How did you get your SolarEdge Physical Layout

[sorka]

Once you have convinced them you are the installer:
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The problem is my inverter was actually installed by Tesla and they are registered with SE as the installer. I can't get SE to make me the installer on the existing inverter.

Are you saying otherwise? Was your inverter installed by Tesla (my case) or by a third party certified installer for SE and Tesla?

 

[mnsweeps]

When you say serial numbers, you mean the optimizer serial numbers? What did you do to get SE to do this? I called SE and even with the optimizer serial numbers and positions, they wouldn't touch it. They said I had to get Tesla to do it.

Yes optimizer serial numbers. I talked to a good agent who took details from me and added physical layout to my account. Like I said I just got lucky.

 

[MXLRplus]

The problem is my inverter was actually installed by Tesla and they are registered with SE as the installer. I can't get SE to make me the installer on the existing inverter.

Are you saying otherwise? Was your inverter installed by Tesla (my case) or by a third party certified installer for SE and Tesla?

I designed and installed my own system, so I'm not a registered SE dealer. SE gave me a lot of flak when I tried to get an installer acct, but persistence paid off. They granted me an account. Normally an installer acct has lots of addresses associated with it. Mine has but one.

When I did my install over 4 years ago, the software was a bit of a PITA. They now have a new and improved (so they say) layout application.

Tesla should not be putting this burden on the enduser. But let's face it, Tesla sees customer service as a cost center not a profit center. So they trim it down as much as possible.

 

[sorka]

I designed and installed my own system, so I'm not a registered SE dealer. SE gave me a lot of flak when I tried to get an installer acct, but persistence paid off. They granted me an account. Normally an installer acct has lots of addresses associated with it. Mine has but one.

When I did my install over 4 years ago, the software was a bit of a PITA. They now have a new and improved (so they say) layout application.

Tesla should not be putting this burden on the enduser. But let's face it, Tesla sees customer service as a cost center not a profit center. So they trim it down as much as possible.

I've not heard of SE giving self installers a hard time getting an installer account when they're buying and installing their own system. SE is fine with this.

But in this case it doesn't really apply since I didn't buy and install the inverter directly myself. My system is in Tesla's installer account so this is a completely different situation than what you did.

 

[BrettS]

In my case, they're saying they won't do anything and that having the physical layout on my SE portal is not required as part of my contracted install.

I asked my installer like 5 times to make sure they recorded the locations. Every time they pulled out an optimizer and hooked it up, I never saw them write anything down and they seemed to be pulling them randomly out of a box. Pretty this is why the layout was never done.

Tesla simply does not do physical layout mapping on SolarEdge’s site at all. Period. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression on the other thread. When I suggested asking the installers for the physical layout I simply meant the paper that they recorded that data on, not asking them to update the mapping on SolarEdge’s site. With that paper you can use the serial numbers to determine which panel is which manually. I don’t know if tesla has their own system where they enter this data so they can see how the panels are behaving or if they simply report back to the paper maps that the installers made if there is a problem.

I now have the admin tab available on the SE portal but still not Physical Layout tab so I can't create and publish my own layout.

Only installer accounts have the option to use the site mapper utility and create the physical site map. As I mentioned in the other thread, your options are to call solaredge and hope you get an agent who will create the physical layout for you. (And you will need to provide the layout details to him to do this) or to create your own installer account and have solaredge transfer your system to your account. However, there are risks in doing this as I don’t know how tesla feels about it. It’s possible it could affect future warranty claims. Or you can simply live without the physical layout map and just refer to the paper map if you see an underperforming panel in the logical layout on SolarEdge’s site.

 

[MXLRplus]

I've not heard of SE giving self installers a hard time getting an installer account when they're buying and installing their own system. SE is fine with this.

But in this case it doesn't really apply since I didn't buy and install the inverter directly myself. My system is in Tesla's installer account so this is a completely different situation than what you did.

They did give me grief. First two attempts said only registered installers can have those accts.

At this point, what have you got to lose? SE cannot fire you or confiscate your equipment, all they can do is to avoid helping you. Sort of like TSLA...

 

[sorka]

Just finished using my wifi endoscope to grab all the serial numbers off the bottom of the optimizers. Would have been impossible without this inexpensive $40 camera.

