Service Tip #1: Setting the System Time
We would like to support your daily work. Therefore, we start a new series: Service Tips. Amongst others, we give you answers on frequently asked questions.
Today’s tip deals with commissioning: Remember to connect the inverter* to an SMA communication product on the same day as you commission your PV plant.
There are several reasons for doing this. Our inverters and communication products are synchronized when you connect them. For example, the inverter uses the time provided by Sunny Explorer, Sunny Beam, or Sunny WebBox (with Bluetooth®).
Important for Service Cases
If this synchronization is performed days or even weeks after commissioning, the inverter may operate on an unspecified system time.
It may not seem detrimental at first; however, we need to think about the future here. If the inverter actually does have a disturbance or operates ineffectively at some point, it is not possible to track back when and why the event took place. It is only possible to reconstruct the actions leading up to defective operation and resolve it easily when the system time is set properly.
Further Information
SMA inverters using a Bluetooth® connection via SMA Bluetooth® Piggy-Back offer a unique feature. These inverters terminate their connection to the communication product when they are no longer in feed-in operation. For this reason, you need to connect the inverter to a communication product at least once a day in order to have the correct system time.
Another good bit of advice: The connection between the inverter and the communication product needs to be re-established if the AC and DC power supply has been interrupted for two or more days.
Do you have questions or ideas for us to use as a Service Tip? We are looking forward to your contributions.
*This tip refers to all inverters with a graphic display.
Hello,
I have an invertor STP 17000TL-10, the date is 16.01.1970, how can I change the date ? and I receive the error update value more then 10 minutes
Thank you
Hello dragos,
Sorry for getting back to you delayed.
Please get back to our SMA Service for further support as we need more technical information to assist you here (serial number etc.).
Thank you.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Thank you for the information, at the moment I change the display and look like is work at the moment.
Hello dragos,
Sounds good! Thanks for getting back.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Deat
how I can adjust the time and date of sunny boy inverter 3000 TL using Bluetooth and sunny explorer
my software displayed in the curve just 2001 or 1970 in the axis time
when I use 2001 in axis time figure displayed but when I change it to 2022 don’t display power curve
Best regards;
Hello Layachi,
it’s best to use the software SunnyExplorer to change time and date. When you are doing so with your device, you will see in the corner at the bottom a time that looks like the windows OS time and date. Double click there and you have the option to press “draw current time”. Then your device is set to the actual date and time.
Sunny regards!
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Hello Majid,
The link is working properly.
May be there was some kind of disturbance while you tried to reach us.
Sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Kind regards
Christiane
Hello Christiane Keim,
I tell you I live in Iran and can not create an account for online services .
tanks a lot
Hello Majiid,
My colleagues from the technical SMA Service will get back to you asap.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hello Christiane Keim,
Fortunately your Colleagues don’t response to me.
my problem don’t solve . We must change your product by gerrowat or other brand.
also I know you don’t attention this description and don’t show hear.
thanks
Hello Majid,
Please allow our technical experts some time for feedback.
Due to a high number of inquiries, it may take some time until you receive a feedback.
Thanks for your understanding.
I will forward your earlier mail.
It is not possible for you to use our Online Service Center despite the fact that you can communicate via our Blog?
It makes support much easier for both sides.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hello Christiane Keim,
The model is sunny boy SB 5000TL-21 and serial number is 2130454779.
thanks a lot
Hello Madjid,
Please contact our technical Service for further support.
As you are having problems in creating an account, you can also use our mail: serviceline@SMA.de
My colleagues will support you asap.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hi Christiane Keim
you say only “Please contact the SMA Service”!
Hello Majid,
In case of further technical advice, our SMA Service will be happy to support you!
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hi Christiane Keim
But I cannot create my account because I live in IRAN
But this is your product please help me.
Thankyou
Hello Majid,
Can you please specify for what kind of product you need the firmware update?
For further technical support, you can also get in contact with our Service Line via Mail: serviceline@SMA.de
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hello
I need this update ,Firmware version 2.55 (HP 2.52) (ZIP-file)
but there is not in your services
Hello Majid,
Please consider that the post you are referring to is outdated in some points.
There is a short notice in the beginning of the post.
For that reason, some links are no longer valid.
Please check our download area or product website for further help.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hi dear
I have a sunny boy model SB 5000TL-21
serial no : 2130454779
fortunately don’t show voltage of panel ,grid and also amp but connected to grid after about 10 minuet
can you help me?
Hello Majid,
Please contact the SMA Service for further support as we need more technical details.
You may use our convenient SMA Online Service Center.
Thanks.
