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PSA for folks getting a new solar install - ask for a map of your panel/optimizer layout

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BrettS

Active Member
Mar 28, 2017
2,155
2,575
Orlando, FL
If Tesla installs SolarEdge inverters and optimizers you can request access to the SolarEdge monitoring portal to see panel level production data. (Although you may also need to connect your inverters to the internet so they can communicate with SolarEdge for this). However, because Tesla doesn’t normally provide this data to their customers they don’t provide a map showing the locations of each panel. (I don’t believe that they even made a map for their own internal use when they installed my system).

When I look at the SolarEdge monitoring system I can see data for all 48 of my panels, but I have no idea which panel is which. I could see a couple of panels that were under producing compared to the other panels as well as a couple of panels that produced a bit more than the other panels. I’m pretty confident that the under producing panels are the ones that have a bit of shade from a nearby palm tree, but I’m not sure where the ones that produce more are.

I went back and forth with myself for a few weeks about whether it was worth trying to make a panel map, exactly how much effort it would be to make the map, and the best way to make the map. In the end I decided that this was data that I wanted to have, so I just spent two hours this evening on my roof with my cell phone duct taped to the end of a pool pole sticking it under the panels from the top where there are no skirts to get in the way. I used the remote camera feature of my Apple Watch to see through my phone’s camera so I could position my phone under the serial number sticker of each of my 48 optimizers and take a picture of them in order.

I then spent another hour reading the serial numbers from the pictures and mapping out the panels. At the same time I compared them to the serial numbers on the SolarEdge monitoring system as a verification because some of the pictures wound up a little blurry or some of the numbers weren’t visible because there was a wire covering part of the sticker.

In the end the whole process only took about 3 hours in total and I’m glad that I went through with it so that I have this data now. My next step is to see if I can figure out how to upload the data to SolarEdge so that the SolarEdge monitoring system shows the logical layout of my panels.

But all that said, this data would be much much easier to get at install time by noting exactly where each optimizer is placed as the panels are mounted. If you feel like you might have any desire to have this data I would suggest asking your installers to provide a map for you.
 
One tip: my installer told me Solar Edge optimizers have serial number stickers on them that the installers are supposed to stick on a layout each time they install one. Ask them to use those. (FWIW, even though they knew about them, the installers apparently stuck them in the wrong places, because my layout isn't completely accurate anyway).
 
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Could you cover one panel at a time, in a known sequence, and look at the panel data for dips to ID each panel?

That’s a possibility too and one option that I was considering. But the problem is that the inverters only report their production every 15 minutes, so it would be a long involved process with a lot of trips onto the roof to cover one panel, then wait 15 minutes, then go back to the roof and cover another panel and wait 15 minutes, for a total of 48 panels. With a smaller number of panels this could be more feasible.
 
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by default are the inverters connected to your home wifi when Tesla installs it? I am a novice here .. what other devices are connected to my home internet? Powerwalls for sure...
As far as I know Tesla electrician only activates the inverter then log in locally. If you want SolarEdge monitoring you have to call Tesla tech support and ask them to grant monitoring access for you.
 
I called Tesla earlier today but they said they will grant minoring access to me sometimes later once I have PTO. My system was just installed last Saturday. I snapped a picture of my panel layout as well. Good to know where everything is and the SolarEdge will tell you how many optimizer online and their energy production. Later if some panels stops working you can request service.
 
That’s a possibility too and one option that I was considering. But the problem is that the inverters only report their production every 15 minutes, so it would be a long involved process with a lot of trips onto the roof to cover one panel, then wait 15 minutes, then go back to the roof and cover another panel and wait 15 minutes, for a total of 48 panels. With a smaller number of panels this could be more feasible.

This is a good example of where the best theoretical solution isn't always the best in practice.... I was thinking you can improve this by covering half the panels, then an appropriate different half, and have it all solved in 6 iterations. Only problem is designing the checker-board screens you would need to cover the right half of the panels each time, which would certainly take far longer than covering each panel individually, or your solution.
 
This is a good example of where the best theoretical solution isn't always the best in practice.... I was thinking you can improve this by covering half the panels, then an appropriate different half, and have it all solved in 6 iterations. Only problem is designing the checker-board screens you would need to cover the right half of the panels each time, which would certainly take far longer than covering each panel individually, or your solution.

I had actually considered something like that as well, but in my case it was further complicated by the fact that I have 2 inverters and 4 arrays on my roof. Two of the arrays aren’t in a nice square pattern. And I knew that one of the arrays had some panels connected to one inverter and some panels connected to the other inverter, but I didn’t know which panels were connected to which inverter. So given all that, I felt that the math to figure out the pattern to use and then to decode it when I was done would probably take more time than just doing it by brute force.

The other thing worth noting is that in my SolarEdge app it just shows all of the optimizers in a line coming off of each inverter. I naively assumed that this was the order that they were connected in the string and thought that if I checked a few panels then I could figure out the pattern that they used to connect them. However, I quickly discovered that was not the case. It would appear that while the optimizers are physically daisy chained from one to the next they all just communicate directly with the inverter and the order they appear in the app is completely random and has nothing to do with their physical arrangement. So in the end I did need to check every optimizer to complete my map.
 
BrettS,

How did you get access on the SolarEdge app to see the optimizer details? I have the serial numbers and the map of the panels from the installers, and tried to use the app, but requires an account, but have not got PTO. I think that you had access to the optimizer info before PTO.

Thanks,

GHTech
 
I've got a SolarEdge installation, and I asked the non-Tesla installer to be sure this was enabled. It was no extra charge to do it. You can see your friends and neighbors (if they have allowed it) here. Simply type a city name into the search field.

https://monitoringpublic.solaredge.com/solaredge-web/p/home/public

Here's mine:
https://monitoringpublic.solaredge....marillo Sleepy Hollow&locale=en_US#/dashboard

upload_2020-9-5_21-38-5.png
 
BrettS,

How did you get access on the SolarEdge app to see the optimizer details? I have the serial numbers and the map of the panels from the installers, and tried to use the app, but requires an account, but have not got PTO. I think that you had access to the optimizer info before PTO.

Thanks,

GHTech

You can call Tesla support and ask them to set you up with a solaredge account.
 
I had a list of items that I spoke to the lead about, and the optimizer map was one of them. Attached is what he gave me at the end, with the layout map drawn on the other side. Now to get access to the SolarEdge app, and also to see if the layout on SolarEdge can be adjusted to match my layout.
 

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