Will my panel upgrade be done same day as solar?

[sorka]

I got the SMS (schedule your appointment) for my solar and powerwall install yet I still haven't received my system layout showing whole home backup with my 3 power walls.

For some reason they didn't think a panel upgrade would be required but since my main 200 amp service panel is a meter breaker combo, it CAN'T be used used for whole home since there's no way to put the GW2 between the meter and breakers.

So my question is, when they finally get around to finishing the design (even though they've prompted me to schedule the install), will the hire a contractor to do it on a different day from the solar and PW install?

 

[jjrandorin]

I got the SMS (schedule your appointment) for my solar and powerwall install yet I still haven't received my system layout showing whole home backup with my 3 power walls.

For some reason they didn't think a panel upgrade would be required but since my main 200 amp service panel is a meter breaker combo, it CAN'T be used used for whole home since there's no way to put the GW2 between the meter and breakers.

So my question is, when they finally get around to finishing the design (even though they've prompted me to schedule the install), will the hire a contractor to do it on a different day from the solar and PW install?

You dont think they will move all your breakers from your current panel to a new one (leaving the current one there with just the breakers for the gateway in it)?

 

[sorka]

You dont think they will move all your breakers from your current panel to a new one (leaving the current one there with just the breakers for the gateway in it)?

That's what I'm hoping they'll do which would leave me with the option of adding a non backed up load in the future if I wanted.

But my service panel is a split bus bar. The only way they can move 200 amps of service to the GW2 is with two 100 amp breakers since the largest breaker allowed is 100 amps. They can't bypass the existing breaker panel and go straight from the meter since the bus bar is integrated with the meter mounting.

Can they run two 100 amps lines to the GW2?

 

[BrettS]

That is exactly what they did in my case. They moved the existing circuits out of my meter main and just left one 200A breaker which was connected to the gateway. They moved the circuits to a new panel behind the gateway.

There are some cases when the existing meter main can’t be used in this way (some panels don’t support 200A breakers) but they should have already seen your panel label from your home assessment pictures, so it’s likely that they determined that they can work with your existing panel.

 

[BrettS]

That's what I'm hoping they'll do which would leave me with the option of adding a non backed up load in the future if I wanted.

But my service panel is a split bus bar. The only way they can move 200 amps of service to the GW2 is with two 100 amp breakers since the largest breaker allowed is 100 amps. They can't bypass the existing breaker panel and go straight from the meter since the bus bar is integrated with the meter mounting.

Can they run two 100 amps lines to the GW2?

I don’t believe that they can do that, but my panel was a split bus as well with the service disconnect in the middle, yet it still supported a 200A breaker for the gateway. There are some split bus panels that support it.

 

[sorka]

That is exactly what they did in my case. They moved the existing circuits out of my meter main and just left one 200A breaker which was connected to the gateway. They moved the circuits to a new panel behind the gateway.

There are some cases when the existing meter main can’t be used in this way (some panels don’t support 200A breakers) but they should have already seen your panel label from your home assessment pictures, so it’s likely that they determined that they can work with your existing panel.

Not only does it show in the pictures but I've mentioned it on every call and to the guy who came out to do the assessment.

 

[sorka]

I don’t believe that they can do that, but my panel was a split bus as well with the service disconnect in the middle, yet it still supported a 200A breaker for the gateway. There are some split bus panels that support it.

My particular panel does NOT support a 200 amp breaker. It's labeled clearly max 100 amp breaker allowed.

 

[sorka]

And if they do a panel upgrade, the amount of work involved to do it on different days from the rest of the work would probably double the job size. Doing it on different days means they'd have to move all the loads to the new panel before eventually moving them to a downstream subpanel when the do the PW/GW/solar install.

 

[BrettS]

I would assume that if they do it on different days that they will do it with the end result in mind. In other words they’ll put the circuits into a panel that can be connected behind the gateway so they won’t have to move them again.

 

[sorka]

I would assume that if they do it on different days that they will do it with the end result in mind. In other words they’ll put the circuits into a panel that can be connected behind the gateway so they won’t have to move them again.

I sure hope so. I think just doing a panel upgrade and moving the circuits to a new 200 amp subpanel is a huge job that is going to take an entire day by itself.

It's also more of pain because you have to schedule the inspection to happen the same day the job is completed and I think it requires PGE out there to actually re-instert the new meter into the new main panel all on the same day.