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How long between inspection and PTO? [various areas]
- Thread starter niner93
- Start date
Update: 4 weeks passed since PTO agreement signed. Just received a text from someone at Tesla Energy stating the application got rejected by PG&E. They need to refile it.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Yeah, got PTO a few weeks ago. Panels and Powerwalls are working great, but there's something screwed up with the power flow measurements/calculations... If I'm off-grid, or on-grid with the solar charging the batteries and the grid powering the house (off-peak conditions), the 4 measurements for solar, Powerwall, grid, and house power are correct.
But as soon as it's peak rates (when theroretically I should be sending all the solar to the grid and running the house off batteries), the system thinks my house is using 4 times the power it's actually using. For example, my Tesla app might show:
- 4kW house load
- 2kW from solar
- 4kW from batteries
- 2kW to grid
- 1kW house load (per Emporia Vue)
- 2kW from solar
- 4kW from batteries
- 5kW to grid (per PG&E meter)
- 1kW house load (per Emporia Vue)
- 2kW from solar
- 1kW from batteries (just powers the house during peak rates)
- 2kW to grid (all solar goes to grid during peak)
- My powerwalls are being drained 4x faster than they should be
- I'm sending 3kW to the grid from the Powerwall (which is actually illegal in CA if you have solar & powerwalls)
OK, I guess it's only 2 sorts of wrong. But it's really wrong.
It took me an hour on the phone to get Tesla to understand and believe this is happening. Problem has been escalated to "Tier 2" or whatever, but it's been 12 days and the only update I've received is:
Time to call again, I guess...
Tesla resubmitted application but PG&E said I would hear back on status by today, but now it has been delayed to Mar 4!
I am in Illinois and passed county inspection 3 weeks ago today.
I've pushed and pushed my "point of contact" about the application for interconnection with ComEd which the electricians told me would take place "next day" three weeks ago.
Today, I'm told:
A) There are "Restrictive Cases" preventing my job from flipping into utility ready status, but no one seems to be able to define what that even means (I did a rudimentary search here and came up empty as well). So....you're telling me there's a problem with my installation but you don't know what that problem is? The comedy gold just never lets up.
B) Oh...and hey...by the way "Tesla has an extensive backlog of PTO submittals" Really? In Illinois? In the winter? There are only 20 installations in all of Chicagoland let alone how few of those 20 were completed since Christmas.
C) And if that's not enough, there are problems with "staffing on our interconnection team"
I think that when my guy contacted me today, he picked one delaying tactic from column A, one delaying tactic from column B, and one delaying tactic from column C. And then thought, that oughta hold 'em over for another month.
I feel for you PGE guys...but you're not alone.
I've pushed and pushed my "point of contact" about the application for interconnection with ComEd which the electricians told me would take place "next day" three weeks ago.
Today, I'm told:
A) There are "Restrictive Cases" preventing my job from flipping into utility ready status, but no one seems to be able to define what that even means (I did a rudimentary search here and came up empty as well). So....you're telling me there's a problem with my installation but you don't know what that problem is? The comedy gold just never lets up.
B) Oh...and hey...by the way "Tesla has an extensive backlog of PTO submittals" Really? In Illinois? In the winter? There are only 20 installations in all of Chicagoland let alone how few of those 20 were completed since Christmas.
C) And if that's not enough, there are problems with "staffing on our interconnection team"
I think that when my guy contacted me today, he picked one delaying tactic from column A, one delaying tactic from column B, and one delaying tactic from column C. And then thought, that oughta hold 'em over for another month.
I feel for you PGE guys...but you're not alone.
Update: PTO granted
Timeline:
12/17 Final Inspection passed
1/21 Interconnection Agreement signed
3/1 PTO
Do I need to call Tesla to turn on a "switch" to get excess power to flow back to grid?
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Congrats! Took 48 hours before mine switched on its own after I got the email from Tesla that PTO was granted (Tesla email was also about 48 hours after PGE email).Update: PTO granted
Timeline:
12/17 Final Inspection passed
1/21 Interconnection Agreement signed
3/1 PTO
Do I need to call Tesla to turn on a "switch" to get excess power to flow back to grid?
Good to know! I can finally stop being a babysitter to my system and to soak up all the excess solar using my Model 3 instead of letting it go to waste for the past 4.5 months!
Tesla finished my install & immediately submitted PTO inspection (very surprised they were actually on top of things for once). Austin Energy (my utility) estimates a 4 week wait for the inspection, after which PTO is immediately granted if it passes.
Nice thing about this is that it ties inspection to PTO, so no PTO = Tesla doesn't get paid. Once I get PTO/pass inspection, they estimate a week to install solar meter.
Nice thing about this is that it ties inspection to PTO, so no PTO = Tesla doesn't get paid. Once I get PTO/pass inspection, they estimate a week to install solar meter.
Just got an email from FPL in Palm Beach County for a PTO for my 15.7 KW solar roof (3) power wall system (2 pw+). The bi-directional meter was installed earlier this afternoon. I have 70 watt panels and a Tesla backup switch mounted in a 2nd meter cabinet. My net metering application was approved on 2/25/22. The net meter application was complete on 1/26/22 after my $400 application fee was processed. My final inspection was on 12/7/21. I have been enjoying self consumption mode since the system was installed.
48 hours passed after PTO and no updates from Tesla.. I had to call Tesla for them to manually update the system being granted PTO. It is now showing PTO granted in my Tesla.com account but the rep said I'd need to wait till Sat to see excess energy flow back to the grid.
Also, my system was installed in Oct but I lost the historical data in the app thru late Jan. They were not able to restore the historical data which is a bummer.
Self consumption mode is default after installation is complete. Assuming you have pw
Update: PTO granted
Timeline:
12/17 Final Inspection passed
1/21 Interconnection Agreement signed
3/1 PTO
Do I need to call Tesla to turn on a "switch" to get excess power to flow back to grid?
Sadly that was not the last update
despite PTO being granted on Monday, as of Saturday excess energy is still not flowing back to the grid. It is beyond frustrating and taken 3 calls to support with no resolution with repeated responses to call back another 48 hours if it’s not working. Tesla energy support thumbsdown
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That would be a regular PW2. The + has an integrated Tesla solar inverter which you wouldn't need with the Enphase.
