Is anyone using a Powerwall 2 with Enphase IQ7 microinverters?

[OppositeLock]

Hi All,

I bought my first Tesla product recently, a Powerwall 2. I have a small solar system with 8 Enphase IQ7 microinverters. The Power Gateway doesn't see my solar system. I went through the setup wizard, didn't change anything from what the installer did, but the installer set it up as having a single Enphase IQ6 inverter, so the powerwall thinks I have one 235W inverter, and furthermore, it can't communicate with it. The Power Gateway doesn't have the Enphase IQ7 microinverters in its model list, sadly.

How do you configure a microinverter based array with the Powerwall? Is each microinverter a separate solar system in the settings? Has anyone successfully done this with Enphase IQ7's?

Without the solar settings, my Tesla app doesn't allow me to do things like set schedules and peak rate times, etc. Right now, it's happily gobbling up 1.7kW at peak prices.

 

[Regnad]

I believe that the only connection that the Gateway has is the CT clamps on the AC from the roof. No configuration. It should not matter what inverters you have. I have old M215s and it works great.

First, check the current transformer clamps. Good luck!

 

[woferry]

The Gateway (the part of the Powerwall system that manages the actual Powerwalls) never communicates directly with any solar inverter. But the Neurio inside does have a pair of CTs (current transducers) that are meant for measuring the solar power. However your microinverters connect to your electrical service (presumably one or more breakers), the solar CTs are supposed to have those wires passing through them, so that it can measure the solar output.

The more advanced control options don't show up in the app for a few days, supposedly to give the Gateway time to learn about your power usage. You can stop the Powerwall via the web UI if you want to inhibit charging at the peak rate (you'll just have to start it manually again when you're ready to start charging, and won't get any backup functionality while it's stopped).

 

[OppositeLock]

Ok, thanks, so something is misconfigured. I have a CT clamp on one phase from the grid, and another CT clamp on one phase from the solar, but in the PowerWall, they're configured as Phase A and B of grid input in the powerwall itself. Sounds like the installer goofed up.

 

[charlesj]

I believe that the only connection that the Gateway has is the CT clamps on the AC from the roof. No configuration. It should not matter what inverters you have. I have old M215s and it works great.

First, check the current transformer clamps. Good luck!

Is that CT clamp in the panel where that solar breaker is? How does that clamp communicate with the Gateway, through the power line?

 

[OppositeLock]

There's a data cable from that clamp going to the power wall. I think it uses the i2c protocol.

 

[taronwalton1]

My grid outage frequency issue is resolved!
Check out this discussion, I configured my Powerwall and IQ7 inverters after reading this thread for better operation.

 

[charlesj]

Ok, thanks, so something is misconfigured. I have a CT clamp on one phase from the grid, and another CT clamp on one phase from the solar, but in the PowerWall, they're configured as Phase A and B of grid input in the powerwall itself. Sounds like the installer goofed up.

Maybe not, not sure. I would think if I am beginning to understand is that it uses that info from both to pass on to the app for accurate readout how much is coming or going to the grid and the solar system.

 

[taronwalton1]

schedules and peak rate times

Peak rate option under advance will show up in a few days after the system runs.

 

[woferry]

Are all of your house loads backed-up? Also, how many Powerwalls and how much total kW of solar (max inverter output & # of inverters)? Also, your profile doesn't list a location, are you in the US or somewhere else (maybe somewhere that isn't split-phase 240V AC)? If you're outside the US then everything I say below may be wrong.

I believe if all of the loads are backed-up there's a pair of CTs inside the Gateway (at the transfer switch) that can be used, in my case those CTs aren't connected, and all 4 of the Neurio's CT channels run to the cable raceway Tesla installed where the solar, PW and house loads come together. The Neurio has 4 channels, and typically 2 of them are for the house loads (one CT for each phase), and the other 2 are for the solar output (again one CT per phase). So if you only see 2 CTs and they're on completely different things (grid and solar) that sounds pretty messed-up to me. I'd either expect the Gateway to be using its transfer switch CTs for the grid measurement and the two 'outside' CTs to be for solar, or for there to be 4 CTs outside the Gateway, 2 for solar and 2 for wherever your grid loads are measured. But there should definitely be one CT per-phase, you can't monitor both phases with a single CT, and shouldn't be only monitoring one of the phases.

 

[OppositeLock]

I'm down the road from you, in Mountain View. My whole house panel is backed up by one power wall, and I have a tiny 2.6kW solar system made up of 8 Enphase IQ7 inverters coupled with 325W panels. Not much south facing roof on my house, sadly. We must be using the two internal CT's, then, however, the external two CT's are hooked up as I mentioned. It sounds wrong, either way.

 

[OppositeLock]

Yup, that was it! Thanks for the info. I moved one of the CT's to the other phase from the solar, and now everything works as expected. I also had to configure the CT's as measuring my solar array, not "site" as the thing was set to. Managed to verify that it works with the last rays of sunshine hitting my panels.

 

[miimura]

Yup, that was it! Thanks for the info. I moved one of the CT's to the other phase from the solar, and now everything works as expected. I also had to configure the CT's as measuring my solar array, not "site" as the thing was set to. Managed to verify that it works with the last rays of sunshine hitting my panels.

In order for the system to work properly, there should be a total of 4 CTs. One pair on the Grid coming into your main panel and one pair on the solar. If you only have one pair, the system still won't work properly to offset the site use. However, for now, it's good enough because properly measuring the solar will allow the PWs to charge.

 

[OppositeLock]

There are four CTs visible in the settings, however, I think the phases on the solar circuit are swapped. The CT’s are oriented correctly, but read negative values. I inverted the values in the settings, but now it double counts my solar production.

The grid CTs read consistently with the power meter, so those seem fine.