Relocating Solar Panel Disconnect Box - Warranty

[jshutterbug]

Hi,

Not Telsa related but I need to relocate a solar breaker (Combiner/gateway box?) 2ft over to be able to install my 400A panel. Solar panels have Enphase microinverters and supposedly have a 25yr warranty. The electricians I've been getting estimates for the panel upgrade for mostly say they can move the box for me but I should ask the solar company that installed it whether it would void the warranty if somone else does it.

The solar company that installed my panels said it would cost $1,300-1,400 to relocate the box. They have a $699 minimum service charge and would most likely require 2 trips (one for the removal, one to reconnect back to the new panel. Isn't the price a bit steep? I pad a little over $13k for 4kw system 3 years ago (so I still have a long way before warranty expires.

My questions are...
1) Does the original installer also need to be the one to relocate the solar box or can any solar installer do it so as to maintain the warranty? Isn't the 25 years warranty a manufacturer's warranty? I believe the 25 year warranty has to do with the performance of the panels (ie degradation/efficiency). Do I need to contact the manufacturer and ask?
2) What's the likelihood that disconnecting and relocating the solar box would cause a failure to the solar panel system, especially if each panel have microinverters? I thought the benefit of microinverters is I could simply replace the ones that are broken without affecting the other panels.
3) Since the entire cost of the system was $13k before tax credit, is it worth paying $1,300-1,400 to move it. Or should one just have an electrician do it since it seems like a pretty straightforward job.
4) What's the worst that could go wrong if it wasn't reinstalled correctly? Does it require any reprogramming after relocation? The solar box is also the brains of the solar panel system right? I'm thinking of it like a desktop pc, I can easily unplug it and move it to another location without any issue as long as I don't drop it .

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[arnolddeleon]

I would jut have your electricians move it.

 

[BGbreeder]

I can understand the logic of "hey, you tinkered with it, so the warranty is void until proven otherwise". That's the automotive standard on modified cars, though I believe (not an attorney here) that the law goes the other way, and the car manufacturer has to show how your modifications caused the failure. Still, it will be a can of worms if you ever need to go down that path, and not inexpensive.

Your electrician is going to incur some costs to move it, potentially more than a little if rewiring is needed, so the actual difference here is less than $1,400. Is it worth that lower number not to have hassles in the future? I.e. would you pay $1,000 not to be hassled in your solar warranty in the future?

There isn't much in that box, but I try to never underestimate the ability of some folks to mess things up.

All the best,

BG

 

[arnolddeleon]

I can understand the logic of "hey, you tinkered with it, so the warranty is void until proven otherwise". That's the automotive standard on modified cars, though I believe (not an attorney here) that the law goes the other way, and the car manufacturer has to show how your modifications caused the failure. Still, it will be a can of worms if you ever need to go down that path, and not inexpensive.

Your electrician is going to incur some costs to move it, potentially more than a little if rewiring is needed, so the actual difference here is less than $1,400. Is it worth that lower number not to have hassles in the future? I.e. would you pay $1,000 not to be hassled in your solar warranty in the future?

There isn't much in that box, but I try to never underestimate the ability of some folks to mess things up.

All the best,

BG

If I don't trust the electricians to move this circuit and not screw it up then I wouldn't trust them to install a 400A service panel.

Why would you spend $1000 to insurance $9000? I'm guessing that 400A upgrade is going to cost at least $5000. The amount of labor to do the move as part of that 400A install is likely less than an hour. You are paying for the travel time and opportunity cost for the solar installer. For your electrician that is likely just a marginal addition, probably around $200. More likely they just count it as part of costs associated with circuit work as part of any panel replacement.

 

[jshutterbug]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I'm leaning towards just having the electrician relocate the combiner disconnect box and take a chance. I think the solar company is charging way too much given the amount of work required to move the box. If a panel does go out, is it pretty easy to swap out the panel myself? I'm assuming I can replace the panel with different brand. Worst case, I'll just be down that one panel since they use microinverters.

