SMA 9000TL User manual

SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 | IME-SMCTL_9_10_11 | Version 3.0 EN
Solar Inverter
SUNNY MINI CENTRAL
9000TL / 10000TL / 11000TL
9000TL / 10000TL / 11000TL with Reactive Power Control
Installation Guide

SMA Solar Technology AG Table of Contents
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 3
Table of Contents
1 Notes on this manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1 Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 Target Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.3 Storage of the guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.4 Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5 Symbols Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1 Appropriate Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3 Unpacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.1 Packing List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.2 Identifying the Sunny Mini Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4 Mounting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.1 Selecting the Mounting Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2 Mounting the Sunny Mini Central with a Wall
Mounting Bracket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5 Electrical Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.1 Overview of the Connection Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.1.1 Exterior View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5.1.2 Interior View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.2 Connection to the public grid (AC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.3 Setting the Display Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
5.4 Installing the String Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
5.5 PV generator connection (DC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5.6 Connection of the Power Balancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
5.6.1 Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Table of Contents SMA Solar Technology AG
4SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
5.6.2 Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5.6.3 Functionality Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
5.7 Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.8 Setting the installation country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.9 Reactive power and grid management with Sunny
Mini Central with Reactive Power Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5.9.1 Setting the shift factor ϕ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5.9.2 Frequency dependent active power restriction P(f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
5.9.3 Grid safety management via external active power restriction. . . . . . . . . . . 42
5.9.4 Soft start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.9.5 Phase assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5.9.6 Additional country parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
6 Commissioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
6.1 Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
6.2 LED Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
7 Opening and Closing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
7.1 Opening the Sunny Mini Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
7.2 Closing the Sunny Mini Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
8 Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
8.1 Checking Heat Dissipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
8.1.1 Clean the fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
8.1.2 Checking the fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
8.1.3 Cleaning the air grills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
8.2 Check the Electronic Solar Switch (ESS) for wear . . . . . . . . . . 57
9 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
9.1 The red LED glows continuously (ground fault). . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
9.2 The red LED flashes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
9.2.1 Checking varistor function (<Check Varistor>) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
9.2.2 Replacing the string fuses (<DC fuse>) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

SMA Solar Technology AG Table of Contents
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 5
10 Decommissioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
10.1 Dismantling the Sunny Mini Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
10.2 Packing the Sunny Mini Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
10.3 Storing the Sunny Mini Central. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
10.4 Disposing of the Sunny Mini Central . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
11 Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
11.1 Sunny Mini Central 9000TL / 10000TL / 11000TL . . . . . . . . 66
11.2 Sunny Mini Central 9000TL / 10000TL / 11000TL with
Reactive Power Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
12 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
13 Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Table of Contents SMA Solar Technology AG
6SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide

SMA Solar Technology AG Notes on this manual
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 7
1 Notes on this manual
1.1 Validity
This installation guide describes the assembly, installation, commissioning and maintenance of the
following SMA Solar Technology inverters:
• Sunny Mini Central 9000TL (SMC 9000TL-10)
• Sunny Mini Central 10000TL (SMC 10000TL-10)
• Sunny Mini Central 11000TL (SMC 11000TL-10)
• Sunny Mini Central 9000TL with Reactive Power Control (SMC 9000TLRP-10)
• Sunny Mini Central 10000TL with Reactive Power Control (SMC 10000TLRP-10)
• Sunny Mini Central 11000TL with Reactive Power Control (SMC 11000TLRP-10).
1.2 Target Group
The Sunny Mini Central may only be installed and commissioned by qualified personnel.
1.3 Storage of the guides
All guides for the Sunny Mini Central and for the installed components must be stored with the system
documentation, and must be accessible at all times.
1.4 Additional Information
You will find further information on special topics such as designing a line circuit breaker or the
description of the operating parameters in the download area at www.SMA.de/en.

Notes on this manual SMA Solar Technology AG
8SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
1.5 Symbols Used
The following types of safety instructions and general information appear in this document:
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 optimal installation and operation of
your product.

