Consumption VS Solar Production Tracking

[who177e]

I just had a 5.7kw tesla PV system installed (18 320w panels with solaredge HD Wave).

The crew didn't install any CT around any wires in my panel or any other consumption monitors.

How will the Tesla App get the Grid Usage vs PV Production vs Home Consumption data so that I can see that awesome visualization that everyone posts? They did give me a solarcity branded gateway that I plugged into my router.

 

[Drax]

We have had our 10.2kw Tesla PV system for almost a year now and have only ever had production tracking in the app, not consumption. To get real-time consumption I’d need to get a sense home monitor or something similar.

I’d really like to do it, but our panel would be full and I don’t know if the benefits are really worth the investment.

 

[FlyRealFast]

We use the Neurio system to monitor both generation and consumption. Perfect so far after one year of use.

 

[FlyRealFast]

No PW2 in the system yet, just 54 panels and two SolarEdge inverters.

 

[2012MS85]

I use my electric utility company's monthly invoice, plus enphase (my 16.1 kW solar system's micro-inverters) online reports, to calculate and produce my own cool reports of actual daily and monthly production versus consumption. You need data from both sides (ie, your production from your solar system, plus your daily/monthly usage from your net meter). Hopefully you're not as much of a numbers nerd as I am, as my wife hasn't yet been impressed by the color graphs and charts I leave lying around the house about our green/net negative electricity use

 

[who177e]

Interesting.... so how do the people with only a PV system get that cool real time visualization of the PV system vs home consumption vs what's being pushed back to the grid and seeing where the power is flowing in real time?

I've seen a lot of videos of these and many don't have PWs. This is what really sold us on going with Tesla so I want to make sure that I get this functionality from the Tesla App.

 

[nwdiver]

Interesting.... so how do the people with only a PV system get that cool real time visualization of the PV system vs home consumption vs what's being pushed back to the grid and seeing where the power is flowing in real time?

I've seen a lot of videos of these and many don't have PWs. This is what really sold us on going with Tesla so I want to make sure that I get this functionality from the Tesla App.

I think you need the gateway that provides off-grid functionality.

 

[2012MS85]

Interesting.... so how do the people with only a PV system get that cool real time visualization of the PV system vs home consumption vs what's being pushed back to the grid and seeing where the power is flowing in real time?

I've seen a lot of videos of these and many don't have PWs. This is what really sold us on going with Tesla so I want to make sure that I get this functionality from the Tesla App.

While I tried buying Tesla's PW1, then PW2, and even their solar roof and/or panels, Tesla has ignored all potential clients in Iowa. So I contracted with an Iowa installer of my 16.1kW ground mount, ACPV solar system. Three arrays of 20 panels each. All 60 panels have their own enphase micro inverter, which is nice because enphase.com has a really nice website and smartphone app that allows me to pull massive amounts of real-time and historical solar production data. You'd then need to look at your utility invoice each month for your usage data. For anyone with net metering, your monthly invoice will likely show your peak and off-peak meter readings at the beginning and end of your billing period. Mine varies slightly, but it's close to the calendar month. I won't bore you with how to put together an Excel spreadsheet and calculate your demand (usage) and supply (solar production vs net usage off the grid), but that's what's needed to run your charts (aka, cool real time visualization like on PW2 app). For anyone buying a Tesla who wants to use my referral code for the 6 months of free supercharging, I'd happily create your own custom spreadsheet where you could simply drop in your monthly data to track it all. PM me, if interested.

 

[miimura]

Interesting.... so how do the people with only a PV system get that cool real time visualization of the PV system vs home consumption vs what's being pushed back to the grid and seeing where the power is flowing in real time?

I've seen a lot of videos of these and many don't have PWs. This is what really sold us on going with Tesla so I want to make sure that I get this functionality from the Tesla App.

Tesla has a power measurement device (Powerblaster???) that can be installed with solar-only installs. That is how you get the consumption and generation in the Tesla app or Solar City app without a Powerwall.

 

[who177e]

Tesla has a power measurement device (Powerblaster???) that can be installed with solar-only installs. That is how you get the consumption and generation in the Tesla app or Solar City app without a Powerwall.

Hmmm they never installed that on my system.
Is this something that they install on ALL of their Solar Only installs or is this a separate thing that I had to contract for? I assumed that I would have this functionality.

 

[mswlogo]

I had SolarEdge install a consumption monitor. Smartest move I could have made. It’s so nice being integrated in the same production app.

SolarEdge just OEM this unit, I forget who makes it. But I believe other PV systems support it.

https://www.solaredge.com/sites/default/files/system_owner_consumption_monitoring.pdf

You can always add a 3rd party monitor. They are cheap, easy to install and hardly take any room in your panel. Just a couple of current clips.

 

[miimura]

Hmmm they never installed that on my system.
Is this something that they install on ALL of their Solar Only installs or is this a separate thing that I had to contract for? I assumed that I would have this functionality.

It exists. You should ask if it can be added to your system. The transition for solar-only customers into the Tesla app is recent. Some people had the hardware and could see the production and consumption in the Solar City app but not the Tesla app. They were able to get Tesla to migrate the system data so that it would show up in the Tesla app.

 

[who177e]

It exists. You should ask if it can be added to your system. The transition for solar-only customers into the Tesla app is recent. Some people had the hardware and could see the production and consumption in the Solar City app but not the Tesla app. They were able to get Tesla to migrate the system data so that it would show up in the Tesla app.

I was under the impression that all Tesla Solar installs get a consumption monitoring so that the Tesla / My Solarcity App works and you can see where your power is going / coming from.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

It exists. You should ask if it can be added to your system. The transition for solar-only customers into the Tesla app is recent. Some people had the hardware and could see the production and consumption in the Solar City app but not the Tesla app. They were able to get Tesla to migrate the system data so that it would show up in the Tesla app.

Are you able to see your consumption on the Solar City page? I can only see my production in the PowerGuide but in the Tesla app, I can see production, consumption, grid and Powerwall data.

 

[Shygar]

On our rental we had Tesla install panels (no powerwall) in January 2018. They didn't provide any additional monitoring other than the Ethernet connected box for inside the house (solar generation only). I installed my own Neurio and use the Neurio app, then export all the data to pvoutput.org for tracking purposes.

 

[who177e]

Tesla confirmed that they just forgot to install the consumption monitor.
They are coming tomorrow to install the "powerblaster".

Another demeritt for Tesla. Why am I the customer finding all of their screw ups? We had a Tesla Inspection person AND a quality control person out to our house to check the crews work and they never called that out.