Can somebody confirm Zigbee settings on SolarEdge inverter?

[Cirrus MS100D]

If anybody happens to have a SolarEdge inverter (I have an HDWave SE6000) and wouldn’t mind confirming the Zigbee settings to talk to Tesla’s “gateway,” I’d greatly appreciate it.

You can get into the configuration by pressing and holding the OK button for a few seconds, then enter password 12312312 by pressing the equivalent of up, down, ok, up, down, ok, up, down to get into the system.

Then navigate to Communication > Zigbee Conf and report back:

Device Type:
Protocol:
Device ID:
PAN ID:
Scan Channel:
Profile:

The very kind, but obtuse technical folks have been trying to get our gateway to talk to the inverter for months. The installers didn’t have a gateway with them and I didn’t really care since I have Powerwalls and am monitoring the system fine from there, but Tesla Energy wants to see the data from the inverter, which is fine with me.

My Tesla Energy gateway (little black box) has always said “No Signal” (no Zigbee connection to the SolarEdge inverter.) I’ve tried putting it within 12” and it still says No Signal and the inverter has never reported successfully connecting to the gateway.

I’m fairly sure my inverter has misconfigured Zigbee settings, but Tesla can’t seem to tell me what’s SUPPOSED to be there. The latest guy I spoke to today said “We can access the inverter through the Powerwall gateway...” which I am 99% sure is BS. I think he’s confused about the electrical production “data” that the Powerwall gateway is collecting and somehow thinks that would allow Tesla to “tunnel” into the settings of the inverter.

While it’s totally possible something is just wrong with my Tesla Energy gateway, it’s a pointless effort for troubleshooting when we don’t even know what the correct inverter Zigbee settings should be in the first place.

Many thanks to anybody who has the time and inclination!

 

[boaterva]

What does ‘always’ mean? I’ve seen threads here saying this has been broken for several (?) months and Tesla isn’t interested in fixing it.

Yes, there is no connection between the TEG gateway and the inverter for remote access.

As I understand it, the gateway (SE gateway, black flat box) still works for SE but doesn’t connect to Tesla. And Tesla doesn’t care since they get numbers from the taps on the power leads in the TEG gateway. Which is technically correct.

I assume when the Solar City site was taken offline, they didn’t care any longer about direct statistics.

 

[Cirrus MS100D]

Interesting... So to clarify, we bought “Tesla solar” (regular panels) and Powerwall through our Tesla account (same as our car).

The installers came out and got everything done in a day, we got PTO about a month later (mostly due to our local power co. shenanigans). I’ve always been able to see our solar production and Powerwall usage through the Tesla app. I also was curious if it’d be possible to see individual panel production (we will have to keep a close eye on some trees for potential shading issues) and Tesla set me up with read-only access to the SolarEdge app, which shows our properly sized and serial numbered system.

But we've never seen any production numbers in the SolarEdge app - it’s read 0 since forever, so I shrugged it off. About 3 weeks after we were PTOd I got an email from Tesla Energy asking us to contact them because they weren’t seeing any production on our system. After some back and forth, they were confused about our “Gateway” (little black box) when I explained, “Oh, no, we never got anything like that...” and they said it was apparently on oversight on behalf of the installation team. They mailed out the little black Gateway box and I plugged it in. Since the day I plugged it in and through all attempts to relocate it and power cycle it, it has ALWAYS displayed “No Signal” in red text on the front of the unit.

Tesla support says they can see and access the little black box, so it’s not an internet issue, but rather I suspect that the installers never appropriately configured Zigbee on the SolarEdge inverter, thus no matter what Tesla sets on the little black box, it’s never going to talk to the inverter.

I also agree that I don’t really understand what “they” want, as they can clearly see usage/production from the Powerwall gateway, which has always worked fine.

I strongly suspect that if I open the SolarEdge inverter and run an Ethernet cable to my home network, it’ll start sending production data to Tesla via SolarEdge, but I don’t have any good pathways to do this beyond a “See, it works” test.

