Tesla solar panels plus Solar Edge Inverters= frustration

[Chris25]

Hi everyone. After a rather long process of layouts, permitting, scheduling, paying, I finally got permission to power on for a 12.24 kw system. Does it work? No clue!
The Tesla app doesn’t work and I cannot get any support. I’ve been on hold with Tesla for 4 hrs over the last 2 weeks and have yet to speak to anyone. My advisors voicemail is full and sends back scripted replies to my text or emails. They are clueless. I tried the avenue of working with Solar Edge to access the data thru their app but they said the installer has to add me. Basically Solar Edge doesn’t care about the end users, just the installers that are directly buying them. I wish I would’ve known this because Tesla will let you specify the inverter brand of you push them. I would suggest people considering Tesla to do your research on the components. You need to assume you will not get any support from Tesla for the near future. This is a very frustrating situation after spending $25k and surprises when they come to install.

 

[BrettS]

If you haven’t tried calling the post installation support number, I would do that. I’ve had to call a few times and I haven’t experienced super long hold times. Try 877-798-3752. The folks there can also get you set up with a SolarEdge account for monitoring through the SolarEdge portal.

 

[jjrandorin]

What does "the tesla app doesnt work" actually mean? Work for what, exactly? I suspect the meat is in the details here.

 

[wjgjr]

It is pretty ridiculous how difficult it is to reach Tesla sometimes - hopefully the number @BrettS provided will work. In the meantime, one thing you can do to try and verify the system works is just check the electric meter. Assuming it is accessible and has a display, it should show an indication you are producing. At midday now, if it is sunny, I would expect to see your power imported being little or nothing, and possibly power being exported. (Different meters behave differently - I have one number that goes backwards when exporting, but others have multiple numbers.) If your utility had green dot data or some other way to see hourly data, that could also indicate the system is working.

I'm not sure if you have powerwalls - if so, that may change exactly what you see on the meter, and you also could try directly accessing the gateway to see the power flow there.

 

[Chris25]

Thanks guys for the feedback and I’ll try that number.

I did log in to my smart meter and I can see that my daylight use decreases so I think it’s working. Just not the output I expected based on typical day use before and after install.

As for the app, output and data is blank. It hasn’t worked from the start. The installers said it takes 24-48 hrs to start showing data. I suspect it’s my network but I can’t login to the gateway. When I try the IP address, it just errors out. I have GWY20. Anyone know something else I can try?

 

[Chris25]

And no powerwalls.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks guys for the feedback and I’ll try that number.

I did log in to my smart meter and I can see that my daylight use decreases so I think it’s working. Just not the output I expected based on typical day use before and after install.

As for the app, output and data is blank. It hasn’t worked from the start. The installers said it takes 24-48 hrs to start showing data. I suspect it’s my network but I can’t login to the gateway. When I try the IP address, it just errors out. I have GWY20. Anyone know something else I can try?

Connecting to Tesla Gateway | Tesla Support

You might not be following the correct login process. The above link is for if you have powerwalls. if you DONT have powerwalls and "the gateway" you are talking about is the little black box they gave you, that one doesnt have a web interface I am aware of so there is no logging into that.


EDIT... You posted " and no powerwalls" while I was posting this, so the above instructions do not apply to you.

 

[wjgjr]

It seems like for solar-only installs, Tesla does not follow the same install steps as with a PW. For the latter, they seem to actually test that the app is working during the install - at least that was my experience and what some others have reported.

For solar-only, you would not be the first person on this board who reported that Tesla never properly enabled/commissioned their system so it didn't work until after they were able to reach Tesla to fix the issue. So, if you have the solar gateway (that little black box) properly installed and things are not working, it may not be your network - it may also be things are not properly configured on Tesla's side to associate that data with your account.

 

[Chris25]

For solar-only, you would not be the first person on this board who reported that Tesla never properly enabled/commissioned their system so it didn't work until after they were able to reach Tesla to fix the issue. So, if you have the solar gateway (that little black box) properly installed and things are not working, it may not be your network - it may also be things are not properly configured on Tesla's side to associate that data with your account.

Thanks! I guess I should feel better knowing there is a lot in the same boat.
Here’s what I see on the app.

 

[wjgjr]

View attachment 582460

Thanks! I guess I should feel better knowing there is a lot in the same boat.
Here’s what I see on the app.

hopefully that is all it is - Tesla just hasn't done its magic on their end to link your solar with your account, which would mean the system is running, just not reporting to you.

 

[jboy210]

Thanks guys for the feedback and I’ll try that number.

I did log in to my smart meter and I can see that my daylight use decreases so I think it’s working. Just not the output I expected based on typical day use before and after install.

As for the app, output and data is blank. It hasn’t worked from the start. The installers said it takes 24-48 hrs to start showing data. I suspect it’s my network but I can’t login to the gateway. When I try the IP address, it just errors out. I have GWY20. Anyone know something else I can try?

