Each panel has an optimizer. Apparently SolarEdge does allow configurations where two panels can share an optimizer, but I don’t believe that tesla installs them that way at all.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
PSA for folks getting a new solar install - ask for a map of your panel/optimizer layout
- Thread starter BrettS
- Start date
Each panel has an optimizer. Apparently SolarEdge does allow configurations where two panels can share an optimizer, but I don’t believe that tesla installs them that way at all.
Well, it took a lot of effort, but I was finally able to get my physical panel layout available on my solaredge monitoring portal:
The numbers shown there are the total production amounts for each panel since the system was first turned on in late June. There is a palm tree in the southern corner of the house that causes some shading which is why those 4 panels in the corner produced less than the rest of the panels.
One benefit I see to having the panel layout is that I was able to figure out that the shading from the tree has probably cost me about 130kWh over the life of the system (assuming that if the tree wasn’t there then the shaded panels would have produced about the same amount as the unshaded panels near them). Since the system has produced 4.95MWh that means that the tree has only cost me about 2.6% of my total production. I wasn’t sure what to do with the tree, but now that I know it’s only costing me about 2.6% I don’t think that’s worth taking it down.
The other thing of note is that the panels that are facing east are producing a good bit more than the ones facing west. I think a significant factor there is the fact that in the summer we often get clouds and rain in the afternoons here in florida. Typically as the sun rises the skies are clear, so the east facing panels are able to produce well, but as the sun moves toward the west clouds come in and more often than now I’ll have significant cloud cover in the afternoons. I’m hoping that as we move into fall and winter that the skies will be less cloudy and the west facing panels will be able to produce more.
The numbers shown there are the total production amounts for each panel since the system was first turned on in late June. There is a palm tree in the southern corner of the house that causes some shading which is why those 4 panels in the corner produced less than the rest of the panels.
One benefit I see to having the panel layout is that I was able to figure out that the shading from the tree has probably cost me about 130kWh over the life of the system (assuming that if the tree wasn’t there then the shaded panels would have produced about the same amount as the unshaded panels near them). Since the system has produced 4.95MWh that means that the tree has only cost me about 2.6% of my total production. I wasn’t sure what to do with the tree, but now that I know it’s only costing me about 2.6% I don’t think that’s worth taking it down.
The other thing of note is that the panels that are facing east are producing a good bit more than the ones facing west. I think a significant factor there is the fact that in the summer we often get clouds and rain in the afternoons here in florida. Typically as the sun rises the skies are clear, so the east facing panels are able to produce well, but as the sun moves toward the west clouds come in and more often than now I’ll have significant cloud cover in the afternoons. I’m hoping that as we move into fall and winter that the skies will be less cloudy and the west facing panels will be able to produce more.
Electrph
Member
And for those wondering what it took to get that map on my system, here is what I did:
As I mentioned at the beginning of this thread I spent several hours one evening manually mapping out my panels on paper because I didn’t get a map from my installers.
I created an installer account on the solaredge web site, then I submitted a ticket asking solaredge to move my system to my to my installer account. Solaredge had me fill out a transfer of ownership form stating that I was the owner of the system. It took about a week for everything to process, but as of this afternoon I am now the official installer for my system.
I don’t know how Tesla feels about this (although I own the system, so I’m not sure that they really have a lot of say in it). I suppose there could potentially be issues if I needed warranty work done, but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
If you do want to do the same I would suggest waiting until after PTO just to be sure that this doesn’t cause any problems with the PTO process. Additionally I would only do this for a system that was owned and not one that was leased as with a leased system Tesla is still technically the owner.
Finally I spent several hours this evening using the SolarEdge SiteMapper app to actually lay out the panels and then manually enter serial numbers for all 48 of my optimizers. I then realized that I accidentally had told the system that the panels were oriented vertically instead of horizontally, so I wound up having to completely redo all of the mapping work and re-enter all 48 optimizer serial numbers. But the good news is that it went much faster the second time since I had more practice then
As I mentioned at the beginning of this thread I spent several hours one evening manually mapping out my panels on paper because I didn’t get a map from my installers.
I created an installer account on the solaredge web site, then I submitted a ticket asking solaredge to move my system to my to my installer account. Solaredge had me fill out a transfer of ownership form stating that I was the owner of the system. It took about a week for everything to process, but as of this afternoon I am now the official installer for my system.
I don’t know how Tesla feels about this (although I own the system, so I’m not sure that they really have a lot of say in it). I suppose there could potentially be issues if I needed warranty work done, but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.
If you do want to do the same I would suggest waiting until after PTO just to be sure that this doesn’t cause any problems with the PTO process. Additionally I would only do this for a system that was owned and not one that was leased as with a leased system Tesla is still technically the owner.