I’ve tried various setting changes one at a time myself, but it’s likely I just don’t have the right combination or perhaps my other home automation devices (Hue lights, Lutron shades, etc) are interfering, but since I can’t even get Tesla to confirm what they THINK the settings should be, I feel like I’m going around in circles.

Edited because I was using TEG interchangeably with the SE little black box, which are obviously two different things.

 

[Cirrus MS100D]

Still no signs of connectivity between the inverter and SolarEdge little black box gateway, so they’re sending a technician. I am going to roll my eyes harder than my kids when I make a dad joke if the tech only makes a change(a) to the Zigbee conf on the inverter and it starts working.

 

[Olly_]

Device Type: SolarEdge
Protocol: P2P/Multi-Point Slave
Device ID: 1
PAN ID: 1AB7
Scan Channel: 5FFE
Profile: Legacy

That's how my Zigbee is set up. If you want reliable SolarEdge info you'd be better off running an Ethernet cable to the inverter instead...

 

[morbidz]

If your goal is to see production on the SolarEdge portal then you need to run ethernet cable to the inverter and change communication type from zigbee to ethernet.

 

[Cirrus MS100D]

That's how my Zigbee is set up. If you want reliable SolarEdge info you'd be better off running an Ethernet cable to the inverter instead...

Thank you!!!!

I will try these settings tonight when I get home from work! I feel like I may have had SOME of these settings, but unsure if they were all at the same time as I was just guessing haha.

I know for a fact they are NOT set like this now.

And you’re totally right - I’m sure an Ethernet cable would work right off the bat AND be more reliable, but *I* don’t really care about that data all that much. It’ll be nice to have from time-to-time, but the Tesla Energy Gateway from the Powerwalls is more what I’m after and that’s nicely available from an API. I still don’t get why Tesla cares about this data in the first place, unless they suspect something isn’t working properly (which I don’t believe to be the case).

 

[Silicon Desert]

If your goal is to see production on the SolarEdge portal then you need to run ethernet cable to the inverter and change communication type from zigbee to ethernet.

I guess that is one way, and maybe the best way. My inverter communicates to a receiver in the bedroom closet which then connects to the internet, so I don't have any ethernet cable running out to the inverter.

 

[Cirrus MS100D]

That's how my Zigbee is set up. If you want reliable SolarEdge info you'd be better off running an Ethernet cable to the inverter instead...

Thanks again for this info!

Sure enough, many of my settings were different from yours- My Protocol was set to Master and Profile was [something]2007. I went through all my options and made them match yours, and much to my (not really) shock, for the first time ever, my SolarEdge inverter changed from "Gateway not found..." to "Zigbee: Status: {OK}"!!

Now I'm still seeing "No Signal" from the Tesla/SolarEdge little black box (I power cycled that too, for good measure), so this means either Tesla now needs to do something on their end to reconfigure the little black box, or my SolarEdge inverter is actually latching on to some other smart home device I've got running (I have a Lutron hub and a Philips Hue hub, which I think both use Zigbee).

To be continued...


EDIT: Since apparently you can't edit old posts, if anybody is ever looking for the settings that @Olly_ posted, there are:

Device Type: SolarEdge
Protocol: P2P/Multi-Point Slave
Device ID: 1
PAN ID: 1AB7
Scan Channel: 5FFE
Profile: Legacy

 

[Chancellor32]

My little black box has been saying no signal for weeks. Well ever since I ran an Ethernet to the inverter so they solar edge app would work. I care more about panel per panel production vs that dumb black box.

 

[Cirrus MS100D]

I checked the little black box and now the “No Signal” light has gone out. I also got a confirmation from Tesla Energy that they’ve been seeing production data since 1/6, but are still sending a tech out anyway (??) Either they suspect something is wrong (I don’t) or they’re wasting company time and money (as a shareholder, I don’t like it).