Sunny regards
Christiane
Hi, I have a SB 5000TL-20. I can’t correct the system date with Sunny Explorer. When I update it to the system time, it has no effect on the system date which is October 2016. How can I fix this? My firmware version is 3.20.01 and since I don’t want to die, I’m not opening up the inverter to update to 3.20.05 (especially when I can’t find any change log). Please help.
Hello Bob,
Please contact the SMA Service for further support or get back to us via our Online Service Center.
We need some more details on your plant (serial number etc.).
Sunny regards
Christiane
hi
i have an installation of a SI8.0h12 and two SB5.0, in addition im using a data manager ennexOS. I dont have internet connection in the site. the problem im having is that the time of the two inverters is always wrong even if i try to correct it the time go back to 2016
Hello,
Please let me know, how can I set up time/date on an SMA SB 3.0 inverter ? I see the time settings in the web interface but any option to change them. No Wifi connection in the garage where SMA installed, so I need a simple manual time setup without any time server or something other kind of magic. User manual does not help at all how to set up this basic and important paramter.
Thank you for your help,
Istvan
Hi Istvan,
Here is how to setup the date/time manually:
• Login to the WebUI
• Click on Date/Time on the bottom right
• A window opens in which you can switch off the automatic time synchronization
• Set and save date and time
Hope that helps. I´ll pass it also through to add it to the user manual.
Kind regards, Anke
Kind regards,
Anke
Hi, I have a SB5.0-1AV-40.
It is not connected to the internet as it is remote. I can connect to it to check it’s status using my phone and entering 192.168.12.3 into the web adress. The time is out by twelve hours so the graphs are not in the middle of the screen. How do I set the correct time?
Thanks,
Cameron
Hi Cameron,
Please contact your installer. He knows your system the best.
Sunny regards,
Carolyn
Thanks Carolyn.
I have a SMA 7000 US SN 2001543605 it is used, What tests if any can I use to find out if this unit is good before I connect the DC input? I have the 240V connected the read out and LED’,s are off.
Hi Leon,
Please contact your installer. He knows you system and the local conditions the best and will help you. Otherwise you can contact our Service Line for help.
Sunny regrads,
Carolyn
Hi,
We are using sma stp20000 tl30. recently its interface graph has shown only one column at the end right of graph area and nothing else. knocking on it does not work. webconnect transfer inverter data just in time without any history in sunny portal. but device work perfectly.
Could you please help me what its problem would be and how I can solve it?
thanks
Hello Bahman,
For this plarticular request I would like to forward you to our support.
Kind regards,
Tobi
Hi,
we are using SMA STP 25 (String Inverter) for our 3 MW SOLAR Plant, and we have NOCC SYSTEM for monitoring the individual inverter’s performance, but problem is with inverters is that they stop getting reset at 12 am. so at the next day in our monitoring system the previous day value get’s reflect. please provide a sulution.
Regards
Hello Krishna,
please contact our Service Line. Our colleagues will assist you in a personal dialog. By selecting your country on our website you can find the right phone number to call.
Kind regards, Jennifer
Hi, I have one stp 12000tl unit installed for 12 kWp system. When I logged in with sunny explorer to download the daily and monthly file, I noticed that there is a huge different between the energy value for daily file (13187kWh) and monthly file (53760kWh). The july monthly file is showing all zero without any value recorded. May I know is there any settings or parameter I need to change for this issue?
I have a Sunny Beam monitor which is 4 years old. I have been uploading my data happily to my Macbook Pro happily until recently, when it is not recognised by the computer. I am guessing that the SMA drivers have not been updated for latest Mac OS (El Capitan). Would this be right, and if so when and where can I find the driver? Thanks
Hello Edward,
We have forwarded your request directly to the department in charge for further processing. Please note that this process may take some time.
We also would like to recommend you to contact the Apple Support regarding the update. Perhaps they will be able to assist further.
Regards,
Julia
Hi Julia
Thanks for your reply. I have already contacted Apple support about El Capitan not recognising the Sunny Beam, and they said it was because the driver was not updated by SMA yet.
I look forward to the reply from the relevant department.
Thanks again
Edward
Dear Julia
Has the department responsible responded about updating the software for OSX El Capital please?
Regards
Edward
I am having the same problem with my Mac (El Capitan) not recognising my Sunny Beam device. I urgently need to get to the error report data. Can you help?
Hi Kim, please contact the service line because we could not help you with this less information. Usually the MAC present Sunny Beam as an external device. We cannot say in your case why it doesn’t work. Please call +49 561 9522-2499. Thanks. Annika
Annika
I still have not resolved this problem with the Sunny Beam not being recognised by my Mac. Is there a number in the UK that I can call please?
