New system underproducing/SolarEdge app layout not as expected

[DanB2]

I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

I have a new 11.2 kW system (33 panels at 340W, mostly S/SW facing). System has been running since November, though I just got PTO last week and SolarEdge account this week.

My peak production on a sunny day in November/December was about 5.2kW. I am in SoCal and thought that was low but don’t have a reference point. However, since I got the SolarEdge account I am seeing a couple of things that look off and I wonder if they are related to the low production. See photos attached. Two things look odd:

- app shows 21 panels in one string. I have 33 panels. I wonder if the other panels are not connected and not producing (though I know it also could be that the system is not mapped properly)
- I understood max panels per string was equivalent to 6kW of production - so about 17 panels. The app shows I have 21 panels on a string. Also in the photo below (taken early in the morning so production numbers are very low), the total for the string is 21.75Wh, but total for the inverter is 19Wh. Is that loss of 15% normal or is it related to the oversized string?

many thanks in advance
Dan

 

[jboy210]

A few questions.

1. When you say peak production is 5.2 kW do you mean the highs value you saw was 5.2 kW?
2. What is your total daily production in kWh?
3. How does that daily production number match with estimates from the PvWatts calculator for your address?

We are just past the lowest producing day for the year (Dec 21) and almost 6 months from the highest producing day (June 21) so the numbers are going to be low this time of year.

Sorry, I have no idea on strings and inverter efficiencies since I have a SolarRoof.

 

[mnsweeps]

OP, I see you are in Westlake Village which is not far from me (Stevenson Ranch). I have lesser panels (24) than you but have a higher production. Averaging 21 kWh since I turned on my system on Dec 5. Do you have trees or structure shadows over your panels?

 

[DanB2]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, the system generates about 5 kW between noon and 1 pm. My daily production on perfectly sunny days has been around 27 - 30 kWH. There are no obstructions - I get a nice smooth curve on sunny days.

 

[solarAddict]

Edit - ignore my previous post ., it's not correct.

Looks like only one of your strings is displayed. Do you have "Show Tree" button on the toolbar. you should see individual strings there. And technically they should match to the main view..

 

[DanB2]

Thanks. There is no Show Tree in the app or browser.

 

[solarAddict]

Here is how mine look like (in browser):

 

[DanB2]

Thanks - I do have that in the browser. However, only one string with 21 panels.

 

[solarAddict]

Well. I guess it's time to talk with a layer. I mean with installer. wait..

 

[charlesj]

Thanks for the responses. Yes, the system generates about 5 kW between noon and 1 pm. My daily production on perfectly sunny days has been around 27 - 30 kWH. There are no obstructions - I get a nice smooth curve on sunny days.

You states 5 kW between noon and 1PM. Is that peaks or kWh? If peak, I have generated 2.7 kW peek with 17 215 watt inverters, 235W panels so, with 21 panels at 340W I would think a lot higher peak is in order. Or not.

 

[CrazyRabbit]

i get 12KW on a 16kw system (56x iq7+ 340w panels), 26 panels south, rest east west. your output seems low to me... shut off your inverter and disconnect your dc leads, you should have one volt per panel for each string. if one sting is zero volts then it is open circuit.

 

[Alex_M]

I have a very similar system to your; 32 panels 10.88 kWh system, located about 30 miles away from you. All my panels are facing S/SW. I received PTO on last Sunday. I have one 10K SolarEdge inverter. On Monday 1/11, I produced 12.6 kWh, Tuesday 37.3 kWh and today looks like I will produce +/- $16.5. kWh

 

[DanB2]

Thanks for the responses. I am pretty confident one third of my panels are not connected. I put a call into Tesla. I could write a book on all the things they screwed up, so this is just another chapter...

 

[solarAddict]

Thanks for the responses. I am pretty confident one third of my panels are not connected. I put a call into Tesla. I could write a book on all the things they screwed up, so this is just another chapter...

Any update on this?

 

[ScoGold]

FWIW I saw the other day that someone posted that SolarEdge has a dashboard for those customers that are showing their data publicly. Go here and you can enter your ZIP or CITY and you can see the size of systems and their daily/monthly/yearly generation. It’s likely you can find a neighbor close by with a similarly sized system to see what their output is.

SolarEdge

 

[DanB2]

Actually yes. Tesla came out today and fixed it. Not entirely clear what the problem was. The tech said the wiring was all fine but he could also only see 21 panels on the inverter so he re-paired them all and that did the trick. My production went up 50% immediately and I can see all panels in the solaredge app.
Happy they fixed it quickly but I question what sort of QC the install team did when they left. If I could figure this out, they should have been able to. Someone who does not pay attention would have gone the next 20 years with a third of the panels they paid for dead as dodo. I suspect most people don’t even get the solaredge app.

Thanks for the feedback here.

 

[solarAddict]

Glad to hear it worked out for you.