FCC is Actively Seeking Solar Array Interference Complaints

I have been working for over a year to resolve an interference issue caused by a solar array a few houses down (daytime VHF noise level S9+ during the day).

As part of this process I talked with Ms Chen at the FCC. I mentioned that solar array interference is a big issue for hams. She said that I was the only one she knew about. She asked me to spread the word and have hams with solar array interference issues to do the following.

1 - Create an interference complaint with the FCC about your solar array interference issue at: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us

2 - Email her with the specifics of your solar array interference issue.

Be sure to include the complaint ticket number and why you believe the solar array is the source of the interference issue.

Ms Deborah Chen
Federal Agent / Electronics Engineer
deborah.chen@fcc.gov​

For everybody with a solar array interference issue, the FCC is listening and wants to hear from you.

73,
Mike
NS6Q

 

How do you know for fact that it is actually solar panel/inverters/charge controller (sub systems within a solar array) type of interference?

 

Good question -

1 - The interference started when the solar array was installed.
2 - The interference is minimal at night at strongest during the mid-day.
3 - Walking over to house with my handheld.
4 - Disconnecting my house from the main power and running my radio on DC to make sure I was not generating the interference myself.

The FCC confirmed the interference during an on-site visit (boy was I shocked "Hey the FCC is at the door"...).

She brought a directional antenna and a really nice spectrum analyzer.

 

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My first thought was, this is just more FCC lip service. But you actually managed to get an FCC confirmation visit. But what does that do to help your cause? The identified interference is still there.

 

I have both an older PWM and a newer MPPT solar charge controller. Both are extreme RFI generators across the HF and VHF ham bands. I have to turn them off when I operate.

 

Well this is very refreshing and encouraging from the FCC!

How did you get in touch with Ms. Chen and how long did that process take?

 

And what would you do if your neighbor was a ham? Or one moves in next week?

 

So why is the solar system still in operation? Interference confirmed, Part 15 rules broken, did the Commission not order it shut down?

 

Inverters can definitely be noisy. I have some MPPT controllers that are very HF quiet, though, both day and night. It can be done.

 

You might want to confirm that she wants ALL solar complaints from the entire United States calling her... I thought all of this was going through Laura Smith, or the ARRL...

 

A couple of things ,
KK5JY why do not post what works ?

With all the cheap chineeze junk out there making noise for yrs. , why all the sudden are they picking on solar ?
I've been a ham for only 10 yrs. and doing multiple type of alternative energy for about 40 yrs. and only recently / because of ham radio been looking for RF quite equipment ?
Very early on in my solar work , I left behind the cheap junk for several reasons , one is they did hardly exist 40 yrs. ago [ at least commonly ] the only stuff available had what was normally required , internal battery charging , choice of true sine wave or multi-step modified sine wave inverters , most of this was US made and then over time EU made - now most of the best stuff comes from the EU countries , or through .
Starting 10+ yrs ago or so , because of popularity I saw a flood of cheap chineeze inverters with no options like battery charging , few sine wave available , and square wave .
To find good inverters is semi hard , and cost about $1 per watt + and start at about 600+ watts .
After getting into ham radio I started looking to good old sources of info for RF quite gear and was surprised at the lack of solar people that knew anything , these were many of the leaders in the solar community , not the hacks .
Now on to one of my regular issues , the BS info lying about , it doesn't work , pay for itself and cost too much .
In the beginning 30 , 40 yrs. + ago , some of that may have been true , and a lot of that depended on not including the true cost of conventional electric power .
Then there are still many sources [ common ] maintaining BS high prices $8 - $14 per watt , like big box hardware and internet ,
and small time resellers , just to help those looking , watch for under $2 per watt , I see prices as low as $00.29 per watt - but am suspect of most nowadays , being chineeze manufacture at the lowest pricing with unknown brands .
Most quality manufactures are being driven out of business by this .
Still looking for quality / RF quite inverter , charger , on & off grid gear !

 

Yes I was careful to confirm with her that she wanted ALL solar complaints and she said "YES". I would report even your own solar array. This is the only way the FCC will have visibility to the scope of the issue and enable them to take action with manufactures etc. If an Enforcement Agent is telling me I am the only solar array interference issue she knows of tells me the FCC needs some more information, a lot of it.

I don't know who Laura Smith is but I recently reached out to Mike Gruber at the ARRL. No response yet.

 

FCC Special Counsel Laura Smith - Says Amateur Enforcement Will Be Aggressive
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-special-counsel-laura-smith-says-amateur-enforcement-will-be-aggressive

 

Because nobody asked until you did.

I have used both the 15A and 45A Morningstar MPPT charge controllers. The 60A controller is the same as the 45A controller, but with an additional FET module (IIRC). Even when running near 1kW of charge power, I have run FD with a delta antenna directly above the solar panels, and no noise on the ham bands. I ran 160m contests with a 45A controller within 30' of the RX antenna -- still no noise.

Inverters, even MorningStar inverters, are a different story. I find that the small 300W MS inverters are quieter than the Xantrex inverters I have used for backup power, but they are still not entirely noise-free. In particular, they seem to generate some hash on 80m and 160m. It's not S9 a half-block away like some, but it is still there. I am doing some experiments with choking and shielding the inverters to make them ham-friendly, but that won't help people who run grid-tie inverters designed to run a house. I suspect that most of the "solar" RFI that people experience is due to the inverters, and not the charge controllers. Inverters are switching supplies that run at line frequency, and that's just difficult to filter. Quality PWM and/or MPPT controllers run in the dozens or hundreds of kHz, which makes filtration simpler.

I would also say that the MorningStar products also seem to be very immune to RFI. I have run some pretty strong RF in close vicinity to these products, and they don't notice at all. I do use some minimal common-mode choking of the PANEL IN lines (two turns on a #43 bead), just to keep RF from propagating down the wires, but I did so out of caution, not necessity.

 

Thanks for the info .
Not using solar much at this time , a couple panels for a couple batteries .
Use to us total solar in some locations , no grid available , ran everything A/C , TV , radio , furnace full time for about 5 + yrs , full time RVer .
4 Trojan L16 2 pair in series for 12v & those in parallel for more capacity , as I remember about 700+ amp hrs , never discharged more than 40% running all above .
After 12 1/2 yrs. I lived where there was grid , so just used for backup & did not monitor the batteries as much , so they discharge one winter & froze , haven't needed since so haven't replaced batteries [ they doubled what I paid ] bought new about 97 , price doubled about 2008 .
I have been buying more panels , mostly Uni-Solar flexible panels for about $1 per watt - $2.00 per watt .
Now up to at least 1,200 + watts in combined panels .
The old RV inverter 2500 watts , 4,000 surge , was killed by me about 6-8 yrs. ago , no diagrams so did not repair it until a slow day / days a few months ago , would like to upgrade to a grid tie sine wave at least 4,000 watt + but no longer work regular so hard to buy $1,500 - $4,000 inverter , and while I'm dreaming , may as well look for 240vac system .
Also lots of choices for batteries , nickel-iron lasts forever , maybe home-brew lithium power wall of some type .
If I had the space , salt water batteries , of course more $$$ .