If the combiner gateway box goes out, how difficult is it to replace? Google shows it costs $755 but how much would it cost to install? Does it requirer a solar installer to reprogram or can homeowner reprogram?

Also, anyone know how much solar installers charge to remove the panels and wiring from the roof if you have to reroof your house? Then you have to pay them to reinstall all the panels. I wonder how this compares to installing a brand new system instead. The labor is the most expensive piece of the equation right?

 

[CrazyRabbit]

I would just move it myself (electrician). Tesla didn’t have a problem eliminating my old disconnects (2) to my enphase system when installing my powerwalls. Now you might need to reassess wire gage if length changes.

 

[CrazyRabbit]

You can self commission enphase, plus it gives you more access to data, that you need to pay 200 bucks to get.

 

[holeydonut]

You can self commission enphase, plus it gives you more access to data, that you need to pay 200 bucks to get.

Eh? what is this extra data?

I just got access to the Enlighten interface and Enphase Toolkit. There's a $200 premium access tool too?

 

[CrazyRabbit]

Enlighten manager and toolkit. Manager show per panel dc current, dc voltage, ac power, ac voltage, frequency and inverter temperature. Also you can set inverter profiles and such.
Mppt’s basically match the impedance of the panel to maximize power transfer.

 

[holeydonut]

Enlighten manager and toolkit. Manager show per panel dc current, dc voltage, ac power, ac voltage, frequency and inverter temperature. Also you can set inverter profiles and such.
Mppt’s basically match the impedance of the panel to maximize power transfer.

View attachment 922814

Huh, I thought that was just the standard features? I don't recall paying $200 for that. Maybe Sunrun paid it and didn't tell me. But it's under my personal email address. I can even provision new microinverters and change the grid profile (which of course I would never do since I don't now what they all mean heh).

 

[jshutterbug]

I had an existing LG 12 solar panel system with Enphase microinverters on my 100A main panel. Tesla recently added 12 panels and 3 Powerwalls to the same 100A panel. The additional panels was for a newly built ADU. Still waiting for Permission to Operate from PG&E.

I'm in the prcess of upgrading my panel to a 400A panel (two 200A breakers). I was trying to get Tesla to come back out to relocate the wiring from the old electrical panel to the new electrical panel but Tesla said the pre-install team is unlikely to come back out because of how busy they are. He suggested I reach out to the Energy Support team after PTO and request maintenance. Has anyone done this before? Will they relocate the wires for me? Do you know how much it would cost?

Would Telsa let me buy a 2nd Tesla gateway for my other 200A breaker? Any idea on costs?

Anyways, back to asking my original question. If I can't get Tesla to relocate the wires to the 400A panel, my electrician said he can do it but suggest I ask Tesla whether it would void any Tesla warranties because he'll be touching the new subpanel Tesla installed as well as Tesla gateway. Tesla Advisor said it shouldn't void the warranty if my electrician does everything correctly but if he wires something incorrectly and it damages the Tesla product, it wouldn't be covered. I'm afraid if something does fail (due to faulty equipment), Tesla will say a uncertifed person touched the equipment in the past so you won't be covered under warranty. Anyone ever have to file a warranty claim and did they ask you if any non-Tesla employees touch the system?

 

[CrazyRabbit]

Huh, I thought that was just the standard features? I don't recall paying $200 for that. Maybe Sunrun paid it and didn't tell me. But it's under my personal email address. I can even provision new microinverters and change the grid profile (which of course I would never do since I don't now what they all mean heh).

If you self install you get it for free, otherwise you pay for it.

 

[CrazyRabbit]

... Still waiting for Permission to Operate from PG&E. …

Make sure the system is fully working first before having electrician touch the system.
When tesla installed my system the installer said they could only touch the wiring from the enphase combiner to the grid. They removed two disconnect switches and landed the enphase solar in the 400amp generation panel outside.