I had made the wrong assumption that by having this Zigbee connection up and running that *I* would also be able to see the production data via the SolarEdge app that Tesla “granted” me, yet I’m still seeing 0 production. I guess that means if I plug in an Ethernet cable, that data should flow straight to SolarEdge and I should start to see it on there?

 

[CCIE]

I checked the little black box and now the “No Signal” light has gone out. I also got a confirmation from Tesla Energy that they’ve been seeing production data since 1/6, but are still sending a tech out anyway (??) Either they suspect something is wrong (I don’t) or they’re wasting company time and money (as a shareholder, I don’t like it).

I had made the wrong assumption that by having this Zigbee connection up and running that *I* would also be able to see the production data via the SolarEdge app that Tesla “granted” me, yet I’m still seeing 0 production. I guess that means if I plug in an Ethernet cable, that data should flow straight to SolarEdge and I should start to see it on there?

It seems like Tesla has started to restrict SolarEdge inverters from communicating with the SolarEdge servers via their Zigbee gateway. Data is valuable and Tesla must want to keep control of it. If you run an Ethernet cable to the inverter and set it to conenct via Ethernet, you should start seeing data in the SolarEdge Monitoring portal, but Tesla will lose access to that data.

If you own/lease the system, Tesla doesn't need the production data. If it's a PPA, they do need the data to properly bill you for solar production (otherwise they estimate the usage and bill at an inflated rate). One note is that most pre-2015 PPA installs have a separate revenue-grade meter (box near inverter labeled SolarGuard), in which case Tesla doesn't need the production data from the inverter and you can get away with a direct ethernet line.

 

[JPP]

It seems like Tesla has started to restrict SolarEdge inverters from communicating with the SolarEdge servers via their Zigbee gateway. Data is valuable and Tesla must want to keep control of it. If you run an Ethernet cable to the inverter and set it to conenct via Ethernet, you should start seeing data in the SolarEdge Monitoring portal, but Tesla will lose access to that data.

If you own/lease the system, Tesla doesn't need the production data. If it's a PPA, they do need the data to properly bill you for solar production (otherwise they estimate the usage and bill at an inflated rate). One note is that most pre-2015 PPA installs have a separate revenue-grade meter (box near inverter labeled SolarGuard), in which case Tesla doesn't need the production data from the inverter and you can get away with a direct ethernet line.

FWIW I have a 2013 vintage SolarCity/Tesla Energy 16 kW system (4 strings, 4 SolarEdge inverters) on a PPA. My 4 inverters communicate on Zigbee to a small interface box located above my garage and connected to Ethernet/my network. So 4 data feeds and historically with the old SolarCity app I could see the separate outputs. Tesla sunsetted the old app a while ago, and as we all know, the data in the Tesla app is pretty sparse. I got Tesla Energy to allow me to connect to SolarEdge with their app and monitor my system. The data was pretty good (...not really comprehensive), but the data feed to SolarEdge cut off on the morning of 1/6/20. I wonder if Tesla pulled the plug on the data feed.

Also I have 2 Powerwalls being installed in a few weeks. I was asked to pull Ethernet for the installers, presumably to connect to the gateway. I presume if I got really creative, I could actually install a 5 port switch, and connect 4 drops to the 4 SolarEdge inverters to see if I could resume getting the full data feed. Not sure it is worth the hassle or screwing up my current setup and/or future system architecture.

 

[CCIE]

FWIW I have a 2013 vintage SolarCity/Tesla Energy 16 kW system (4 strings, 4 SolarEdge inverters) on a PPA. My 4 inverters communicate on Zigbee to a small interface box located above my garage and connected to Ethernet/my network. So 4 data feeds and historically with the old SolarCity app I could see the separate outputs. Tesla sunsetted the old app a while ago, and as we all know, the data in the Tesla app is pretty sparse. I got Tesla Energy to allow me to connect to SolarEdge with their app and monitor my system. The data was pretty good (...not really comprehensive), but the data feed to SolarEdge cut off on the morning of 1/6/20. I wonder if Tesla pulled the plug on the data feed.

