PV System: 6. Monitoring

Powering up the system

Wiring up the enphase monitor

The Enphase microinverters comes with a monitoring system called Envoy. This will allow you to see how much electricity you are producing and consuming. You install two consumption meters and one production meter in the main panel and then run those wires to the monitoring system. The meters and the wires for the meters are included in the kit. The monitoring system transmits all the data via wifi to Enphase servers. You create an account with Enphase to log in and view the dashboards.

The wires going into the Envoy:

• two consumption meter wires (blue and white wires with yellow and orange tag)
• one production meter wire (blue and white wires with the blue tag)
• power wire to supply the monitor with power (the black and red wire)
• ground wire (green wire)

Consumption Meter

There are two consumption meters, one for each branch of the main panel. The meter opens up and you can wrap it around the branch. Make sure the main panel is powered off. Then run the two wires to the Envoy.

Production Meter

There is one production meter, shaped like a donut. You run the wires from the disconnect switch through the production meter and then into the circuit breaker. Then run the production meter wire to the Envoy.

Final Hookup

Now everything should be wired up except the solar panels to the micro-inverters. Wait until night time, or cover up the panels so they are not generating electricity. Then connect the solar panels to micro-inverters.

After you test your system, keep it powered off using the disconnect switch to disconnect the solar panels from the main panel. Wait until you get your final inspection AND your electric company approval to connect to the grid before flipping the disconnect switch back on.

Configuring the app

There are two apps to download. The Enphase Installer Toolkit app, which shows the details of the micro-inverters status and the Englighten app, which has the graphs to see your consumption and production.

Notes:

• Devices & Array –> Envoy –> [click on system id] –> toggle one Power Production
• Meter Configuration –> Enable Production Meter, Enable Consumption Meter
• Connect to the envoy –> Start Provisioning Devices

When I first onboarded the solar system in the app, I misconfigured the Consumption Meter (i think i chose the wrong selected phase) and the app didn’t let me edit it. So I had to create a support case. Someone called me and logged into my system and changed some settings.

Power on the system

Flip the disconnect switch to connected. If the circuit is broken (e.g. switch is disconnected) or is the sun is not hitting the panels, the inverters also power down and stop communicating. The solar panels need sun hitting the panels for them to get power and start communicating.

Monitoring using the Enlighten app

The app gives realtime stats of consumption and production.

Monitoring using the Englighten website