Alert: Isolation Self-Test Failure

Symptoms

The Powerwall 3 is failing the Isolation self-test and is triggering "PV Isolation Total" or "PV Isolation 24Hr Lockout" alerts.

About Isolation Failures

A true isolation failure occurs when the resistance between Positive or Negative and Ground is greater than the threshold specified in the firmware:

Powerwall 3: 180 kOhms

Potential causes for a true isolation failure are:

A normally conductive part of an array, such as a wire or module, faulting to a bonded part of the grounding system, such as a module frame, mounting hardware, grounding conductor, etc. Examples include:
- Damaged module or MCI
- Nicked/cut wire touching conduit
- Wire pinched by mounting hardware
Mixed up strings
- If Positive and Negative wires of strings are mixed up, it can cause an isolation failure
- Examples include parts of strings running to different inverters on multi-inverter sites

Confirm All Strings Connected as Outlined in Planset

Review the system drawing in the planset and confirm all strings are connected as outlined in the planset and string diagram. As noted above, mixing up Positive and Negative wires in a string, mixing up one string's Positive wire with another string's Negative wire (for instance landing Positive String 1 and Negative String 4 at MPPT 1+ and 1-), or running parts of strings to different solar inverters, can cause an isolation failure.

Identify the Faulty String

Note

If testing a long string, perform isolation testing on shorter sections within the string to isolate the problematic segment.

Note

Perform this testing after wires have been pulled through but before they have been landed at the Powerwall 3.

Safely shut the system down:
1. Push the System Shutdown Switch if one is present, then turn the Enable switch OFF.
2. Open the Powerwall 3 circuit breaker (turn OFF).
3. Wait 30 seconds before proceeding with any work.
  Warning
  Confirm Powerwall 3 is de-energized before proceeding. Confirm the breaker is open (OFF) and solar production is disabled in Tesla One.
Plug the positive and negative meter tester leads into the meter. If you have a combination megger and multi-meter, make sure the tester leads are plugged into the ports for insulation testing.
Set the tester to 1000V mode.
Disconnect both (positive and negative) conductors to test a string. The conductors can be disconnected from the inverter (on the ground) or on the roof.
Note
Paralleled strings must be tested independently. This must be done on the roof, and can be done by undoing Y-connectors or removing jumpers inside the combiner box.
Note
For very short strings of two modules, test the short string together with a string that passes the test. Short strings may not be able to be tested by themselves.
Test the string's positive conductor:
1. Connect the positive tester lead (red) to the positive conductor.
2. Connect the negative tester lead (black) to ground / equipment grounding conductor (EGC).
  Figure 1. Testing the Insulation Resistance of the Positive Conductor
3. Tape the ends of the wire on the opposite end of the run to help isolate.
4. Push the TEST button on the tester until the reading stabilizes.
5. If the insulation resistance is less than 1 Mega-Ohm, this string is causing the isolation failure.
  Note
  String voltage to ground (V DC) is expected to be a high value because it indicates an open circuit.
Test the string's negative conductor:
1. Connect the positive tester lead (red) to the negative conductor.
2. Connect the negative tester lead (black) to ground / EGC.
  Figure 2. Testing the Insulation Resistance of the Negative Conductor
3. Tape the ends of the wire on the opposite end of the run to help isolate.
4. Push the TEST button on the tester until the reading stabilizes.
5. If the insulation resistance is less than 1 Mega-Ohm, this string is causing the isolation failure.
  Note
  String voltage to ground (V DC) is expected to be a high value because it indicates an open circuit.

Identify the Failure in the Faulty String

To find the failure, perform a close inspection of all the components in the faulty string:

At the Powerwall 3, look for poor wire termination (wires not fully seated in terminals, wire strands are frayed)
Inspect where the wires exit conduit, as nicked wires may occur here
Check for wires pinched by mounting hardware
For Solar Roof installations, check for wires damaged by screws (screws may be accidentally run through wires when installing the tiles)
Check for improper field-made connectors or improper crimps
Look for evidence of damaged modules:
- Microcracks
- Signs of water intrusion
- Module leads are bent at sharp angles
For the faulty string, try testing the string with the DC grounding conductor (EGC) removed from the inverter's ground terminal; if the string passes self-test with the grounding conductor removed, it is likely the string is faulting to ground somewhere

If any of the above issues are observed, repair or replace the equipment. For instance if the issue is caused by a nicked wire in the conduit body, cut out the damaged wire and splice the remaining segments together or replace the wire if splicing is not possible. If the issue is caused by a nicked wire in the middle of the array, cut the wire and crimp PV connector heads on either remaining segment, or replace the entire section of wire (whichever is easiest).

If none of the issues above are observed, see MCI Diode Test and Resistance Test (MCI Health Tests) to determine if a faulty MCI is causing the isolation failure.

Confirm the Issue has been Resolved

Once the equipment has been replaced or repaired, run the Powerwall 3 Self-Tests again in the Device Setup interface to confirm the issue has been resolved.