Wrenches, We just got through installing and commissioning our first Enphase system with Empower Smart switch and 2 of the Encharge 10's. Commissioning took a long time (over a week) and was really clunky with many calls to tech support. Everytime we got past one issue we ran into something else that needed to be resolved by an engineer. Most of it had to do with software and communication between envoy and other components. Found one of the batteries failed and we have replaced it. Now the batteries are not communicating with the Envoy and waiting to hear back from tech support about a solution for improving the communication between the Envoy, Empower and Encharge Units (currently IQ Combiner with Envoy is installed on East exterior wall near service and batteries are in the garage approx 60' away). Sounds like Enphase does not have a repeater they recommend for their system yet and there are known issues with weak comm between batteries and Envoy.
On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 10:07 AM <d...@energysolarnow.com> wrote: > Thanks for that advice, Louis. Next time I will start the necessary > downloads first. > This week with a site visit from Enphase tech support we determined the > Enpower switch was stuck in an unknown state. This was resolved > successfully, and now the Enpower switch and Encharge batteries are > commissioned and functional. Their status and power flow can be seen on > Enlighten. > During functional testing we determined that a major cause of the system > going down when off-grid is that the well pump turn-on surge is too much > for the two Encharge3 batteries. > This issue should be able to be solved by a motor soft starter. Enphase > recommends SureStart from Hyper Engineering. These are made for larger A/C > units with access to separate fan and compressor windings so are not > appropriate for this two-wire 3/4 hp well pump. > Does anyone have a recommendation for a suitable soft start rated at > something like 8 amps load, 16 amps surge? > > Don Barch > Energy Solar > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Commissioning issues with Enphase Ensemble > From: Louis Woofenden <lo...@woofenden.net> > Date: Thu, October 01, 2020 3:54 pm > To: d...@energysolarnow.com > > > Hi Don, > > I have commissioned four new Ensemble systems over the past two weeks. All > storage additions to existing PV systems with Enphase microinverters. > Although there are parts of the process that are a bit clunky, we have not > had the problems you mention. I followed the instructions in the tech brief > "Ensemble Commissioning via Installer Toolkit 3.0," linked at > https://enphase.com/en-us/certification-support-program-guidelines > (direct link to the PDF is > https://enphase.com/sites/default/files/Tech%20Brief%20-%20Ensemble%20Commissioning%20via%20Installer%20Toolkit%203.0.pdf > ). > > My experience is that each of the four Enpower microgrid interconnection > devices we've installed started up in passthrough mode, so if input > breakers are on in the MID, backup loads have had power before > commissioning is completed, and power has remained on for those backup > loads even after we turned off the PV and ESS disconnects to wait for > utility PTO after doing commissioning and functional testing. > > It did take us some time to do the Envoy software update before > commissioning, and the system does require a second trip for functional > testing after the Encharge battery software updates have been done (up to > 12 hours). I haven't stuck on site for the Encharge/Enpower software > updates, but it looks like they are taking 4-6 hours for us, based on > percentage done by the time I've left the site (system sizes from 10.08 kWh > to 20.16 kWh). Yeah, it's a second trip. I've used the trip to meet with > electrical inspectors for these first systems. > > One "trick" I've used on the Envoy software update is that you once you > scan in the serial numbers of each Enpower & Encharge with the installer > toolkit and plug in the cell modem and wireless communications kit, the > installer toolkit will allow the Envoy software update to work, and you can > get it taken care of early in the day, while still hanging boxes, running > conduit, etc. > > I would agree that there are definitely parts of the new installer toolkit > that aren't intuitive. I missed the "edit" button on the devices page for a > bit (which is not mentioned in the tech brief), and couldn't figure out how > to increase the device count, for example. I also had to try the Envoy > update twice for some of these systems, as it threw an error code the first > time around, so for some of the systems it took closer to 45-50 minutes to > get the Envoy software update done. > > Hope the next one goes more smoothly for you! New products, new > challenges, I guess. > > Best, > > Louis Woofenden > > > d...@energysolarnow.com wrote on 9/30/20 2:59 PM: > > Wrenches- > I'm having a lot of difficulty commissioning my first Enphase Ensemble > installation. This is on a pre-existing microinverter installation. Have > been on the phone with tech support several times; each time they forward a > Tech Brief about commissioning that has different and slightly conflicting > instructions. It seems the order of turning on each box is critical. > Because of already-obsolete software that they ship with, the software must > be updated before activating the Envoy, Enpower, and Encharge or they will > not work. > And for some reason the Envoy must have both Wifi and cell connection > before even starting commissioning, but the slower cell connection is used > for software download so it takes up to 12 hours. > This commissioning must be done on-site using their latest version of > Installer Toolkit on a smart phone. Sure, there are buttons in Enlighten's > Activation page to add an Enpower and Encharge, but these do not work > "yet". > Enphase tech support says they are working on making this a single-day > process rather than the current multi-day commissioning. This does not even > count the actual hardware installation time. > > I would advise anyone against moving any loads to a new subpanel before > the entire system is commissioned and operating. > As of now I have an Enpower that mistakenly thinks it is off-grid when the > grid is present, so it has told the Envoy to shut down the PV > microinverters and batteries. These are relay controlled, therefore it is > not possible to have them connected without software control. It has > already committed the major crime of shutting down the backed-up loads > while the grid is still present. Enphase is working on it, but seem to be > developing software on the fly. I suppose their integration process has > been hit hard by pandemic distancing, and they are all working remotely. > > Has anyone else had a successful experience commissioning an Ensemble? > I'd like to hear about the doos-and-don'ts. > > Don Barch > d...@energysolarnow.com > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change listserver email address & > settings:http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette:http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios:http://www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > -- > -- > Louis Woofenden > Engineering Director > Net Zero Solar, LLC > 101. W. 5th St., Tucson, AZ 85705 > Arizona ROC #248710, 259756, 259521 > > Phone: 520.207.4053 Ex. 3 > Cell: 520.237.5040 > Fax: 520.203.7230 > > NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional™ > > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change listserver email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the > other: > https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/ > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios: > http://www.members.re-wrenches.org > > -- Respectfully, Jamie Rennie Greenwired P: 707-923-2001 C: 707-273-7387 1150 #1 Evergreen Rd Redway, CA 95560 www.greenwired.com [image: Description: signature]
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