SMA Solar Technology AG Security
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 9
2 Security
2.1 Appropriate Usage
The Sunny Mini Central is a PV inverter that converts the DC current of solar cells to AC current and
feeds it into the public grid.
Operating principle of a PV plant with Sunny Mini Central
The Sunny Mini Central may only be operated with PV generators (modules and cabling) of
protection class II. Do not connect any sources of energy other than PV modules to the Sunny Mini
Central.
Capacitive discharge currents
PV modules with large capacities relative to ground, such as thin-film modules with cells on
a metallic substrate, are only to be implemented if their coupling capacity does not exceed
1400 nF.
During grid feeding, a discharge current flows from the cells to ground. The amount of
current depends on the manner in which the modules are installed (e.g. foil on metal roof)
and on the weather (rain, snow). This "normal" discharge current may not exceed 50 mA
due to the fact that the inverter would otherwise automatically disconnect from the grid as
a protective measure.

Security SMA Solar Technology AG
10 SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
When designing the solar system, ensure that the values comply with the permitted operating range
of all components at all times. The free design program "Sunny Design"
(www.SMA.de/en/SunnyDesign) will assist you. The manufacturer of the PV modules must have
approved the modules for use with this Sunny Mini Central unit. You must also ensure that all measures
recommended by the module manufacturer for long-term maintenance of the module properties are
taken (see also Technical Information "Module Technology", in the download area of
www.SMA.de/en).
Do not use the Sunny Mini Central for purposes other than those described here. Alternative uses,
modifications to the Sunny Mini Central or the installation of components not expressly recommended
or sold by the manufacturer void the warranty claims and operation permission.
2.2 Safety Instructions
DANGER!
Danger to life due to high voltages in the Sunny Mini Central!
• All work on the Sunny Mini Central must only be carried out by qualified personnel.
DANGER!
Danger of burn injuries due to hot enclosure parts!
• Do not touch enclosure during operation.
• Only touch lid during operation.
NOTICE!
Dust and water in the Sunny Mini Central can damage the device!
If the Electronic Solar Switch has been pulled out, the Sunny Mini Central only has a
protection rating of IP21.
In order to keep the protection rating IP65 during temporary decommissioning, proceed as
follows:
• Unplug all DC plug connectors and seal them with the protecting caps provided.
• Attach the Electronic Solar Switch again.
Grounding the PV generator
Comply with the local requirements for grounding the modules and the PV generator. SMA
Solar Technology recommends connecting the generator frame and other electricity
conductive surfaces such that there is continuous conduction and to connect them to the
ground in order to ensure maximum protection for property and persons.

SMA Solar Technology AG Unpacking
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 11
3 Unpacking
3.1 Packing List
Check the delivery for completeness and any visible external damage. Please contact your dealer if
something is damaged or missing.
3.2 Identifying the Sunny Mini Central
You can identify the Sunny Mini Central using the type label. The type label is on the right side of the
enclosure. The serial number (Serial No.) and the type (Type / Model) of the product, as well as
device-specific characteristics are specified on the type label.
Object Quantity Description
A1 Sunny Mini Central
B1 Air grills (right / left)
C1 Wall mounting bracket
D1 DC circuit breaker Electronic Solar Switch (ESS)
E1 Installation Guide
F1User Manual
G1 Set of documents with explanations and certificates
1 Communication accessories bag (optional),
See separate communication manual for packing list
H1 Cable screw connection for AC connection:
I1 Counternut for AC connection cable screw connection
J1 Clamping clip for additional grounding
K2 Washers:terminal for ground connection cable 1 x for lid screws
(replacement), 1 x for ground connection cable terminal
L2 Cylinder head screws: (M6x16) 1 x for lid (replacement),
1 x for ground connection cable terminal
M1 Jumper for fan test
N2 Cylinder head screws (M6 x 8) for securing the Sunny Mini Central to the wall
mounting bracket

