PTO received - system up and running

[sunpoweredev]

So yesterday I noticed my electric meter was changed. The electric company showed up unannounced some time yesterday morning and did their thing. My kids were home and they did not notice any power interruption; I was expecting to lose power while they switch out the meter. Later in the afternoon I received an email that our PTO is granted and the PV system is up and running (GPE turned on my system remotely) It took 2.5 weeks (from the time my town issued the certificate of approval of the system) for the PoCo to issue the PTO. So I've been fortunate that everyone involved was on top of things during the whole process, from my giving GPE the final go ahead to PTO it's been about 8 weeks.

It seems GPE set me up with very minimal access. Other than what you see in the screenshot below, I have no access to the system, and no map of my panels layout. I'm also unclear if I'm seeing the additional info provided by the Solar Edge consumption meter. To you guys with the consumption meter, am I supposed to see more info than the screenshot below? Also, to you guys with the newer screenless inverter, am I suppose to have some control of the inverter with the SolarEdge Setapp app?

Looks like my system came on around 2:30 yesterday. My kids were home and they cranked both AC units around 12:30. I now know that each central air zone draws about 2.5kW based on that graph. Will I not see this consumption graph without the consumption meter? Also, I briefly plugged in my Tesla Model 3 to see how much power it draws, about 7kW once it reaches the charger's full 40A output (I was expecting about 9kWh since 240V x 40A = 9600). It's 7:50AM now and solar production is at 2.38kW. My kids have been instructed not to mess with the AC today. I want to see how the day goes with my normal thermostat settings, on a hot and humid summer day.

The inverter is completely silent. There's a slight hum if I press my ear against it, and the internal cooling fan was not on as far as I could tell. Strangely, the dedicated production kWh meter's display is turned off. It last read 25kWh generated from when the system was turned on for the town inspection, and it was on yesterday morning before the system was turned on.

production.JPG

[ButchDeal]

go to the web monitoring portal and see what access you have there. The app on the phone is more limited.
https://monitoring.solaredge.com

[sunpoweredev]

go to the web monitoring portal and see what access you have there. The app on the phone is more limited.
https://monitoring.solaredge.com

Same when I log on from the browser, all I have is the dashboard, no layout.

With the Solar Edge consumption meter, am I suppose to see a separate section to see my consumption, or is the section consumption it?

Also, is the owner suppose to have some access via the SetApp app?

Thanks a bunch for the info you provide as always

[sunpoweredev]

Production is at 7.28kW at 10:30am. The system is 12.21kW. I don't expect I'll ever see the full 12.21kW as the arrays face different directions, but I am pleased to see it at 7.28kW so early on this very hot and humid morning.

[ButchDeal]

Same when I log on from the browser, all I have is the dashboard, no layout.

You need to talk to your installer abut giving you full owner access level then. You should have layout and graphs

With the Solar Edge consumption meter, am I suppose to see a separate section to see my consumption, or is the section consumption it?

there is no other consumption section, just the graph for consumption. You will have more graphs possible on the web interface.

Also, is the owner suppose to have some access via the SetApp app?

no setapp is just for setting up.

[JSchnee21]

Yes, from the web browser you should see all of the tabs across the top. I had to email GPE and ask for "Full Access" to the web portal which they granted (Tim DeSevo and
Michael Sobiesiak) without hesitation.


Pic1a.jpgPic3a.jpgPic2a.jpg

[sunpoweredev]

Yes, from the web browser you should see all of the tabs across the top. I had to email GPE and ask for "Full Access" to the web portal which they granted (Tim DeSevo and
Michael Sobiesiak) without hesitation.


Pic1a.jpgPic3a.jpgPic2a.jpg

Thanks guys. I just sent an email to my rep for full access.

System looks to be performing well so far. Peak output I saw since around 1:30PM was 10.17kW, with 45kWh generated so far today. There was a spike in consumption, apparently one of my kids didn't get the message on not touching the thermostat today. The production number shown on the phone app is more of less realtime, dropping the moment a cloud passes, and back up as soon as it's gone. So glad I told the electrician to keep that cellular module. Unfortunately the SREC production meter by the inverter looks to have gone dead somehow since the system went live yesterday, so I'm assuming none of the production will be recorded for SREC reporting until they get that fixed or replaced.

I'm still confused as to what extra data the consumption meter provides. Is that only visible once I'm granted full access? As it is now, consumption changes are instantly displayed on the phone app.

Edit: last capture of production so far today.
production2.JPG

[macaddict]

Thanks guys. I just sent an email to my rep for full access.

System looks to be performing well so far. Peak output I saw since around 1:30PM was 10.17kW, with 45kWh generated so far today. There was a spike in consumption, apparently one of my kids didn't get the message on not touching the thermostat today. The production number shown on the phone app is more of less realtime, dropping the moment a cloud passes, and back up as soon as it's gone. So glad I told the electrician to keep that cellular module. Unfortunately the SREC production meter by the inverter looks to have gone dead somehow since the system went live yesterday, so I'm assuming none of the production will be recorded for SREC reporting until they get that fixed or replaced.

I'm still confused as to what extra data the consumption meter provides. Is that only visible once I'm granted full access? As it is now, consumption changes are instantly displayed on the phone app.

Edit: last capture of production so far today.
production2.JPG

If you don't have the consumption meter, you wouldn't see any of the red or blue. You would only see the green.

No consumption meter:

IMG_9759.jpg

With consumption meter:
IMG_9760.jpg

[NJturtlePower]

Yes, from the web browser you should see all of the tabs across the top. I had to email GPE and ask for "Full Access" to the web portal which they granted (Tim DeSevo and
Michael Sobiesiak) without hesitation.
Pic2a.jpg

Good to know!

