Inaccurate Powerflow

[IvanRivera]

Hi, I got my system installed last week with one powerwall. I'm experiencing the following errors during monitoring through powerflow screen in the Tesla app:

1. When producing solar, the solar production power reading decreases immediately when an appliance is turned on. It goas back to the previous production value when it is turned back off.
2. The home load power value increases as the solar production value increases without any changes to the actual home load. I might know that my actual home load is around 0.5 kW but the home load value will increase gradually as solar production increases up to max reading around 2 kW. Right now solar production reads 4.8 kW and home load reads 1.8 kW. I know my actual home load is about 0.5 kW as it read this morning prior to the sun coming out. (see attached screen capture labeled as 2)
3. At peak production, I get a power reading of 5.2 - 5.3 kW when the max I get from the enlighten app is 3.8 kW, which make sense since I have 13 panels with IQ7+ (max 295W). Panels are 390W each.
4. The Solar Energy counter in the Energy Usage app screen have always read 0 kWh but there's a graph with power values that seems to be a mirror image of the energy to grid graph.

When I connect to the gateway I see the exclamation points at both solar and home with the messages: "Solar meter may be configured incorrectly". I get a similar one for the home load.

I've read about CT placement and orientation but I'm not sure how it would relate what I'm seeing.

I'll appreciate your feedback.

Thanks!

 

[IvanRivera]

I'm adding screen captures related to item 4 in the original post.

 

[jjrandorin]

Hi, I got my system installed last week with one powerwall. I'm experiencing the following errors during monitoring through powerflow screen in the Tesla app:

1. When producing solar, the solar production power reading decreases immediately when an appliance is turned on. It goas back to the previous production value when it is turned back off.
2. The home load power value increases as the solar production value increases without any changes to the actual home load. I might know that my actual home load is around 0.5 kW but the home load value will increase gradually as solar production increases up to max reading around 2 kW. Right now solar production reads 4.8 kW and home load reads 1.8 kW. I know my actual home load is about 0.5 kW as it read this morning prior to the sun coming out. (see attached screen capture labeled as 2)
3. At peak production, I get a power reading of 5.2 - 5.3 kW when the max I get from the enlighten app is 3.8 kW, which make sense since I have 13 panels with IQ7+ (max 295W). Panels are 390W each.
4. The Solar Energy counter in the Energy Usage app screen have always read 0 kWh but there's a graph with power values that seems to be a mirror image of the energy to grid graph.

When I connect to the gateway I see the exclamation points at both solar and home with the messages: "Solar meter may be configured incorrectly". I get a similar one for the home load.

I've read about CT placement and orientation but I'm not sure how it would relate what I'm seeing.

I'll appreciate your feedback.

Thanks!

The CTs are likely not in the correct places / on the correct wires. Not something I would recommend looking at yourself unless you are highly electrical system savvy.

Have you contacted the people who installed your system prior to posting here about it, and if so, what did they say? If it was tesla, have you called the tesla energy support line to report your findings, and if so, what did they say?

sometimes tesla can configure something on the back end to make the CTs read correctly, and other times they need to be physically moved in your panel. I would recommend starting with contacting either your installer, or tesla, or both.

 

[IvanRivera]

The CTs are likely not in the correct places / on the correct wires. Not something I would recommend looking at yourself unless you are highly electrical system savvy.

Have you contacted the people who installed your system prior to posting here about it, and if so, what did they say? If it was tesla, have you called the tesla energy support line to report your findings, and if so, what did they say?

sometimes tesla can configure something on the back end to make the CTs read correctly, and other times they need to be physically moved in your panel. I would recommend starting with contacting either your installer, or tesla, or both.

Hi,

no, I'm not technically prepared to deal with this myself. I called my installer and they should come today or tomorrow. They said they will look into the location of the CTs.

The funny thing is that I called Tesla Support and they said some polarities were incorrect. They made some changes and they made matters worst. Before, some numbers were not that accurate but the direction of the flows made sense. I could tell what was going on. Now after their changes neither the numbers nor the the direction make any sense. At one point it showed my home having a load of 18kW and flows coming into my home from all solar, grid and battery at the same time. It drained 3% of my battery. It didn't drain more because I changed the self powered limit to 97%.

I told the guy that he made it worst and said that I should wait 24 hrs. Doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[cwied]

The setup wizard on the Powerwall has a screen that lets you assign the CT's to each role (and direction). If you feel up to it, you could try changing the assignments yourself. If you don't feel confident in doing that, I agree that calling Tesla is probably your best bet. It sounds to me like one of your solar CT's is marked load and vice versa.

 

[IvanRivera]

The setup wizard on the Powerwall has a screen that lets you assign the CT's to each role (and direction). If you feel up to it, you could try changing the assignments yourself. If you don't feel confident in doing that, I agree that calling Tesla is probably your best bet. It sounds to me like one of your solar CT's is marked load and vice versa.

That's something that I would feel comfortable doing. I looked into it and tried but I only have customer access. Would installer access be required to do that?

 

[IvanRivera]

I figured out how to reset the installer password.

 

[jjrandorin]

I figured out how to reset the installer password.

I would just wait for your installer to fix it. We pay a lot of money for these systems, and getting that part correct is part of the regular service (just my opinion).

 

[IvanRivera]

I would just wait for your installer to fix it. We pay a lot of money for these systems, and getting that part correct is part of the regular service (just my opinion).

I agree. I'm very curious about how the system works and how it is configured but I'll them work with it. I'm a mechanical engineer and sometimes I can't help trying to jump in and try to fix stuff. But you're right, is a lot of money and I don't want to mess with it.

It's been a learning experience anyway.

 

[jjrandorin]

I agree. I'm very curious about how the system works and how it is configured but I'll them work with it. I'm a mechanical engineer and sometimes I can't help trying to jump in and try to fix stuff. But you're right, is a lot of money and I don't want to mess with it.

It's been a learning experience anyway.

Im not an engineer (although I wanted to be one when I was growing up... too much math lol). I am an IT professional, but I also have quite a bit of what I call "the engineers curiosity" so I totally get it.

In your specific situation (since tesla did "something" that appears to make it worse) is that whatever tesla did may confuse the installer when they come to fix it. I would keep a close eye on it like you are, and take a few different screenshots (or maybe even a short < 20 second video) showing flows happening in the wrong / incorrect direction, then hopefully the installer can contact tesla and get it all straightened out.

 

[IvanRivera]

update: The issue was resolved by my installer with the help of Tesla support. Apparently CTs were correctly placed and it was just a configuration thing. Unfortunately I don't know the specifics since they fix it remotely.

Thank you all for the help!

 

[Icebox_inel]

update: The issue was resolved by my installer with the help of Tesla support. Apparently CTs were correctly placed and it was just a configuration thing. Unfortunately I don't know the specifics since they fix it remotely.

Thank you all for the help!

A recommendation, never, never enter to the wizard section using the installer password. As I know they recorded each sign in and sign out in the system and can void warranty.

 

[IvanRivera]

A recommendation, never, never enter to the wizard section using the installer password. As I know they recorded each sign in and sign out in the system and can void warranty.

Thanks for the info. That's good to know.

 

[SSonnentag]

I had to correct the communication terminal order on my Gateway as well. It's easy enough to do if you're careful, but if you're able to wait for Tesla technicians, I'd go that route. In my case, I my schedule is so difficult to match up with the service guys that I decided to fix it myself. I've only been home 5 days in the past 2 months.