Tesla Solar installed: App reports strange numbers, AC is not powered and more

[raghu1111]

My Tesla solar was installed one week back. 8.2 Kw panels with one Powerwall+. It is turned on and is in "Self Consumption Only" mode. Permit from our power company (PG&E) will take a few more weeks. It is generating power but the app shows very strange things. wondering if this can indicate problems with sensors, wiring, or some how due to "Self Consumption" mode. It does not make sense at all.
Listing a few of these strange things here:

• Power generation fluctuates a lot during the day (from 1.5 kw to 7 kw) even though there are no clouds or shade.
• Shows panels generating multiple kw of power during middle of the night!
• Though AC is not connected to powerwall, it is supposed to be powered by solar. But it is not. Whenever AC is on, it is drawing from the Grid (verified on PG&E meter).
• It often shows 0 kw for home, even though multiple things are on.
• I can list lot more weird things like this . Phone calls to sub-contractor & Tesla agent haven't helped.

Attached pictures:

1. First: Shows fluctuating generation. 2Kw during midnight :->.
2. Second: Shows zero consumption from the house
3. Third: Show very high consumption at home (13Kw) and high generation at 9am with completely cloudy sky.

 

[Flick75]

Wow. What a cluster. Sounds like something is wrong with your CT's.

 

[arnolddeleon]

The varying output of the solar is easily explained by the system attempting to match solar generation with your load.

It's not clear if you have a CT/configuration issue or you are just seeing "noise" in the data from your other screen shots. Your comment about solar not offsetting the AC load could be a misconfiguration or a misunderstanding. The fact your solar production is varying suggests that some load is being monitored by the CTs.

Instead of the "snapshot" view the time series data like below will give us a better sense of what is happening. Also press the little bar chart just to the left of "Day" so the graphs get color coded source information.

 

[raghu1111]

What is CT?
The installer says they don’t anything about what Tesla app shows and Tesla says it is contacting the installer to look into it .

@arnolddeleon, I am attaching screenshot with all all charts for Thursday (09/16). It shows solas production and Fischer have all through the night (powerwall discharge makes sense).

 

[Vines]

My Tesla solar was installed one week back. 8.2 Kw panels with one Powerwall+. It is turned on and is in "Self Consumption Only" mode. Permit from our power company (PG&E) will take a few more weeks. It is generating power but the app shows very strange things. wondering if this can indicate problems with sensors, wiring, or some how due to "Self Consumption" mode. It does not make sense at all.
Listing a few of these strange things here:

• Power generation fluctuates a lot during the day (from 1.5 kw to 7 kw) even though there are no clouds or shade.
• Shows panels generating multiple kw of power during middle of the night!
• Though AC is not connected to powerwall, it is supposed to be powered by solar. But it is not. Whenever AC is on, it is drawing from the Grid (verified on PG&E meter).
• It often shows 0 kw for home, even though multiple things are on.
• I can list lot more weird things like this . Phone calls to sub-contractor & Tesla agent haven't helped.

Attached pictures:

1. First: Shows fluctuating generation. 2Kw during midnight :->.
2. Second: Shows zero consumption from the house
3. Third: Show very high consumption at home (13Kw) and high generation at 9am with completely cloudy sky.

As far as #1, you are in self-consumption mode, so the PV will only generate what you consume. This is working as intended. If you want to produce more PV power, plug in your car and charge it.

To #2, seems strange, like a CT (current transformer meter) is misconfigured.

To #3 the AC needs an additional CT installed likely. However, the PV will supply the AC when in normal mode. Once you have CT's on the AC, both PV and PW energy can power the AC.

To #4 this is intended while in self-consumption mode, you aren't pulling from the grid.

 

[raghu1111]

The fact that solar production “stops” as soon powerwall is discharged could indicate it is confusing discharge with solar production (but it is not always consistent).

 

[raghu1111]

Thanks @Vines

• Regd #3: I will ask about additional CT for AC.
  • The primary house panel is connected to 100A line, and is backed by power wall.
  • AC is connected to a separate 70A line with its own panel. Not backed by powerwall according to installer
• Regd #4: Where it shows 0kw for home, it has to be error with the sensors, right? The house is always consuming either the Grid or PW/Solar.

 

[Vines]

I am not sure, sent a snapshot of your app. The app is where my knowledge is a bit weaker.

I could be wrong, but I suspected you were reading the app incorrectly.

Are there 4 separate categories: grid load, powerwall generation, solar generation, and home load? I though only 3 categories were shown: grid, PV and PW?

 

[arnolddeleon]

Apologies for the not expanding CT as Current Transducers. t's actually a pet peeve of mine when people do that to me. CTs are devices that measure the amount of current flowing on a conductor.

