Service tip: How to replace your old data logger

Thanks to their low-wear technology, many PV systems enjoy very long lifetimes. The market is evolving all the time: Instead of feeding all their energy into the grid, system operators are increasingly shifting toward optimizing their own consumption and even, in the future, becoming prosumers and using direct selling to achieve attractive additional revenue for the solar power generated on their roofs. This is why it’s worth thinking about upgrading your old data logger.

The following step-by-step instructions explain how system operators can easily modernize their PV system with a new data logger. So here’s how to replace SMA Sunny WebBox with SMA Data Manager M.

The ability to sell your unused solar power directly is reason enough to invest in a new data logger. Direct selling gives operators of home PV systems an additional source of income and helps them to make the most of their self-generated solar power. In addition, state-of-the-art data loggers like SMA Data Manager M provide a range of online monitoring features that allow operators to keep an eye on all the most important information associated with their PV system.

Step-by-step instructions for upgrading your data logger

To make the most of these benefits, you should replace your old Sunny WebBox data logger with a state-of-the-art SMA Data Manager M Lite. Since 2008, system operators have used three different inverters, Sunny Sensor Box and Sunny WebBox to feed solar power into the utility grid. As part of a field test, one of the inverters (Sunny Boy 5000TLHC) was replaced with a new inverter, Sunny Tripower 6.0.

1. Preparations; replacing and wiring the devices
Start by installing the new data logger in the same place as the old one and connecting it up. To do so, unplug the three cables connected to Sunny WebBox – network, power and connection cables to the inverters – and remove the device from its wall mounting bracket.

Install SMA Data Manager M Lite in the same place and connect it using the three cables. Consult the quick guide, which comes with the device, to see exactly how the cables are connected. For the voltage supply, you can use either the old Sunny WebBox power supply unit or a DIN rail power supply unit. SMA Data Manager M Lite comes with two stickers containing important device information. It is recommended that you stick one of these on the device itself and use the other one to update the system documentation.

2. Updating the network configuration
To configure the network settings for SMA Data Manager M Lite, you need to access the system network router (in this case, a Fritz!Box). To do so, change the network address of the SMA Data Manager to 192.168.188.210/24 and then permanently assign it on the basis of the MAC address. Once you have saved your changes, restart the router so that the SMA Data Manager adopts the changes.

3. Commissioning SMA Data Manager M Lite
To commission your new data logger, open the web browser on your PC and call up the SMA Data Manager M Lite user interface. In the web browser, simply enter the IP address that you just assigned. To ensure that a connection can be established with the user interface, you have to add the SMA certificate as an exception. You will then see the home page for the configuration wizard. The wizard guides you step by step through the process – from commissioning to device discovery.

In this window, the entry “SMA Data-Geräte” [SMA data devices] is shown at the bottom. “SMA Data” is the name of the communication protocol used by the SMA devices connected via the RS-485 interface. To open the “Geräteregistrierung” [device registration] window, click the cog wheel. You can change the communication speed here. When doing so, note that you should select a speed higher than 1200 baud (1 baud corresponds to the transmission of one symbol per second) only if all the devices on the RS-485 bus support this. Since this is not the case here, keep the 1,200 baud setting as it is.

The devices “recognize” each other automatically after registration and are shown here. To activate them, click the checkbox next to the device name. You can now change the device name. The wizard takes you through the rest of the installation process. Once this is complete, you can access the dashboard and all the device details via the SMA Data Manager.

4. Data transfer and configuration in Sunny Portal powered by ennexOS
To ensure that system operators can keep a constant eye on their system data, it is recommended that they add SMA Data Manager M Lite to Sunny Portal powered by ennexOS . This online portal provides operators and installers with an overview at all times of all the most important status information, data and yields associated with the PV system. The portal works best in combination with SMA Data Manager M Lite, which provides the data basis for future online monitoring. To add the new data logger, go to the “Konfiguration” [configuration] page in Sunny Portal powered by ennexOS and create a new system. Another wizard is activated to help you with this. To transfer the data from the old Sunny WebBox, simply click “Datenübernahme aus einer bestehenden Sunny Portal-Anlage” [data transfer from an existing Sunny Portal system].

You now have to select the newly created system. The wizard will then take you through the rest of the process, during which you will have the opportunity to change the transferred data. SMA Data Manager M Lite is identified by its PIC and RID. Once the wizard is complete, it imports the data from Sunny Portal to Sunny Portal powered by ennexOS, which displays a detailed breakdown of the most important historical and future data. Finally, in Sunny Portal, you have to deactivate device data acceptance in the existing system so that the device data is retained but you do not receive event messages like “Kommunikationsstörung” [communication fault].

For more information about the status and performance of your PV system, you can also activate an event and info report in Sunny Portal powered by ennexOS and change the assignment of the sensor values from free satellite data to the Sunny Sensor Box in the system. For state-of-the-art system monitoring with capability for accommodating future upgrades, you can also activate the inverter comparison function and change the PV yield expectation.