Finally I spent several hours this evening using the SolarEdge SiteMapper app to actually lay out the panels and then manually enter serial numbers for all 48 of my optimizers. I then realized that I accidentally had told the system that the panels were oriented vertically instead of horizontally, so I wound up having to completely redo all of the mapping work and re-enter all 48 optimizer serial numbers. But the good news is that it went much faster the second time since I had more practice then
Yeah, it’s definitely pretty cool. And in the app you can even run an animation that shows the per panel production over the whole day, so you can see the east facing panels start to come online first as the sun rises, then watch as all the panels light up in the afternoon, then in the evening the east facing panels start to dim and the west facing ones stay online until the sun sets.
And just for comparison, here is the per panel data that you get by default in the SolarEdge app if your physical panel layout has not been completed:
All the same per panel data is there, but the panels are shown in a completely random order (They are shown in the order that the optimizers registered to the inverters). So you can still see the per panel data, and if you have the panel map you can figure out which panel is which (you can click on the panel and it will show you the optimizer serial number that’s associated with it).
But you can’t just tell at a glance where you are getting shading from a tree or how the panels that are facing east are doing compared to those facing west.
All the same per panel data is there, but the panels are shown in a completely random order (They are shown in the order that the optimizers registered to the inverters). So you can still see the per panel data, and if you have the panel map you can figure out which panel is which (you can click on the panel and it will show you the optimizer serial number that’s associated with it).
But you can’t just tell at a glance where you are getting shading from a tree or how the panels that are facing east are doing compared to those facing west.
charlesj
Active Member
Excellent, thanks. Will pass it on to son in AZ.
Your finished panel layout is at the SolarEdge site on your account? If so, I presume you were able to rearrange the standard layout to your final layout.
Impressive.
Yes, in my SolarEdge account I can now see the standard “logical layout” as well as the more practical “physical layout”. For the physical layout you need to use the SolarEdge SiteMapper app. That app allows you to map out the panels in their physical locations, then once that’s done you tell it which optimizer goes with which panel. If you have the panel map that includes the QR codes for the optimizers then it is considerably easier as you can use your phone or tablet’s camera to grab the serial numbers from the QR codes. Or if you’re like me without a map with QR codes then you need to manually type in all the serial numbers. But either way, once everything is mapped out the SiteMapper app will allow you to publish the map to your SolarEdge monitoring account.
charlesj
Active Member
I don't have my check list any more. But, I remember having to ask him/her the optimizer map on it. I also had a request to see if they can move some panels from the east side to the west and south facing side. Wanted to check the conduit path, which I did not finally ask. There was a couple more, that I cannot recall. Sorry.
solarAddict
Member
Thank you for sharing! this is very informative. I don't have system up but I was able to find someone's sytem in my town and production numbers looks very encouraging. I still have to explain my decision (to go solar) to lot of my friend and family members so every bit of info is valuable.
charlesj
Active Member
charlesj
Active Member
I've been meaning to ask about the optimizer, does that have a temperature graph or any other reading besides power and energy readouts? I am curious how much the scorching heat there affects production and how much higher panel temp or at least up there get vs temp recorded on the ground in shade.
A few weeks ago we had a heat wave, temp in the 90s but solar readout, pretty sure it is inverter temp as panels don't have extra wire leads, was over 122F.
I’ve looked around a little and I don’t believe the optimizers provide temperature data at all. Solaredge does sell a separate device that can read panel temperature, but I believe you need to run a temperature probe to your panels for that to work. The inverters do provide data about their heatsink temp (which can get quite high. I’ve seen mine hit like 150 degrees F on hot days)
SoCal Dave
Member
What are you trying to use a serial number for? If you just want a monitoring account you need to request it from Tesla. They will tell you to wait a day or two and then you’ll get your credentials in an email. You can just log in with those credentials and see your system. You don’t need to enter a serial number at all.
If you are trying to take ownership of your system with your own installer account then you will need the serial number or your site ID. You can get your site ID with the monitoring account if you have one. But the serial number is on the bottom of the top part of my inverter near a QR code (Sorry, that was a confusing sentence). It doesn’t actually say “serial number” near it. It’s in the format XXXXXXXX-XX.
SoCal Dave
Member
Ah thanks, I was going the installer account route. I'll start with Tesla first though.
Interesting that my inverter serial numbers are all in the format XXXXXX-XXXXXXXXX-XX (might be off an X or 2).
Look for the sticker with the QR code. That should have the 10 digit serial number that they’re looking for. Or maybe it’s just the last 2 parts of the big long serial number that you see.