I suspect there are two issues:

a) The system seems to be treating Powerwall discharge (output) as solar production. I'm basing this on the fact that your screenshot shows production in the evening which doesn't make sense.

b) The Powerwall doesn't know about all your consumption, specifically the Air Conditioner. There's a chance that this is fine and the issue above is is what is causing the confusion. Can you generate a screenshot with the color coding enabled for the four screens (house, solar, Powerwall, grid). Here is an example: 4 new photos by Arnold de Leon This will make it easier to figure out what system "thinks" is going on with the power flow.

Basically the installer likely installed the CTs in the wrong places or didn't install enough of them.

 

[Vines]

I am not sure, sent a snapshot of your app. The app is where my knowledge is a bit weaker.

I could be wrong, but I suspected you were reading the app incorrectly.

Are there 4 separate categories: grid load, powerwall generation, solar generation, and home load? I though only 3 categories were shown: grid, PV and PW?

Ignore this guy, he didn't even look a the pictures you had already posted! I need to refrain about responding regarding Powerrwall+, since I assume I know whats going on but don't actually know.

Apologies for the not expanding CT as Current Transducers. t's actually a pet peeve of mine when people do that to me. CTs are devices that measure the amount of current flowing on a conductor.

I suspect there are two issues:

a) The system seems to be treating Powerwall discharge (output) as solar production. I'm basing this on the fact that your screenshot shows production in the evening which doesn't make sense.

b) The Powerwall doesn't know about all your consumption, specifically the Air Conditioner. There's a chance that this is fine and the issue above is is what is causing the confusion. Can you generate a screenshot with the color coding enabled for the four screens (house, solar, Powerwall, grid). Here is an example: 4 new photos by Arnold de Leon This will make it easier to figure out what system "thinks" is going on with the power flow.

Basically the installer likely installed the CTs in the wrong places or didn't install enough of them.

Good advice. It is strange that with just the Powerwall+ the system is still confused about production. Both the inverter and Powerwall portion of the Powerwall+ are on the same breaker

 

[getakey]

CTs installed wrong seems to be the most common problem reported

 

[arnolddeleon]

Good advice. It is strange that with just the Powerwall+ the system is still confused about production. Both the inverter and Powerwall portion of the Powerwall+ are on the same breaker

That's an interesting point. I suspect the system knows photovoltaic (PV) production directly which is why the Powerwall is able to charge. The system can't compute PV production from just a CT on the breaker for the Powerwall+ because that includes the Powerwall (both in and out). I wonder if the installer added an "extra" CT for solar production that was not needed.

The other useful information would be a wiring diagram.

It also looks like Tesla has formalized the "hack" of going into self-consumption mode while waiting for PTO.

 

[raghu1111]

@Vines no problem with not seeing some of the pictures!
You, @arnolddeleon and others are helping me and I appreciate that.

Looks like Tesla contacted the installer and told something about CT. He is coming today. I will update here.
@arnolddeleon, I will show these messages to the installer. He might understand better.

It also looks like Tesla has formalized the "hack" of going into self-consumption mode while waiting for PTO.

Thanks to them for that! We can get such issue resolved sooner than later.

 

[raghu1111]

It was in fact due to extra CT installed in the Gateway (as @arnolddeleon suspected above). Attached a pic of CT new to Gateway.
It looks like older set up needed it, but new Powerwall+ does not need it. Confusingly on installer's phone, Tesla's webpage he could accesss hows an error when this extra CT is not installed. But Tesla advised him to remove it.

Now the values look much more sane. Will watch tomorrow to see if it looks good.
I am now wondering why Powerwall is discharging only 0.6 kw when house is pulling 1.3 kw (0.7 is coming from the grid)! (second attached pic). I will wait and see this gets better tomorrow.

Regd AC not getting power from Solar: the installer said that is because Tesla is not exporting to the Grid. When starts exporting, it will also power AC. Looks like AC & Grid are on the other side of the inverter. I don't know how to confirm this, but hopefully he is right.

Thank you all for the help.

 

[BGbreeder]

More oddness here; the app shows a total discharge (97% to 0%) over about five minutes (39kWh!). The app shows the correct amount starting at midnight the next day.

 

[Redhill_qik]

The drop at the end is a known bug in the app and if you pull down on the graph it will refresh and show the correct data.

 

[BGbreeder]

The drop at the end is a known bug in the app and if you pull down on the graph it will refresh and show the correct data.

Hmm... that doesn't seem to work. Pulling on the graph doesn't refresh it.

 

[Redhill_qik]

Hmm... that doesn't seem to work. Pulling on the graph doesn't refresh it.

It reset to a non-zero number at midnight the next day right? If so, just a bug in this new version.

 

[BGbreeder]

It reset to a non-zero number at midnight the next day right? If so, just a bug in this new version.

Yup. At midnight the next day, the app was reporting that the batteries were at 92%.

I called Tesla, and their data had the batteries at the expected levels, and confirmed when using the app that the values were off.

All the best,

BG

 

[raghu1111]

It is showing me the same weird readings too. Not just for Powerwall, even for house consumption. 1st screenshot shows PW falling off to 0, 2nd shows same missing data for solar, house consumption etc .
Dear Tesla, how can screw up such simple things..