Can you verify that your gateway looks like one of the ones shown in these instructions. And is not a 5" by 5" black plastic rectangle?

If so, what IP address are your trying? The instructions give you 3.

• 192.168.91.1
• https://teg
• https://teg-XXX

Of these, only the https://teg worked for me. And I actually preferred to go into my router's list of systems and find the IP address of a system whose name looks like Serial number on the gateway.

When I connect to that address with https://address-from-router I get the following display. Are you getting this?

 

[jjrandorin]

Why IP address are your trying? The instructions give you 3.

• 192.168.91.1
• https://teg
• https://teg-XXX

Of these, only the https://teg worked for me. And I actually preferred to go into my router's list of systems and find the IP address of a system whose name looks like Serial number on the gateway.

When I connect to that address with https://address-from-router I get the following display. Are you getting this?


View attachment 582523

Since OP doesnt have a powerwall, they only have the little black box, and that doesnt have a user facing webpage to my knowledge.

 

[jboy210]

Since OP doesnt have a powerwall, they only have the little black box, and that doesnt have a user facing webpage to my knowledge.

Ha. Great minds think alike. I just updated my post with instructions to verify the type of gateway. Tesla really needs to update its documentation (or change names) to spell out the difference between the Tesla Gateway which only talks to inverters and the Tesla Energy Gateway (TEG) that controls power routing.

 

[holeydonut]

Ha. Great minds think alike. I just updated my post with instructions to verify the type of gateway. Tesla really needs to update its documentation (or change names) to spell out the difference between the Tesla Gateway which only talks to inverters and the Tesla Energy Gateway (TEG) that controls power routing.

What's more frustrating is that Tesla's marketing collateral talks about their "Backup Gateway" or "Gateway". Their marketing team almost never calls it an "Energy Gateway."

This further complicates things when you speak to their sales reps or engineers who seem to know it as an "Energy Gateway".

 

[Dypkny845]

View attachment 582460

Thanks! I guess I should feel better knowing there is a lot in the same boat.
Here’s what I see on the app.

I'm having same issue. Let me knownif you get a fix...granted I didn't get my PTO yet. However have "tested" and kept getting that error. Didn't want to call to complain yet as I have no PTO. I also have NO powerwall

 

[SoCal Dave]

I was having the same issue and was told it was the activation team needed to update my account. They are supposed to do this without your intervention within 24 hours of receiving your PTO notification. After I was told this, about 30 minutes later I received this email from Tesla. My app started working from this point forward.

 

[Chris25]

I do have the small 5x5 black box. You can’t even get to it by direct Ethernet connecting or using the IP address. No buttons that I’ve found yet.
I’ll keep everyone posted once I actually get a hold of someone.
Another point to add, I received the invoice, paid immediately but my Tesla account shows waiting for utility company to give permission to power on. I think everyone is correct that Tesla hasn’t completed the final steps on their side.

 

[wjgjr]

I do have the small 5x5 black box. You can’t even get to it by direct Ethernet connecting or using the IP address. No buttons that I’ve found yet.
I’ll keep everyone posted once I actually get a hold of someone.
Another point to add, I received the invoice, paid immediately but my Tesla account shows waiting for utility company to give permission to power on. I think everyone is correct that Tesla hasn’t completed the final steps on their side.

There is no standard for PTO reporting, so I suspect that is it - as SoCal Dave experienced, sometimes Tesla may not find out - possibly because the utility doesn't tell them or because Tesla missed the notice. On our install, we told Tesla when we received PTO - they apparently did not get the notice or hadn't processed it - so we also got various notices soon after we emailed. (Fortunately, with PWs, it doesn't matter much, and we had a Tesla employee at that time who was typically very good about responding to emails.)

 

[Chris25]

There is no standard for PTO reporting, so I suspect that is it - as SoCal Dave experienced, sometimes Tesla may not find out - possibly because the utility doesn't tell them or because Tesla missed the notice. On our install, we told Tesla when we received PTO - they apparently did not get the notice or hadn't processed it - so we also got various notices soon after we emailed. (Fortunately, with PWs, it doesn't matter much, and we had a Tesla employee at that time who was typically very good about responding to emails.)

the city I live in is also the electric provider so once you pass inspection, you get PTO. Tesla was here for inspection and turned it on after passing. At least they told me they turned it on. The local install office knew a lot more about what’s going on than the energy office in Vegas. Vegas was typically about 1-2 weeks behind on facts. I got an email from them 9 days after Tesla turned my system on saying “congrats on passing inspection. My utility provider should give PTO in 1-2 weeks.”

 

[Chris25]

@BrettS thanks for the number. It did help get me in touch with someone quicker. Unfortunately once I was able to login, I was monitoring someone else’s system!
Update: it was my system but someone renamed it.

@Dypkny845 as the others said, call the # BrettS gave and they need to flip some switches on Tesla side.