SolarEdge Generation Monitoring - hardwired (ethernet) network connection

[pdx_m3s]

Since my install is going on a new construction house, I pre-wired every room with Cat6, including the garage where the inverter will go.

Can SolarEdge inverters connected via ethernet rather than using the Zigbee gateway? If so, will I still be able to monitor generation on the Tesla and/or SolarEdge apps? I don't really have a preference (Tesla app vs. SolarEdge).

I feel like a hardwired connection will be far more reliable than wireless.

Edit: a little info about the system:
- Solar Panels only (no Powerwalls)
- SolarEdge SE 10kW inverter
- 33 G6+ panels

 

[BrettS]

If you are getting powerwalls then the large electrical panel gateway will communicate solar production and power usage data to tesla and make that data available in the tesla app.

If you are just solar only then the inverters will communicate solar production data to tesla through the little black zigbee gateway box. Additionally, for a solar only install the power blaster device installed in your electrical panel will report your power usage data to tesla through the little black zigbee gateway box. With a solar only install there is no other way to get this data to Tesla. The zigbee gateway box connects to an ethernet cable. There is no wifi option for this device, so the only wireless portion of this is the zigbee communications and that tends to be quite reliable, especially if the zigbee gateway is in close proximity to the inverters and the power blaster device.

It seems that at one point Tesla would forward the inverter production data to Solaredge, but they no longer seem to be doing this. You should not expect to get any data in the solaredge app if you are using the zigbee gateway.

The inverter can be connected to ethernet after tesla finishes the install, but you will need to do it yourself (this is not officially supported by tesla because they only support the zigbee gateway). Additionally, when you connect your inverter to ethernet it will no longer report through the zigbee gateway, so if you have a solar only install then you will no longer get solar production data through the tesla app. However, you will get solar production data through the solaredge app. You will need to request a solaredge account from tesla before you will be able to log in to the solaredge app to see it.

Also note that the solaredge app will only show solar production data and not house power usage data. The house power usage data from the power blaster cannot be sent to solaredge.

 

[pdx_m3s]

If you are getting powerwalls then the large electrical panel gateway will communicate solar production and power usage data to tesla and make that data available in the tesla app.

If you are just solar only then the inverters will communicate solar production data to tesla through the little black zigbee gateway box. Additionally, for a solar only install the power blaster device installed in your electrical panel will report your power usage data to tesla through the little black zigbee gateway box. With a solar only install there is no other way to get this data to Tesla. The zigbee gateway box connects to an ethernet cable. There is no wifi option for this device, so the only wireless portion of this is the zigbee communications and that tends to be quite reliable, especially if the zigbee gateway is in close proximity to the inverters and the power blaster device.

It seems that at one point Tesla would forward the inverter production data to Solaredge, but they no longer seem to be doing this. You should not expect to get any data in the solaredge app if you are using the zigbee gateway.

The inverter can be connected to ethernet after tesla finishes the install, but you will need to do it yourself (this is not officially supported by tesla because they only support the zigbee gateway). Additionally, when you connect your inverter to ethernet it will no longer report through the zigbee gateway, so if you have a solar only install then you will no longer get solar production data through the tesla app. However, you will get solar production data through the solaredge app. You will need to request a solaredge account from tesla before you will be able to log in to the solaredge app to see it.

Also note that the solaredge app will only show solar production data and not house power usage data. The house power usage data from the power blaster cannot be sent to solaredge.

Thanks for the detailed summary. Very helpful.

To make sure I have this right... the inverter and PowerBlaster both communicate wirelessly with the Zigbee gateway, which itself is hardwired for communication over the internet?

 

[BrettS]

Thanks for the detailed summary. Very helpful.

To make sure I have this right... the inverter and PowerBlaster both communicate wirelessly with the Zigbee gateway, which itself is hardwired for communication over the internet?

Yes, that’s exactly right.

 

[pdx_m3s]

Yes, that’s exactly right.

Thanks! Everything will be within about 5 ft. of one another, so I don't expect any issues.

 

[jboy210]

Thanks! Everything will be within about 5 ft. of one another, so I don't expect any issues.

You should be fine. I have my gateway box about that far from the inverters on the other side of the garage wall.