Mounting SMA Solar Technology AG
12 SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
4 Mounting
4.1 Selecting the Mounting Location
Observe the following conditions during installation:
• The installation method and mounting location must be suitable for the weight and dimensions
of the Sunny Mini Central (see section 11 "Technical Data" (page66)).
• Mount on a solid surface.
• The mounting location must be accessible at all times.
• Vertical installation or tilted backwards by max. 15°.
• The connection area must point downwards.
• Never install the device with a forward tilt.
• Do not install horizontally.
DANGER!
Danger to life due to fire or explosion!
Despite careful construction, electrical devices can cause fires.
• Do not mount the Sunny Mini Central on flammable construction materials.
• Do not mount the Sunny Mini Central near highly flammable materials.
• Do not install the Sunny Mini Central in potentially explosive areas.
CAUTION!
Danger of burn injuries due to hot enclosure parts!
• Mount the Sunny Mini Central in such a way that it cannot be touched inadvertently!
CAUTION!
Risk of injury due to the heavy weight of the Sunny Mini Central!
• Take the weight of the Sunny Mini Central of approx. 35 kg into account when
mounting.

SMA Solar Technology AG Mounting
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 13
• Install at eye level to allow operating status to be read at all times.
• The ambient temperature should be below 40 °C to ensure optimal operation.
• Do not expose the Sunny Mini Central to direct sunlight, in order to avoid power reduction due
to excessive heating.
• In a living area, do not mount the unit on
plasterboard walls (or similar) in order to avoid
audible vibrations.
The Sunny Mini Central can make noises when in
use which can be regarded as a nuisance when
installed in a living area.
• Observe the minimum clearances to walls, other
devices or objects as shown in the diagram in order
to guarantee sufficient heat dissipation and to have
enough space for removing the Electronic Solar
Switch.
Multiple Sunny Mini Central units installed in areas with high ambient
temperatures
The individual Sunny Mini Central units must be far enough apart to ensure that the
individual Sunny Mini Central units do not take in the cooling air of the neighboring unit.
If necessary, increase the clearances and make sure there is enough ventilation to ensure
sufficient cooling of the Sunny Mini Central units.

Mounting SMA Solar Technology AG
14 SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
4.2 Mounting the Sunny Mini Central with a Wall Mounting Bracket
1. Use the wall mounting bracket as a drilling template to mark the positions of the drill holes, and
then drill the holes. Use 2 to 4 of the 6 holes in the middle.

SMA Solar Technology AG Mounting
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 15
2. Secure the wall mounting bracket to the wall using
appropriate screws and washers.
3. Attach the Sunny Mini Central using the mounting
hole on the enclosure rear panel to the wall
mounting bracket.
CAUTION!
Risk of injury due to the heavy weight of the Sunny Mini Central!
The Sunny Mini Central weighs approx. 35 kg.
• Attach the wall mounting bracket with the corresponding mounting material
(depending on the surface).
• Use the side handles above and below
(A) or place a steel rod in the enclosure
opening (B – maximum diameter
30 mm) for transport and mounting. For
this purpose, the rod must be pushed
through the enclosure openings.

Mounting SMA Solar Technology AG
16 SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
4. Screw the Sunny Mini Central onto the wall
mounting bracket on both sides using the screws
(M6 x 8 mm) provided.
Only tighten the screws hand-tight.
5. Check that the unit is securely in place.
6. Lock the recessed grips with the supplied air grills.
The air grills are marked "rechts/right" and
"links/left" on the interior for proper assignment.
The air grills prevent dirt and insects from entering
the device and if necessary, can be reordered from
SMA Solar Technology (see section
12 "Accessories" (page72)).
Optional Theft Protection
To protect the Sunny Mini Central against
theft, the rear panel can be secured to the wall
at the bottom using 2 single-use bolts.
The other two holes are spares.