Is that panel layout and generation shown a result of your shading towards the lower right side?

And those numbers next to each panel in image two....serial numbers or just a random designation?

[ButchDeal]

Good to know!

Is that panel layout and generation shown a result of your shading towards the lower right side?

And those numbers next to each panel in image two....serial numbers or just a random designation?

Yes the production shown is a result of shading.
the number is a designation but not a serial number. It is based on the inverter and string, then the module on the string.

[sunpoweredev]

If you don't have the consumption meter, you wouldn't see any of the red or blue. You would only see the green.

No consumption meter:

IMG_9759.jpg

With consumption meter:
IMG_9760.jpg

Thanks a bunch for confirming! Yes I like being able to see that data, so money well spent (I gave the electrician a pretty hefty tip on getting that consumption meter installed)

[JSchnee21]

Yes, my array faces South (175 degrees) and I have a large Oak tree to the right (East) of my house which casts shade on the array as the sun comes around in the morning. Then in the afternoon, I have another tree a bit farther away on the West side which casts a shadow from the other direct in the afternoon.

I forget what size inverter you have -- 10kw? Or 11.4kW? Is that a little clipping I see? Starting around 11:15? Check your DC voltage to see if it is elevated.

Yes, as Butch said, strings and panels are given wiring id numbers 1.1, 1.2, 1.3. But if you click on each panel / inverter, and then click on the little "i" to get more information, you will get the serial number and a lot of other detail -- assuming the installer programmed the portal correctly.

While the consumption metering seems a little "underwhelming" by logging this information consistently with my production data, and reporting it to PVOutput dot net it gives me a really nice historical record to compare production, consumption, and percent offset all in one place both in real time and historically.

The charting feature on the SE Portal is really nice. It lets you see panel level, and inverter level voltages, current, power, etc versus time within and across panels.

I'm loving my EcoBee thermostat. I can lock the kids out with a pin and control everything remotely. They have a nice monitoring portal as well, and there are some nice 3rd party, open source analysis tools as well.

[sunpoweredev]

Yes, my array faces South (175 degrees) and I have a large Oak tree to the right (East) of my house which casts shade on the array as the sun comes around in the morning. Then in the afternoon, I have another tree a bit farther away on the West side which casts a shadow from the other direct in the afternoon.

I forget what size inverter you have -- 10kw? Or 11.4kW? Is that a little clipping I see? Starting around 11:15? Check your DC voltage to see if it is elevated.

Yes, as Butch said, strings and panels are given wiring id numbers 1.1, 1.2, 1.3. But if you click on each panel / inverter, and then click on the little "i" to get more information, you will get the serial number and a lot of other detail -- assuming the installer programmed the portal correctly.

While the consumption metering seems a little "underwhelming" by logging this information consistently with my production data, and reporting it to PVOutput dot net it gives me a really nice historical record to compare production, consumption, and percent offset all in one place both in real time and historically.

The charting feature on the SE Portal is really nice. It lets you see panel level, and inverter level voltages, current, power, etc versus time within and across panels.

I'm loving my EcoBee thermostat. I can lock the kids out with a pin and control everything remotely. They have a nice monitoring portal as well, and there are some nice 3rd party, open source analysis tools as well.

How can you tell there was clipping just by the production graph? I have no idea as I have basically zero access to my inverter - I have the screenless 11.4kW inverter. Will I be able to see the DC voltage once I have full access on Solar Edge?

I was clicking through on the consumption graph. It somehow started capturing our consumption data on evening of 7/21, and we happened to be away for a few days the next day. It captured our idle consumption for the week which I thought is quite interesting to see. Yeah I did find it "underwhelming" at first, until Macaddict pointed it out. I screen grabbed the few days we were away, and am quite pleased with how little idle consumption gets used. It fluctuates from low of ~200W to high of ~410W, with two 24/7 PCs running (my cable box/DVR), and two refrigerators. The spikes from 200W to 400W consumption is from the fridges I guess. The entire week only one zone of the AC kicked on for 30 minutes (I set both thermostats to 81 for the week). The new roof no doubt made a significant difference in lowering the temperatures in the entire house. This consumption data is definitely interesting to see, so I am glad to have it (and not have had to pay $800 for it ). Let's see if NJturtlePower agrees.

Yesterday the system generated 70.7kWh on a very hot and humid day, well into 90s all day. Any guesstimates as to how much more the system may have generated on a 70 degree day? The inverter was pretty warm, and I did catch the internal cooling fan coming on once while I happened to be in the garage. It shut off within 30 seconds. The peak output of 10.17kW was at 1:30PM. It maintained 9 to 9.5kW from 12 to 2:30, after which the steady decline begins. This was the first full day of the system coming online, so much remains to be seen.

You essentially have the system I do. What is the highest peak output you've ever seen? I of course never expected to see the full 12.21kW, with efficiency loss and my system being multi azimuth factored in, is it about the best I can expect from my system?

22.JPG23.JPG24.JPG25.JPG

[Markyrocks69]

You'd know if there was clipping bc the graph would basically go up to whatever the max the inverter will output and just stay there for a few hours and then come down. If you have arrays facing different directions doubtful that youd have clipping. How many panels do you have? Size of panels?

[sunpoweredev]

You'd know if there was clipping bc the graph would basically go up to whatever the max the inverter will output and just stay there for a few hours and then come down. If you have arrays facing different directions doubtful that youd have clipping. How many panels do you have? Size of panels?

37 x 330W panels. I have the Solar Edge 11.4kW inverter. The highest peak output was at 10.17kW which is roughly 90% of the inverter's rating. Knowing how clipping is determined now, I think JSchnee thought I have the 10kW inverter.