heat Dissipation" (page27)). For all Sunny Mini Centrals, as well as
the Sunny Boy models SB 3300 / SB 3800, check whether the fans are soiled.
Maintenance and Cleaning of the Fans
The fan cleaning procedure is described in the respective installation guide.
• Current derating
Due to the type of module or the output and wiring of the generator, the PV-side input current
exceeds the maximum possible input current. The inverter switches to the "Current derating"
mode in order to protect itself against overload.
• Output derating
This operating mode only occurs in systems which are operated using the Sunny Mini Central
with integrated SMA Power Balancer set to "PowerGuard".
• Frequency-dependent output derating P(f)
This operating mode occurs when the function which limits active power, P, is activated as a
function of grid
You will find more detailed information on this function in the installation guide for Sunny Mini
Central 9000TL / 10000TL / 11000TL with Reactive Power Control.
frequency fAC.
14 SB_SMC-BEN092840 User Manual
SMA Solar Technology AG Operating Modes
3.4 Failures
A distinction is made between critical and non-critical failure messages.
Thanks to a comprehensive safety concept the number of critical conditions that can occur has been
reduced to one single situation:
PV generator voltage is too high.
This is indicated by the following blink code on the yellow LED:
The yellow fault LED lights up for 5 seconds when the fault occurs, and then starts emitting the
following blink code: 3 seconds off and then 4 brief consecutive blinks. This code is emitted 3 times
in succession. If this fault is still present, the fault signal starts over again.
NOTICE!
DC input voltage too high. Destruction of the inverter.
• Contact your installer, who will immediately disconnect the PV generator from the
inverter and check the DC voltage, as described in the inverter's installation guide.
Generator Failure
The same blink code is generated when a generator failure occurs. This falls into the
category of a non-critical failure which is dealt with in more detail in Section 3.4.6 "The
yellow LED blinks 4 times" (page20).
Non-Critical Failure Conditions
All other display codes indicate some form of fault condition which is not usually dangerous to people
or equipment, but which should nevertheless be investigated and corrected without delay.
Despite all precautions, it is possible that other faults may occur which cannot be signaled (e.g. failure
of the status display). In order to detect such faults, the system operator should use the explanations
in the following section to check the plausibility of the displayed mode (e.g. an illuminated green LED
in the dead of night indicates a defect, just as does a non-illuminated LED on a sunny day).
More detailed diagnoses are possible using the communications options detailed in Section
6 "Measurement Channels and Messages" (page28).
User Manual SB_SMC-BEN092840 15
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