Video: How to Maintain the Solar Inverter Cooling Fan in Hot Weather
Figure 1: Solar inverter.
Solar inverters are generally installed outdoors and are affected by natural factors such as sun, rain, sand, dust
or high temperature. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance of solar inverters has become one of the main
factors affecting the stable and reliable operation of the inverter.
There are two methods of heat dissipation for the inverter: one is natural heat dissipation, which relies on its own
radiator to dissipate heat; the other is supplemented by a cooling
fan and relies on external force for forced cooling.
In hot and humid seasons, good heat dissipation performance is the key to efficient power generation and reliable
operation of the inverter. However, there are many factors that affect the operation of the cooling fan when the
inverter is placed in the external environment. Therefore, regular maintenance is beneficial to the normal operation
of the inverter.
This article shares with you issues related to inverter cooling fan maintenance.
1. Main Causes and Impacts of Solar Inverter Cooling Fan Failures
1.1 Main Causes of Inverter Cooling Fan Failure
The solar inverter is installed in an outdoor environment, so many uncontrollable outdoor factors will affect the operation of the inverter fan, such as accumulation of litter and leaves, adobe mud and sand, damage by snakes, insects, rats, and ants, etc.
Figure 2: Blocked cooling air ducts and fans of the solar inverter.
1.2 Main Impact of Inverter Cooling Fan Failure
For the inverter, once the external cooling fan fails, such as the fan becoming clogged or stuck, or the fan's power
supply cable being bit by rats and ants, it will directly cause it to stop spinning, which will lead to poor heat
dissipation of the inverter, causing over-temperature protection alarm.
Especially during the high temperature period in summer, the over-temperature protection of the inverter will not
only affect the system power generation, but may even cause damage to the inverter.
2. Inverter Cooling Fan Failure Prevention and Maintenance
To ensure the normal operation of the inverter cooling fan, reasonable early installation and later inspection and
maintenance are essential.
First, it is necessary to avoid installation environments with accumulation of foreign matter or add protection
mechanisms, and regularly clean and replace the fans through monitoring and on-site inspections to ensure the normal
operation of the inverter.
Figure 3: Broken or blocked solar inverter fans.
2.1 Reasonable Installation
Reasonable installation needs to consider the following points. Comprehensive consideration can improve system
reliability and reduce later operation and maintenance. These points include:
➤ Check the Installation Environment
In the early stage of installation, we need to fully evaluate the overall environment of the inverter installation.
It is not recommended to install the inverter fan in an area with severe mud and dust accumulation, a lot of dead
branches, or overgrown weeds.
These will affect the normal operation of the fan, and cause the increasing noise of the inverter when running, or
the blocked inverter cooling air duct and fan, resulting in failure.
For example, in some photovoltaic power stations in mountainous areas or agricultural complementary photovoltaic
power stations, the inverter is installed close to shrubs, causing the accumulation of litter and leaves to block
the inverter air duct and fan.
In some other household power stations, the wall where the inverter is installed has been affected by rain, snow and
weathering for a long time, causing adobe or cement sand to fall and block the inverter fan. As a result, the fan
operates abnormally, which causes reduced heat dissipation efficiency and power generation, and a fault is reported.
Therefore, the installation environment of the inverter needs to be considered as a whole. It is recommended that
large power station inverters be installed away from bushes or placed under the photovoltaic modules to get a
shelter. For the installation of household inverters, consider strong walls without peeling off, preferably areas
covered by eaves.
Figure 4: Solar inverter under the solar panel.
➤ Pay Attention to the Installation Distance
When installing multiple inverters, the installation distance is also very important, which determines the heat
dissipation performance of the inverter and the efficiency of the fan. If the distance is small, the fan operating
frequency increases, and the heat dissipation is not ideal, the system power generation will be affected.
Different inverters have different installation distances. It is recommended to refer to the corresponding product
manual.
➤ Add Protective Devices
Of course, a better way is to add external facilities such as sunshades to the inverter. This can not only prevent
mud or fallen leaves from blocking the heat dissipation channels and fans, but also block direct sunlight and reduce
the temperature rise of the inverter.
Figure 5: shelters for solar inverters.
2.2 Regular Maintenance
➤ Regular Inspection
Regularly check the operating status of the fan, either through monitoring or on-site inspection. If the inverter is
installed in a residential area, it must be fixed on a concrete wall instead of installing it on a mud wall to
prevent sediment from entering the inside of the fan.
➤ Regular Cleaning
Clean the external fan regularly with a soft brush. It is recommended to clean it once a month.
➤ Troubleshooting
If the inverter displays a message such as "Fan Abnormal" or "Over Temperature Protection", you need to check on
site whether the inverter cooling fan is running or stuck by any foreign object. You can try to clean the foreign
object and turn the fan. If the fan still does not run , please contact professionals for processing.
Figure 6: Install a solar inverter.
3. Conclusion
When the temperature is high in summer, the heat dissipation performance of the inverter is very important. As the
key cooling equipment of the inverter, the fan needs to be given full attention in the early installation and later
operation and maintenance.
The fan should be cleaned and maintained regularly to ensure the rapid heat dissipation and cooling of the inverter,
thereby ensuring the long-term stable operation of the inverter and safeguarding the efficient power generation of
the system.
