[RE-wrenches] Enphase monitoring picking up other systems

Chris Worcester chris at solarwindworks.com
Tue Apr 15 17:32:23 PDT 2014


Hi Ray,

We always add a dedicated PV 120/240 VAC Load Center to mount our Enphase
CB's in, and the 15A CB for the Envoy's receptacle. This has eliminated all
comm. Issues for us. 

 

Chris Worcester

Solar Wind Works

NABCEP Certified PV Installer

Office 530-582-4503

Cell 530-448-9692

Fax 530-582-4603

www.solarwindworks.com

chris at solarwindworks.com

 

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ray Walters
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 11:22 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase monitoring picking up other systems

 

Funny the timing of the Wrenches list, just Saturday I added some Enphase
inverters to an existing GTB  Outback system.  The Enphase are not AC
coupled to the Outbacks, as I didn't want to get into the battery charging
issues, and the customer has plenty of PV relative to the battery size.
However, we're having a communication issue as well.  I'm guessing that the
Envoy can't be on the Outback side of the system with the Enphase inverters
being on the grid side.  So, is there an elegant solution besides putting
the Envoy on the grid side of the system  (which is out in the garage)  The
whole house is on back up, so no grid direct circuits are available there,
and the wiring is such that it would not be easy to change that either.
I was actually going to add a transfer switch to the Enphase circuit, so
that in an extended outage, the customer could have the option of bringing
in the Enphase inverters.  I have the Enphase breaker in the Outback Flex
500 box already, so at least that would be simple.



R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer, 
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
303 505-8760

On 4/14/2014 12:49 PM, Nick Soleil wrote:

Hi Benn,

You can remove the microinverters from an Envoy, but it requires a laptop
and a network cable.  Call me and we can talk.  We have a lot of big
projects with home builders, and I am more than happy to share our best
practices with you.  My cell number is 707-321-2937.

 

On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 11:42 AM, Benn Kilburn <benn at skyfireenergy.com>
wrote:

August,

I'm being told that "we" (as opposed to "Enhpase") cannot delete or remove
rogue inverters from the Array Builder.  Enphase has to do this step.   And
if you just don't include the rogue inverters in the Array Builder you are
building for a particular system, you will still receive the production data
from the rogues.  (2nd hand info, so......?)

 

Louis,

Since some of these are home builder's 'show homes' and new home builds,
there is the possibility that internet has not always been set up yet, so in
some of these cases the inverters may not have been dedicated to a
particular Envoy yet.

 

If "we" cannot remove rogue inverters from a particular Envoy, then we will
likely just send the serial numbers of the Envoy and respective inverters to
Enphase and let them sort it out.

 

We may consider the Array Gun scanner option. 

 

Anyone else have any feedback on this option?

 

 

Cheers,

Benn

 

 

On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Louis Woofenden <louis at woofenden.net>
wrote:


Hi Benn,

We've run into these problems when simultaneously commissioning systems in
adjacent units of a housing development where we did PV systems on all
homes, and 2-3 homes are on one utility transformer. I'm a little surprised
that the Envoy picked up inverters from an existing system, unless those
microinverters were never associated with another Envoy. My understanding
from Enphase is that once they are "bound" to one Envoy, they won't be
easily picked up in a device scan. But maybe I'm missing something, or got
bad info from tech support.

We've definitely had to work with Enphase tech support on a couple of
systems to remove inverters from one Envoy, then do a device scan on another
Envoy, as August suggested. Another option is to spend the money for the
Array Gun scanner (SocketMobile CHS7xi scanner), and use the iOS Enphase
Installer Toolkit app to build arrays and "provision" the Envoy, sending the
inverter serial numbers directly to the Envoy, without need for a device
scan. Not sure if this is worth it at the $450 retail price for the scanner,
but if you can find one used, it might be. I recently was able to pick one
up for about $250 used.

Haven't yet had issues serious enough to require LCFs on residential
systems. Crossing my fingers on that one.

Best,

Louis Woofenden

Net Zero Solar, Tucson, AZ 



On 4/14/14, 9:08 AM, Benn Kilburn wrote:

Wrenches,

I'm sure i read a thread on this list about dealing with this, i've searched
but cannot find it.  If anyone recalls the subject line, please let me know.

 

We are dealing with setting up Enphase monitoring in neighborhoods with
other Enphase systems nearby and these 'other' systems are being picked up
by the EMU.

 

A few weeks ago we finished a 14 module (3.5kW) install and i plugged in the
EMU to search for the inverters.  As it was picking up the first few
inverters, it was showing several hundred kWh already produced???  Not bad
for a 14 module system being in operation for 10 min!!!  (yes the inverters
were new, out of the box)

 

After 30-40 min, the EMU had picked up 28 inverters in total.  There were 14
on the system we had just installed, and 14 on a house across the street
that we had installed back in Nov'13.  I'm pretty sure it had picked up the
14 across the street before picking up the ones we just installed.
Funny that we can sometimes have communication issues btwn the inverters and
EMU in some houses, and here we have EMU's picking up inverters across the
street!?!

 

Anywho... has anyone dealt with this and streamlined a process with Enphase
to remedy this issue?

 

Cheers,

Benn





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-- 

Cordially,

Nick Soleil

Field Applications Engineer

Enphase Energy

Mobile: (707) 321-2937

 
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E: nsoleil at enphaseenergy.com

 

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