 

[dcorb9906]

If you are getting powerwalls then the large electrical panel gateway will communicate solar production and power usage data to tesla and make that data available in the tesla app.


if you have a solar only install then you will no longer get solar production data through the tesla app. However, you will get solar production data through the solaredge app. You will need to request a solaredge account from tesla before you will be able to log in to the solaredge app to see it.

Also note that the solaredge app will only show solar production data and not house power usage data. The house power usage data from the power blaster cannot be sent to solaredge.

What if someone is getting Powerwalls along with solar, should I still be requesting Tesla to setup a Solaredge account?

Thanks!

 

[BrettS]

What if someone is getting Powerwalls along with solar, should I still be requesting Tesla to setup a Solaredge account?

Thanks!

Whether you are getting powerwalls or not doesn’t really matter. With the solaredge account (and your inverters connected to ethernet) then you can get some additional data for your system, such as panel level production numbers. If that’s something that would be of interest to you then you should probably get the solaredge account and connect your inverters to ethernet.

In this case there is a benefit to having powerwalls in that the large electrical panel gateway is what will report your solar production and home power consumption to tesla for the tesla app. So connecting your inverters to ethernet won’t break the tesla app like it will with a solar only install.

But in neither case is it necessary to get a solaredge account. And like I said above, the solaredge account will only show you solar production data. You will not get any home power consumption data through the solaredge account.

 

[LandToSea]

Whether you are getting powerwalls or not doesn’t really matter. With the solaredge account (and your inverters connected to ethernet) then you can get some additional data for your system, such as panel level production numbers. If that’s something that would be of interest to you then you should probably get the solaredge account and connect your inverters to ethernet.

In this case there is a benefit to having powerwalls in that the large electrical panel gateway is what will report your solar production and home power consumption to tesla for the tesla app. So connecting your inverters to ethernet won’t break the tesla app like it will with a solar only install.

But in neither case is it necessary to get a solaredge account. And like I said above, the solaredge account will only show you solar production data. You will not get any home power consumption data through the solaredge account.

Good info Brett! My system was just installed and the installation team lead said he has been trying to figure out how to get the Solar Edge panel data visible for customers through the SolarEdge monitoring app like he can access in the SolarEdge setup app, but hasn't found a solution. So, if I understand correctly the Zigbee gateway will not transfer the needed data via the internet, the inverters (2 string in my case) MUST be hardwired via ethernet for internet access to transfer the data to SolarEdge servers?

 

[pdx_m3s]

Good info Brett! My system was just installed and the installation team lead said he has been trying to figure out how to get the Solar Edge panel data visible for customers through the SolarEdge monitoring app like he can access in the SolarEdge setup app, but hasn't found a solution. So, if I understand correctly the Zigbee gateway will not transfer the needed data via the internet, the inverters (2 string in my case) MUST be hardwired via ethernet for internet access to transfer the data to SolarEdge servers?

I believe that’s what Brett mentioned. However, it sounds like we would then lose the ability to monitor generation within the Tesla app. Is that right Brett? Can we have our cake and eat it too (view detailed data on sSolarEdge app as well as Tesla)?

 

[LandToSea]

I believe that’s what Brett mentioned. However, it sounds like we would then lose the ability to monitor generation within the Tesla app. Is that right Brett? Can we have our cake and eat it too (view detailed data on sSolarEdge app as well as Tesla)?

I just need to see the panel level data since Tesla app doesn't give it. I am only seeing a max production of 13... kW on a 16.3 kW system when the sun is full blazing with no shading. I want to know if a panel or panels are bad since it is a new installation.

 

[BrettS]

Good info Brett! My system was just installed and the installation team lead said he has been trying to figure out how to get the Solar Edge panel data visible for customers through the SolarEdge monitoring app like he can access in the SolarEdge setup app, but hasn't found a solution. So, if I understand correctly the Zigbee gateway will not transfer the needed data via the internet, the inverters (2 string in my case) MUST be hardwired via ethernet for internet access to transfer the data to SolarEdge servers?

That’s correct. It seems like at one point tesla did forward the data on to solaredge through the zigbee gateway so you could just the solaredge app with the zigbee gateway, but a few months ago they suddenly stopped doing that.