 

[BrettS]

Just finished using my wifi endoscope to grab all the serial numbers off the bottom of the optimizers. Would have been impossible without this inexpensive $40 camera.

That’s a great way to do it. I did it by taping my phone to a pool pole, but an endoscope would have made the job even easier.

 

[CrazyRabbit]

don't let the installation team leave without taking pictures of the serial number layout. PERIOD
i had to do the same thing, got about 60% with flashlight or borescope, rest by blocking sun light. now my installer was not tesla.

 

[sorka]

Tesla simply does not do physical layout mapping on SolarEdge’s site at all. Period.

....unless you just bug them so much that they finally give in

What's crazy is that if they did this as a matter of policy, it would save them money in the long run so they don't have to pull up on average 50% of the panels just to find a failed unit since with this they'll know exactly where to go.

 

[waiter9999]

....unless you just bug them so much that they finally give in

View attachment 635414

What's crazy is that if they did this as a matter of policy, it would save them money in the long run so they don't have to pull up on average 50% of the panels just to find a failed unit since with this they'll know exactly where to go.

Who did you bug to do the layout for you, Tesla or SolarEdge?

 

[sorka]

Who did you bug to do the layout for you, Tesla or SolarEdge?

I put an email request into the solar energy customer service. We went back and fourth until I got the nice support person to agree to escalate it to tier two at which point it was resolved within 2 days. Others in the past have reported that Tesla has installed their physical layout. I'm assuming it just took the same squeaky wheel approach.

 

[MP3Mike]

What's crazy is that if they did this as a matter of policy, it would save them money in the long run so they don't have to pull up on average 50% of the panels just to find a failed unit since with this they'll know exactly where to go.

Did they have to come out and look at the panels to figure out which was where? If not, they probably have that information in their files so putting it in the SolarEdge site doesn't give them any advantage. They just have to look at whatever they looked at to populate the SE site to figure out which panel is a problem.

 

[sorka]

Did they have to come out and look at the panels to figure out which was where? If not, they probably have that information in their files so putting it in the SolarEdge site doesn't give them any advantage. They just have to look at whatever they looked at to populate the SE site to figure out which panel is a problem.

No. I used used a wifi endoscopy camera to get under the panels and grab the serial numbers. I then produced a PDF file using their customer layout and added the serial numbers on top. It was a considerable amount of work that should have been avoided because I asked the foreman multiple times before and during the installation to please keep track of the optimizer locations. He kept saying they would and they are but at the end of the day he handed me a grid of stickers and pointed to the roof and said they're installed in sequential order from upper left to lower right.

After I got SE portal access and shaded a few panels, I knew he had completely lied to me. It's not like he just thought his guys were doing it when they weren't since he personally installed the largest group on the right side.

 

[fragchild]

Those of you who used a camera on a pole, where are the serial numbers located? I have the Q CELLS Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+ 340 and am going to have to do this unfortunately.

 

[hayhayday]

If difficult to take photo of serial couldnt you cover 1 at a time with cardboard or something using a stick on the ground and rotate every few mins to identify the module based on zero production on solar edge site during the time frame

 

[smaster553]

Just finished using my wifi endoscope to grab all the serial numbers off the bottom of the optimizers. Would have been impossible without this inexpensive $40 camera.

What is a Wifi Endoscope? My installer Tesla did not give me a layout and I have a flat layout - 12x on one string and 30x on one string. I need to find a way to draw it out and give to SE to make the layout. I am fine even if they do just need my info on paper.

 

[sorka]

What is a Wifi Endoscope? My installer Tesla did not give me a layout and I have a flat layout - 12x on one string and 30x on one string. I need to find a way to draw it out and give to SE to make the layout. I am fine even if they do just need my info on paper.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BNDHM5...abc_40ZCE7GWWRTY6XDT9X6K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[SoCal Cal]

I got the serial numbers off the panels, but they do NOT correspond to the serial numbers listed in the SolarEdge account. I sent an email to q-cells and was informed that the solaredge serial numbers are internally generated. Unless I'm mistaken, the only way to map after the fact is to cover each panel and make note of the number that isn't generating.

 

[MP3Mike]

I got the serial numbers off the panels, but they do NOT correspond to the serial numbers listed in the SolarEdge account.

You need the serial number off of the Solar Edge optimizer not the solar panel itself. (A small box mounted to the back of the panel.)