Solar Edge Grid Monitoring Connection (or lack of)

Qyburn

Hi,
With a Solaredge system, optimisers, inverter, battery, what if any is the impact if the monitoring connection to the incoming supply is not in place? The installer says the only effect will be that the Solaredge dashboard won't show import/export, but there will be no loss of function.

Does that sound correct? This would temporary due to not giving me enough notice (or information) in time to get the cable route in place for the planned install.

Thanks

michaels

Mine had no connection to the monitoring for about the first 6 months until I prompted the installer to set it up - makes no difference although it may not store historic generation info forever in the unit?

My invertor also has the optional wifi 'card' so no wired connection needed but was originally set up with lan extender plugs so no wired connection to the router needed.

Qyburn

michaels said:

Mine had no connection to the monitoring for about the first 6 months until I prompted the installer to set it up - makes no difference although it may not store historic generation info forever in the unit?

My invertor also has the optional wifi 'card' so no wired connection needed but was originally set up with lan extender plugs so no wired connection to the router needed.

That's great, thanks. Did you have the Solar Edge battery?

Meatballs

Do you mean the SolarEdge modbus monitoring?

For solar only it won't make any active difference but can be good for data logging and stats.

You will need it if you have a battery though?

Qyburn

Meatballs said:

Do you mean the SolarEdge modbus monitoring?

They are referring to a requirement for Cat 5 cable from inverter to a CT clamp at (I think) our incoming supply, just our side of the Smart Meter.

I say "I think" because he refers to our "energy meter", which I was assuming meant our smart meter, but I've just realised there's a Solar Edge component called energy meter. So maybe we're at cross purposes yet again.

Meatballs

https://www.solaredge.com/en/products/metering-and-sensors/energy-meter-with-modbus-connection

Is what is usually used (the CT clamps go into it etc). The SE inverters don't have a direct CT input.

Qyburn

I think the solar panel business must be where all the shady double glazing people have ended up.

After a lot of back and forth it was all agreed that I'd arrange a buried duct from inverter location to our electricity meter cabinet and draw in a Cat5 cable. The installation would go ahead even if I hadn't yet got that in place, with no significant functional impact as discussed at the beginning of this thread. Once duct was in place they'd return and hook up the CT.

Installation was scheduled for tomorrow.

Then late this morning I had an update from their so called "technical" "design engineer". Now he says this is all incorrect. (1) The system won't work without this grid monitoring (2) the cable route he specified is incorrect, he needs the cable run to the house CU, in spite of the fact that neither outbuilding loads nor the solar or battery output pass through that CU. Thats a completely different route to excavate. Finally (3) there's a piece of kit of unspecified size, shape and connection requirements that has to be installed in the house rather than at the inverter location as originally designed.

He still wanted to carry out the installation tomorrow, even though it won't work.

I was able to speak to a director and expressed my views. I will hear what they recommend but it's going to be an uphill struggle to persuade me to trust them after all this. It still wouldn't surprise me if some plug turns up tomorrow expecting to install. 

The only comfort is that the only expense I've incurred for that incorrect cable route was the cost of some underground rated Cat 5. It's only by chance that I haven't had the cost and effort of the drilling and excavation. Or I suppose still worse if the installation had gone ahead then they'd only realised their mistake later. At least at this stage there should be no argument about getting deposit back if we choose to can the whole thing.

Niv

@Qyburn Totally agree regarding the double glazing salesman reference. I hated the process of getting solar installed, they all come across as cowboys bar one that was ludicrously more expensive than everyone else. It was so difficult to pick an installer. I had to discount one for at worst lying about their MSC status or at best, the sales team were ill informed about it...

Qyburn

Niv said:

@Qyburn Totally agree regarding the double glazing salesman reference.

Cheers. Today I think is last chance saloon for these guys. One of their top technical guys is supposed to visit site this afternoon. My plan is to try and go over everything from how the panels will be mounted to equipment location, internal cable routes, MCB/RCBO requirement all the way through to this Modbus meter.

This will be the first time anyone's come on site, in spite of some previous assurances.

Based on what he finds I'm going to ask them to quote from scratch for two options, with and without additional cable routes and ducts. Then we decide whether to go ahead with either, or can everything.

By the way this outfit is a multiple award winner, Queen' s award,  PV Poject of the Year, Lifetime Achievement award etc.