Possible draws from grid not reflected in app

[hobapolis]

Hello folks. Today I saw a pretty big draw from the power grid but it’s not reflected in the app. I have a partial home back up and CT rings on the two remaining circuits (pool equipment / dryer) on my main breaker box.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we had a heat pump installed today and I see this draw however I don’t really understand why the solar panels aren’t powering this thing as it’s on the same circuit as the pool equipment.

The pool equipment goes into a sub panel that feeds back to the breaker that has the ct ring on it so it all should be getting monitored properly but perhaps I’m wrong?

Thanks for any thoughts you might have.

 

[ptdusn]

Actually, from this data, you GAVE the grid 16kW.

 

[hobapolis]

Actually, from this data, you GAVE the grid 16kW.

Apologies but I don’t understand. The net shows 16.1 kW but where is the 16.9 kW draw reflected in the app? There should be some pretty obvious indications “above the line” that I drew that much.

Because the new heat pump is on the same circuit as the other pool equipment there she be basically no draw during sunlight hours.

 

[hobapolis]

Here are some photos of my panel. Does the CT look upside down to you all?

Additionally I looked at my utility and saw I drew 8kWh yesterday during peak solar out put. Seems impossible since I have plenty of solar and battery (2 powerwalls).

The pool equipment wiring is definitely inside the CT rings.

 

[jgleigh]

Hard to say based on the pictures. I'd check that the wires from the new circuit are going the same direction and on the same phase as the existing two circuits.

I've got a somewhat related question. Before you installed the heat pump, did you see From Grid numbers in the app even when you weren't pulling from the grid? I often see From Grid/To Grid that add up to my correct grid usage (Net Usage) and I think it's related to how they add up the different CTs in partial backup installations.

 

[hobapolis]

I'd check that the wires from the new circuit are going the same direction and on the same phase as the existing two circuits.

Any tips on how to do that? i'm not super knowledgable about some of these words you used

 

[hobapolis]

Before you installed the heat pump, did you see From Grid numbers in the app even when you weren't pulling from the grid?

Yes. My From Grid numbers in the app are wildly different from what my utility has me pulling at any given time. What's confusing is why i'm drawing anything at all. For example here's what my utility saw yesterday:

 

[aesculus]

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we had a heat pump installed today and I see this draw however I don’t really understand why the solar panels aren’t powering this thing as it’s on the same circuit as the pool equipment.

Maybe I have misunderstood the above statement. In that case throw away the rest of this, but ...

If you have the solar on the same circuit (sub panel?) as the pool equipment then it is true that you will be monitoring the net value at any time. Not sure what that CT is fed as (home load or solar).

If it currently is a load circuit Tesla would have to install another set of CTs on the solar input to have it reflect solar generation in the app and have the numbers work out OK.

I had this same issue with one of my inverters tied into a load sub panel. But in my case the load was trivial so the math works out OK. In your case pool equipment could be equal to or greater than the solar output. You should talk to Tesla to see if they have a way to do remote monitoring of the solar for that circuit.

 

[hobapolis]

In your case pool equipment could be equal to or greater than the solar output.

Shouldn't the Powerwalls kick in then rather than draw from the grid?

If you have the solar on the same circuit (sub panel?) as the pool equipment then it is true that you will be monitoring the net value at any time.

I attached a photo that shows what circuit the pool is on. I'm likely not understanding your comment though. All the pool equipment is on the other side of the house. There are a few breakers there but they all get run back to the main pain in the picture. The gateway circuit is directly below the pool circuit.

Not sure what that CT is fed as (home load or solar).

To be honest I don't even know how to answer this. On my initial install I was always partial backup. The dryer circuit (and then pool) were the only ones not on the backup subpanel. They came out a month+ ago to put those CTs in the main panel however communication back to the gateway has been spotty so they're going to come back out to hardwire the Neurio back to the gateway.

 

[aesculus]

Is your solar inverter on the circuit that the pool equipment is on? That was what I thought you stated:

I don’t really understand why the solar panels aren’t powering this thing as it’s on the same circuit as the pool equipment.

Note: I see three sets of wires being monitored by the CT's (pool, dryer and ???). Looks like the breaker below the pool equipment.

Not sure what the double breaker above the dryer is for. The others are all off.

 

[hobapolis]

Is your solar inverter on the circuit that the pool equipment is on?

No I don't believe so. I don't even think the solar inverters breakers are in that main panel. I think they are in a subpanel closer to the powerwalls.

The breaker below the pool stuff is labeled "Gateway". The breaker above the dryer is labeled "Tesla Monitor"... my guess is it's the Neurio power.

 

[hobapolis]

As a test - over my lunch hour i thought maybe there was a wiring problem with the pool so i went to the main panel, opened the breaker, and went back to the pool. everything (filter, heat pump, o3 system, etc) was turned off as i expected it to be. closing the breaker turned everything back on. why the PV isn't properly supplying that load i have ZERO idea.

 

[aesculus]

As a test - over my lunch hour i thought maybe there was a wiring problem with the pool so i went to the main panel, opened the breaker, and went back to the pool. everything (filter, heat pump, o3 system, etc) was turned off as i expected it to be. closing the breaker turned everything back on. why the PV isn't properly supplying that load i have ZERO idea.

When you did that experiment where did it show that load was? I assume it showed it as a home load.

And the PV change showed up going where during your experiment?

 

[hobapolis]

When you did that experiment where did it show that load was? I assume it showed it as a home load.

correct. home load. the excess energy went to charging the PW.

 

[hobapolis]

Update: i spoke directly with an L2 tech at Tesla and we determined that somehow, someway Tesla wasn't seeing all the loads. I sent him a photo of these covered pole things and he said he was going to have the field tech move the CTs to the poles instead of having them on the wires going into the circuits as they are now.