Also I have 2 Powerwalls being installed in a few weeks. I was asked to pull Ethernet for the installers, presumably to connect to the gateway. I presume if I got really creative, I could actually install a 5 port switch, and connect 4 drops to the 4 SolarEdge inverters to see if I could resume getting the full data feed. Not sure it is worth the hassle or screwing up my current setup and/or future system architecture.

Wait until after the Powerwall install before you mess with it. Given the age of your system, I'm guessing you have a SolarGuard revenue-grade meter using CTs to monitor the combined output of all four inverters. If that's the case, Tesla doesn't really need the Zigbee connection to the inverters, though they like to have it for troubleshooting if there's an issue.

Out of curiosity, can you see the separate inverter data if you login to the the old solarguard site (solarguard.solarcity.com)? You may need to use your old solarcity credentials.

 

[JPP]

Wait until after the Powerwall install before you mess with it. Given the age of your system, I'm guessing you have a SolarGuard revenue-grade meter using CTs to monitor the combined output of all four inverters. If that's the case, Tesla doesn't really need the Zigbee connection to the inverters, though they like to have it for troubleshooting if there's an issue.

Out of curiosity, can you see the separate inverter data if you login to the the old solarguard site (solarguard.solarcity.com)? You may need to use your old solarcity credentials.

Thanks for the advice. Not sure about your 'revenue grade' meter. I have a 'smartmeter' from PG&E, nothing special. I am pretty sure I do not have any CTs or special hardware. They did not open up or reconfigure the inverters, just made sure that the Zigbee system on each inverter was communicating with the small 'deck of cards' sized communicator box. They do not have any other devices on my solar system or inverters or panel or meter.

FWIW I did go to the old Solarguard/SolarCity site. My login no longer works. I tries a password reset--no e-mail back.

 

[Cirrus MS100D]

I also wanted to chime in and say that I am *not* on a PPA or leased system; we own our system outright (paid in cash, so not even a loan “through Tesla” or anybody else.) So, yeah, it’s a little weird how insistent they’ve been about wanting to see the data, though they’ve always maintained it was “to ensure it was working properly,” which is fine, but again, I don’t get the disconnect between the Powerwall gateway (that ALSO has all the data) and the old little black box Zigbee-based gateway. It’s almost like one part of Tesla isn’t talking to the other ? /sarcasm

@JPP - note that the new Powerwall gateway also supports WiFi, if you happen to have a good signal where you’re installing it. I have an Access Point about 20’ away from ours and have never had an issue with signal or data reliability. (I have been toying around with the API to collect my own data and display it internally based on some other open source projects other folks have already done.)

I also asked our installers at the time and we agreed to skip the Ethernet given the short distance. YMMV and all that.

 

[CCIE]

Thanks for the advice. Not sure about your 'revenue grade' meter. I have a 'smartmeter' from PG&E, nothing special. I am pretty sure I do not have any CTs or special hardware. They did not open up or reconfigure the inverters, just made sure that the Zigbee system on each inverter was communicating with the small 'deck of cards' sized communicator box. They do not have any other devices on my solar system or inverters or panel or meter.

FWIW I did go to the old Solarguard/SolarCity site. My login no longer works. I tries a password reset--no e-mail back.

You don't have a box somewhere that looks like the one shown to the left of the inverter @1:46 in the video linked below? It would have a green sticker on it that says Solarcity Solarguard. The electrical diagram given to you as part of the original install docs would also show it.

If not, then Tesla is monitoring your usage directly from the inverters for PPA billing and you can't change them to use Ethernet for SolarEdge Monitoring.