This was never an officially supported feature, so there was no announcement about the fact that they were discontinuing this or any indication as to why. For a while people were speculating that it was just a configuration issue on Tesla’s side that would eventually be fixed, but its been several months now and it’s still not working, so ti doesn’t look like that’s the case.

 

[BrettS]

I believe that’s what Brett mentioned. However, it sounds like we would then lose the ability to monitor generation within the Tesla app. Is that right Brett? Can we have our cake and eat it too (view detailed data on sSolarEdge app as well as Tesla)?

Unfortunately, that’s correct. If you have powerwalls then the tesla app and the solaredge app can work together because the tesla app gets it’s data from the big grey electrical panel gateway in a powerwall install. But if you are solar only then it seems to be one or the other. I did speculate about a way that you might be able to get them both working together in this post and the one following it. But I’ve never tested this so I don’t know if it will actually work:

SolarEdge Monitoring w/Tesla Solar Panels (Using GWY10 Zigbee Gateway)

 

[BrettS]

I just need to see the panel level data since Tesla app doesn't give it. I am only seeing a max production of 13... kW on a 16.3 kW system when the sun is full blazing with no shading. I want to know if a panel or panels are bad since it is a new installation.

If you request a solaredge account from tesla and then connect your inverters to an ethernet cable you can see panel level data in the solaredge app.

However, that said, a max output of 13.xxkW on a 16.3kW system sounds totally normal. I have a 15.12kW system and I will typically see a max output of 12-13kW. Things like inverter efficiency, panel orientation, and panel angle will all affect the max output and you should not expect to see a max output of 16kW on a 16kW system.

 

[LandToSea]

I spoke to Solar Edge and they sent me these links stating it is all on Tesla since these are the instructions provided to set things up for monitoring.

https://www.solaredge.com/sites/default/files/solaredge-monitoring-portal-user-guide.pdf

 

[LandToSea]

If you request a solaredge account from tesla and then connect your inverters to an ethernet cable you can see panel level data in the solaredge app.

However, that said, a max output of 13.xxkW on a 16.3kW system sounds totally normal. I have a 15.12kW system and I will typically see a max output of 12-13kW. Things like inverter efficiency, panel orientation, and panel angle will all affect the max output and you should not expect to see a max output of 16kW on a 16kW system.

Thanks for the panel expectation feedback.

BTW I have the HD Wave screenless inverters that are WiFi compatible. Do you know the ethernet is still required, or is your experience only with the older style inverters with the screen?

 

[LandToSea]

I called CS at Tesla to request the Solar Edge location access to be setup and was told the request would be submitted within a 24-48h turn around.

 

[BrettS]

Thanks for the panel expectation feedback.

BTW I have the HD Wave screenless inverters that are WiFi compatible. Do you know the ethernet is still required, or is your experience only with the older style inverters with the screen?

I have the same screenless inverters and while they do create their own adhoc wifi network to configure the devices they actually do not allow you to join the inverter to a wifi network. Apparently in order to connect to a wifi network you need to get a solaredge zigbee to wifi gateway box. I don’t understand why the inverters don’t support wifi natively as they obviously have wifi hardware since that’s what they use for setup, but I spent quite some time trying to get my inverters to wifi and eventually realized that it’s not possible without additional hardware.

 

[BrettS]

I called CS at Tesla to request the Solar Edge location access to be setup and was told the request would be submitted within a 24-48h turn around.

That was the same response I got. As I recall, I called tesla on a Friday afternoon and I got the email from solaredge with my account info on the following Monday afternoon. Keep an eye on your email because I never got a call or anything letting me know that the account had been created, just the welcome email from solaredge.

 

[jjrandorin]

I just need to see the panel level data since Tesla app doesn't give it. I am only seeing a max production of 13... kW on a 16.3 kW system when the sun is full blazing with no shading. I want to know if a panel or panels are bad since it is a new installation.

As @BrettS said, your production sounds completely, 100% normal, and in fact quite good for a September day. Its unlikely you ever see 16.3kWh input on that system at once. you need to focus on daily / weekly numbers, the instant generation will be all over the place, and likely not hit peak rating due to the fact that all of your panels are not in one spot on the roof.