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PV output question and Tesla app and Enphase question.

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Have a 20kw PV system and 3 pw2s. Can someone explain why on a perfect day it seems the highest output indicated by the tesla app is 15-16kw peak. Is there something with Tesla that limits output? When discharging from Batteries it does max of 15kw (3x5kw) but why would the PV be limited?

Hypothetically, if I increased the size of the PV system say to 25 or 30kw would I still be limited to 15kw PV output? If I add a 4th battery would it increase now to 20kw (4 pws @5kw each)

Thanks (just trying to get my solar powered cerebral light bulb to come)
 
The other thing - when the go through Powerwall setup wizzard, they have to input the size of your inverter. And it is possible that they didn't input it correctly, so the app thinks that your inverters are limited to 15KW
 
Just because all the panels add up to 20kw does not mean that they are all receiving optimal lighting from the sun at the same time. I’ve got a 23kW system and because most of mine are east and west facing with a handful southerly facing, and all at a fairly steep angle, my nominal high output is around 18kw. Now there are times it’s spikes to 22+kw but it’s rare and fairly short lived.
 
Were both installed at the same time? By Tesla or someone else?

First off, the panel rating is under optimal conditions, so it's very unlikely that you'd ever see that actual number. Depends on lots of factors such as panel orientation, tilt, temperature, shading, lattitude, etc. Also, it's not uncommon for the total panel power to be more than the inverter(s) can actually handle. For example my 13.32kWp array feeds 2 5200W inverters, so realistically the best I'd ever see is 10.4kW (and I've only seen that due to cloud edge effect, on a normal clear day the peak is more like 9kW). So a question is what is the output capacity of the microinverters, and how many do you have, it should be simple math after that.

But if Tesla did the whole shebang, there is a chance that they might have dialed-down the solar output to ensure it couldn't be greater than what the PWs can handle when charging, which is 5kW per PW. For example in my system I think part of the reason why they split it across two 5200W inverters is because I have 1 PW (and said I planned to add another in the future), so one inverter is paired with the PW and the other is on the opposite side of the Gateway, so in the event of a power outage that second inverter simply goes away. There is a risk if you have more solar capacity than the PWs can absorb during charging (and your household consumption doesn't make up the difference) that things could become overloaded during a grid outage (really it shouldn't cause anything more than the inverters to shut down, but it might lead to voltage spikes until it hits whatever voltage the inverters would need to see to shut down).

Looking at your production graphs on both Enphase and Tesla's app would probably help, if Enphase continues to rise above 15kW while Tesla doesn't it might just be a measurement/configuration issue. And I'd also look for clipping, does the system rise and suddenly stop at 15kW, or does it just happen that your daily peak ends up around 15kW and it's a nice curve otherwise?
 
Just because all the panels add up to 20kw does not mean that they are all receiving optimal lighting from the sun at the same time. I’ve got a 23kW system and because most of mine are east and west facing with a handful southerly facing, and all at a fairly steep angle, my nominal high output is around 18kw. Now there are times it’s spikes to 22+kw but it’s rare and fairly short lived.
Yes, and may I add that systems are usually a peak rating (capability), not what it is expected to produce every day. The actual production is always going to be less.
 
What does your actual inverter say? I have a 12+kW system (see sig). I have a 10kW inverter. It’s an east-west system so all the panels aren’t in full direct use at one time but I still get more than 10kW on some days. It gets clipped because the max it can handle is 10kW. The graph looks like the top of a mountain with the tip sliced off.

The answer from Tesla is I’m getting what my contract says I’m supposed to get. :D I assume that means that there aren’t enough days where I’m clipped that it matters and/or compared to the cost of an upgraded inverter. Maybe true. But wish they’d told me in the first place since I’m the one paying for it.

You may be in the same boat.
 
Ive got, 68 Enphase Energy IQ7-60-2-US micro inverters & 68 Silfab SLA300M panels. According to the Tesla App, on a beautiful no cloud day and all panels churning, I get a beautiful bell curve starting about 730am ending at 7pm. Tops out at about 15-16kw of production. Running in self powered mode with a 25% reserve, panels begin charging the batteries but it is directly proportional to the battery and house requirements. by 9am PV is churning and putting out exactly 15kw+/-1 and feeding the house and recharging the battery. House asks for 5 and gets it, 10 goes to recharge battery. The ratio always stays proportional to the 15 produced by the panels. Seems that with the system size, it should be able to produce and push more into the grid than 15kw. (18kw +/-1)

That is why the question, if i increase the size of the system will I be limited by the batteries, &/or if I get a 4th PW2 will it allow me to produce more power @20kw?

Thanks
 
That is why the question, if i increase the size of the system will I be limited by the batteries,
I don't know of any reason that the Powerwall would limit the output of the inverters when you are grid tied. The batteries merely take what they need of your output and the rest go to your loads and then to the grid. When the grid is down the Powerwall will definitely curtail inverter output.

As Dan123 and NuShrike said you are probably limited by inverter capacity. You have 68 inverters that max out at 240 Watts which is a little over 15kW. You have a nice smooth curve which is probably a result of good system design.
 
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Ive got, 68 Enphase Energy IQ7-60-2-US micro inverters & 68 Silfab SLA300M panels. According to the Tesla App, on a beautiful no cloud day and all panels churning, I get a beautiful bell curve starting about 730am ending at 7pm. Tops out at about 15-16kw of production. Running in self powered mode with a 25% reserve, panels begin charging the batteries but it is directly proportional to the battery and house requirements. by 9am PV is churning and putting out exactly 15kw+/-1 and feeding the house and recharging the battery. House asks for 5 and gets it, 10 goes to recharge battery. The ratio always stays proportional to the 15 produced by the panels. Seems that with the system size, it should be able to produce and push more into the grid than 15kw. (18kw +/-1)

That is why the question, if i increase the size of the system will I be limited by the batteries, &/or if I get a 4th PW2 will it allow me to produce more power @20kw?

Thanks

I am assuming you are connected to the grid with net metering
No, you won't produce more power if you get another PW.

Your power output is limited for some reason. Either the orientation of your panels is not ideal (maybe you have an east/west split, or a lot of northen panels). Or maybe not all inverters are working. Or maybe the powerwall software is not measuing your output correctly.

Check the enphase software to see how much you are producing. I think you can go to http://envoy.local when on your Wifi network to see the output
 
I don't know of any reason that the Powerwall would limit the output of the inverters when you are grid tied. The batteries merely take what they need of your output and the rest go to your loads and then to the grid. When the grid is down the Powerwall will definitely curtail inverter output.

As Dan123 and NuShrike said you are probably limited by inverter capacity. You have 68 inverters that max out at 240 Watts which is a little over 15kW. You have a nice smooth curve which is probably a result of good system design.

Yeah, I forgot that IQ7 is limited to 240 watt. So you will only get 16320 maximum power. That's normal, and if you are seeing a bell curve (without a flat top), that means that they are not even clipping. In Florida summer, heat and clouds reduce your output. You may see clipping in the spring from March to May.