Wrenches, Enphase Encharge debacle continues. Installed the USB extension device ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073B84CY1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Enphase field engineer's recommended week before last. Once installed had good com to all the units but only 5 of the 6 batteries were communicating. Tried unsuccessfully to provision the new battery several times with tech support. Got pretty upset with the tech who was requesting I do the same sequence of events I had been trying for the last two week with no results. Asked if they had someone locally who could look at the system. Enphase field engineer (Adam Rich) called me the next day and agreed to drive up from the Bay Area to take a look at the system. Met him on site on Friday last week, went through the same trouble shooting steps and was unsuccessful in provisioning the battery even though my phone and the Envoy could "see" the battery. He tried it on his phone and it worked so the only thing we could come up with is my phone was the issue. I have a Motorola X Pure from 2016 with Android 6.0 software, Adam was using an iphone, not sure which version. Looks like I need to buy a new phone to work on these systems... Sigh
Later that evening I got a call from Adam and he found a separate issue with another battery. One of the microinverters on the battery was not working. Adam drove back over to the site that evening and tried to hot swap the inverter. Turns out it is a bad slot and the battery needs to be replaced. So looks like we are looking at another RMA for this system. Sharing this info with Wrenches in the hopes that it helps others evaluate these products as I have found value in the messages I have read here. I really like these new Enphase systems and stoked Enphase was kind enough to send someone out to look at our install. Seems like Enphase still has a bunch of stuff to work out on these new batteries, unfortunately we are the guinea pigs for this new technology. Hopefully our customer remains a good sport and doesn't ask us to take it all down... On Tue, Nov 10, 2020 at 7:28 AM Jamie Rennie <jamie.greenwi...@gmail.com> wrote: > 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] > -- 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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