Hi Edward, I am sorry to hear that. Please call our Service Line in UK +44 1908 304899.
Regards, Annika
My Sunny Beam BEAM-BT-11 device was dropped a couple of days ago. The batteries came out in the incident.
I replaced the batteries but I am having trouble reconnecting to my inverter.
It shows the message Time Setting: “Due to the interruption of the energy supply the time must be newly set”
I can set the time and the Sunny Beam will retrieve the Power and the E-Total from the inverter.
E-Today shows as 0.
But after the Sunny Beam display switches off it loses the time setting.
Have I missed some stage in the setup, or is the Sunny Beam permanently damaged?
Thank you.
I may have answered my own question.
I upgraded the Sunny Beam firmware.
Old level: 1.00.7.R
New level: 1.02.0.R
And now it seems to be working fine again.
(maybe a factory reset would also have got it working again)
Dear Adrian,
As a matter of fact, your Sunny Beam unit could have been permanently damaged in the incident.
Nevertheless, we would like to recommend a reset of your Sunny Beam unit so you could perform the commissioning again.
Please make also sure that the newest firmware version is installed on the device. You will find it at our website http://www.SMA.com in the download area.
Please note, that all data will be deleted irreversible once the unit is set to factory settings.
If the issue persists, it might be possible that your Sunny Beam device has suffered a defect while falling.
Best regards,
Julia
I cannot adjust a 10 minute time error on my Beam-BT-11-GR1 Serial number 0142011718 this unit is 3 years 8 months old, please can you advise what to do as it does not retain my input?
Thanks
Dear Dennis,
Unfortunately we do not quite understand, what setting you are trying to adjust exactly.
If possible, we kindly ask you to contact your Service Line and provide a picture so they can assist you further in this regard.
Please make also sure that the latest firmware version is already installed on your Sunny Beam device.
To download a new firmware version, please visit us at http://www.SMA.de
Kind regards,
Leonie
My Sunny Boy Explorer has recently lost time and I reset it to the system time as I have done a number of times in the last few months. This time round, rather than reverting back to normal operation after accepting the system time, it has been overwriting the previous day’s records, thereby losing the day records on the monthly graph. Also since of today, rather than recording the August record, It has added today’s generation to that of the monthly of July. On the yearly graph, the July record has been lost, and today’s generation together with that of the month of July has been shown on the month of August. Any solution to this problem?
Hi,
I’m sorry that you have problems with Sunny Explorer.
Please make sure that your inverter has the latest firmware version installed and the latest version of Sunny Explorer is used. You find the current versions in our download area.
Once this has been checked, please try to set the time again and rerun the software.
Please bear in mind that Sunny Explorer should not be used as a data logger since it has been developed for parameterization purposes in first place.
If data are to be stored long-therm, we kindly suggest the use of a data logger such as a Sunny Webbox. Here, you find an overview about our products for Monitoring & Control.
Best regards,
Sarah
Dear Sarah, Referring to my previous communication. Thanks for your help.
My system consists of a 2.1KW ten panel system which runs on a Sunny Boy inverter model SB 2100TL to which an SMA Bluetooth Piggy Back Plus BTPB-G3 had been subsequently added.
I have been browsing through the help document of my software version 1.07.23 and I find that sunny Explorer does not support the monthly and yearly graphic display unless the software version 02.00.00.R is installed.
Is this software suitable for my system? Where can I get a copy of it?
Thanks for your help.
I appreciate any further help you can give me.
Regards
Paul Attard
Dear Paul,
Yes, indeed. You have to update the firmware on the BTPB communication interface in order to use Sunny Explorer properly.
Here is the link:
http://files.sma.de/dl/18457/SMA_Bluetooth_Piggy-Back_2.00.10.R.up2
The update can be performed via Sunny Explorer.
Nonetheless, we kindly remind you that there are better ways to back up your data by using an appropriate data logger as we mentioned previously.
Have a nice day.
Best regards,
Sarah
Thanks for the info. Can the plant time be set by the homeowner, or does the installer have to make the update? I had to turn my system off for half a day and now the graph doesn’t correctly measure the daily power output because the time is not correct. I think the “day” is resetting in the middle of the day so that at the end of the day the daily production is only a fraction of what it should be.
Hi Lance,
Can you tell me the name of your system and the serial number? I’m sure my colleagues can help you.
Best regards
Leonie
Great blog Hans, using it at the UK Solar Academy seminars. Any more service tips?
Thank you. We are glad that our service tip has been useful. We will certainly continue this series and publish further tips. Of course you can always contact us personally in case of any specific questions or suggestions.
Best regards,
Sarah Römsch