SMA Solar Technology AG Electrical Connection
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 17
5 Electrical Connection
5.1 Overview of the Connection Area
5.1.1 Exterior View
The following figure shows the assignment of the individual enclosure openings on the bottom of the
Sunny Mini Central.
NOTICE!
Electrostatic discharges can damage the Sunny Mini Central!
Internal components of the Sunny Mini Central can be irreparably damaged by static
discharge.
• Ground yourself before touching a component.
Object Description
APlug connectors for connecting the PV strings
BSocket for the connection of the Electronic Solar Switch (ESS) DC load disconnection unit
CCable openings for optional communication via RS485 or radio (PG16)
DCable opening for grid connection (AC) (18 - 32 mm)
EConnection for Power Balancer

Electrical Connection SMA Solar Technology AG
18 SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
5.1.2 Interior View
The following diagram gives a schematic overview of the various components and connection areas
inside the Sunny Mini Central with the lid removed.
Object Description
AConnection area and slots for communication (Page 39)
BDisplay (Page 46)
CJumper for testing the fans (Page 55)

SMA Solar Technology AG Electrical Connection
Installation Guide SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 19
5.2 Connection to the public grid (AC)
Cable Sizing
The conductor cross-section should be dimensioned in a way that output losses do not exceed 1% at
nominal power. Use "Sunny Design" (www.SMA.de/en/SunnyDesign) for this.
The maximum cable lengths relative to the conductor cross-section are shown in the following table.
When selecting the type of cable/cable cross section in accordance with the routing method, observe
the following requirements:
• Ambient temperature,
•Routing method.
•UV resistance.
DLEDs for displaying the operating modes (Page 47)
EConnection terminals for mains cable (AC) (Page 19)
FFlat cable connector for grounding the cable shield for communication (Page 39)
GScrewing device for shield clamp for communication cable (Page 39)
HCable opening for mains cable (AC) (Page 19)
IConnection socket for Power Balancer (Page 30)
JCable openings for communication (Page 39)
KPV input plug (DC) (Page 27)
LConnection socket for Electronic Solar Switch (ESS) DC load disconnection unit
(Page 27)
MSlot for string fuses (Page 25)
NVaristors (Page 60)
Connection requirements of the grid operator
Always observe the connection requirements of your grid operator!
Conductor cross-
section
Maximum cable length
SMC 9000TL-10 /
SMC 9000TLRP-10
SMC 10000TL-10 /
SMC 10000TLRP-10
SMC 11000TL-10 /
SMC 11000TLRP-10
16.0 mm² 27 m 24 m 22 m
25.0 mm² a) 43 m 38 m 35 m
a) Only use flexible cables.
Cut line losses in half
If 3 Sunny Mini Centrals with symmetrical feeding are combined to form a three-phase
system, the neutral conductor is not subjected to any load, and the line losses are halved.
Thus, the maximum possible cable length is doubled.
Object Description

Electrical Connection SMA Solar Technology AG
20 SMC9-11TLRP-IEN092530 Installation Guide
Cable Requirements
Load Disconnection Unit
You must install a separate line circuit breaker for each inverter in order to ensure that the inverter
can be securely disconnected under load. See the technical data for the maximal permissible rating
(Page 66).
Detailed information and examples for the rating of a line circuit breaker can be found in the Technical
Information "Line Circuit Breaker" in the SMA Solar Technology AG download area at
www.SMA.de/en.
Position Name Value
AExternal diameter 18 mm - 32 mm
BConductor cross-section Max. 25 mm²
CStrip insulation Approx. 18 mm
DANGER!
Danger to life due to fire!
When more than one inverter are connected to the same line circuit breaker, the protective
function of the line circuit breaker is no longer guaranteed. It can result in a cable fire or
the destruction of the inverter.
• Never connect several inverters to a single line circuit breaker.
• Comply with the maximum permissible fuse protection of the inverter when selecting
the circuit breaker.
NOTICE!
Damage to the Sunny Mini Central by using screw type fuse elements as load
disconnection unit!
A screw type fuse element, e.g. D system (Diazed) or D0 system (Neozed) is not a load
disconnection device, and thus may not be used as a load disconnection unit. A screw type
fuse element is only used as cable protection.
When disconnecting under load using a screw type fuse element, the Sunny Mini Central
can be damaged.
• Use only a load disconnecting switch or a line circuit breaker as load disconnecting
unit.