Solar roof wiring?

[SoCalSolarRoof]

Does sound like that would have been better. Wonder where the strings are joined. If it's on the roof that would be a PITA to rewire but they might have run them separately into the inverters combiner box. If that's the case it might only take ~20 minutes to fix.

It's not so much that the string in shade is effecting the unshaded string. Essentially 2 different power points are being created since one string is effectively shorter than the other if one is in shade. So there's a 'M'PP at ~300v and one and ~400v. The inverter has to determine which one yields more power. At the higher voltage the unshaded string is basically producing at it's MPP and the shaded string is at ~0. At the lower voltage it's compromising and neither string is happy but overall power could be higher than the one unshaded string alone. Either way.... unshaded panels are losing power because of shaded panels... which is why parallel strings suck.

Yeah I've been wondering that myself. I've got a junction box near the roof, then nothing else till the inverter. I've seen the inverter wiring, it's not being combined there... none of the wiring is in the attic for us.

 

[SoCalSolarRoof]

Yeah I've been wondering that myself. I've got a junction box near the roof, then nothing else till the inverter. I've seen the inverter wiring, it's not being combined there... none of the wiring is in the attic for us.

So I got curious, there's a junction panel in that black box. Should be really easy to swap. I've never worked with this type of connection before, how do I disconnect wires?

 

[nwdiver]

So I got curious, there's a junction panel in that black box. Should be really easy to swap. I've never worked with this type of connection before, how do I disconnect wires?

Dang... that's a really nice connector. I would recommend contacting Tesla first. I agree that does look super-easy but if they're willing to do it that would be the best route.

If the wait for Tesla is too long I think you push in the hole above the wire with a small screw driver. That will release the wire. Obviously do that at night when the wires aren't hot.

 

[h2ofun]

Dang... that's a really nice connector. I would recommend contacting Tesla first. I agree that does look super-easy but if they're willing to do it that would be the best route.

If the wait for Tesla is too long I think you push in the hole above the wire with a small screw driver. That will release the wire. Obviously do that at night when the wires aren't hot.

Assume one has warranty, no way would I mess with that. Muck it up and warranty maybe gone.

 

[nwdiver]

Assume one has warranty, no way would I mess with that. Muck it up and warranty maybe gone.

The only way to damage anything would be to put two strings in series so the voltage is too high.... be really hard to do that by rearranging those wires. But yes.... obviously if you're not comfortable with electricity then don't touch it... and as I said the best option would be to ask Tesla to fix their design. Seeing as how it would take a tech ~10 minutes hopefully they'll be willing to stop by.

 

[SoCalSolarRoof]

The only way to damage anything would be to put two strings in series so the voltage is too high.... be really hard to do that by rearranging those wires. But yes.... obviously if you're not comfortable with electricity then don't touch it... and as I said the best option would be to ask Tesla to fix their design. Seeing as how it would take a tech ~10 minutes hopefully they'll be willing to stop by.

Thanks! I will ask Tesla, as busy as they are around here it might be a while. The string combining is part of the design they submitted to the city. I wonder if it would require updating the permit.