 

[JPP]

I also wanted to chime in and say that I am *not* on a PPA or leased system; we own our system outright (paid in cash, so not even a loan “through Tesla” or anybody else.) So, yeah, it’s a little weird how insistent they’ve been about wanting to see the data, though they’ve always maintained it was “to ensure it was working properly,” which is fine, but again, I don’t get the disconnect between the Powerwall gateway (that ALSO has all the data) and the old little black box Zigbee-based gateway. It’s almost like one part of Tesla isn’t talking to the other ? /sarcasm

@JPP - note that the new Powerwall gateway also supports WiFi, if you happen to have a good signal where you’re installing it. I have an Access Point about 20’ away from ours and have never had an issue with signal or data reliability. (I have been toying around with the API to collect my own data and display it internally based on some other open source projects other folks have already done.)

I also asked our installers at the time and we agreed to skip the Ethernet given the short distance. YMMV and all that.

I know that I could just use WiFi for the Tesla Gateway. I do have great WiFi in the garage where my inverters are and where the Powerwalls will go. But I want to use a 'belt and suspenders' approach and avoid any issues at installation. Tesla will have gigabit Ethernet, fast WiFi (I have a Netgear Orbi mesh system), and also presumably will have the cell modem enabled. So 3 ways to have the gateway communicate with the mothership.

 

[JPP]

You don't have a box somewhere that looks like the one shown to the left of the inverter @1:46 in the video linked below? It would have a green sticker on it that says Solarcity Solarguard. The electrical diagram given to you as part of the original install docs would also show it.

If not, then Tesla is monitoring your usage directly from the inverters for PPA billing and you can't change them to use Ethernet for SolarEdge Monitoring.

Nope--no such box with my 4 inverters. I believe Tesla gets data from the 4 inverters individually fed via Zigbee to the small interface box and back to Tesla. When I could still use my SolarCity app, I could see the 4 individual inverters and their output. Now that the SolarCity app has been killed, I only see the combined output on my Tesla app. And now no feed to SolarEdge to 'trust yet verify'.

I still wonder if I could eventually tap into the Ethernet inside each SolarEdge and get direct information, while leaving the Zigbee feed alone.

 

[jjrandorin]

FWIW I have a 2013 vintage SolarCity/Tesla Energy 16 kW system (4 strings, 4 SolarEdge inverters) on a PPA. My 4 inverters communicate on Zigbee to a small interface box located above my garage and connected to Ethernet/my network. So 4 data feeds and historically with the old SolarCity app I could see the separate outputs. Tesla sunsetted the old app a while ago, and as we all know, the data in the Tesla app is pretty sparse. I got Tesla Energy to allow me to connect to SolarEdge with their app and monitor my system. The data was pretty good (...not really comprehensive), but the data feed to SolarEdge cut off on the morning of 1/6/20. I wonder if Tesla pulled the plug on the data feed.

Also I have 2 Powerwalls being installed in a few weeks. I was asked to pull Ethernet for the installers, presumably to connect to the gateway. I presume if I got really creative, I could actually install a 5 port switch, and connect 4 drops to the 4 SolarEdge inverters to see if I could resume getting the full data feed. Not sure it is worth the hassle or screwing up my current setup and/or future system architecture.

I just had my install on 01/06/2020 (this past monday). I mentioned in another thread, but what I did to get a wired connection to the gateway (which is installed, along with my powerwalls and new load center / breaker panel, in my garage) is, I used a spare router I had that has the capability to become a mesh network node spot (asus router). So, the backhaul is wireless and its broadcasting now in my garage (great for my model 3) and I can use the ethernet ports on the router as a switch to run to the gateway.

I asked the installers to activate all three connections for me (wired, wireless, and cellular) and they had no problem doing so. I purchased the Powerwalls through tesla, and these were tesla employee installer / electricians.

They told me that the powerwalls fail over if one connection fails, so wired >> wireless >> cellular. The installers just asked me for an ethernet cable because they only had a 100 foot one. I gave them a 7 foot cable. I just had the router sitting there for them to connect, and after they were done, I put up a glass shelf that I had bought on amazon that is normally used to put electronics under a TV.

I think it came out pretty good. Here is a pic (gateway is bottom left grey box, new load center is upper left grey box. Black box is fios (fiber) internet, other box is sprinkler controller.