How to add microinverters and get 'em recognized by SunPower PVS6 (who owns what?)

[jcdesenhaf]

I've just added four panels with microinverters to my grid tied system. If I want the second set of microinverters to be recognized by the SunPower PVS6, what needs to be done?

Original system is a grid-tied 3.8kw system with 11 SunPower X21 panels and Enphase IQ7XS microinverters back from 2016. If I understand correctly, a SunPower PVS6 monitors the microinverter data and sends it to SunPower - who sends it back through various apps etc. That last part, the monitoring, isn't something I pay a continuing fee for. It just sort of continues. I just hired different, moonlighting installer to add four LG panels with Enphase IQ7A microinverters on a separate array (separate roof) with its own line to the load center.

I can access my PVS6 configuration screens locally, but after the second page of configuration (network page) it redirects to say that "SunPower Console is now retired for PVS6 commissioning" with further instructions to download the 'app' that only certified installers can use.

So if I want the second array to be recognized by the PVS6, what needs to be done? I've read posts here that suggest that someone at SunPower might be persuaded to add the inverter IDs, but it is a 'favor'.

Or. Is there a way to do this myself? Back door into the SunPower PVS6?

Thanks.

 

[ajzwilli]

I've just added four panels with microinverters to my grid tied system. If I want the second set of microinverters to be recognized by the SunPower PVS6, what needs to be done?

Original system is a grid-tied 3.8kw system with 11 SunPower X21 panels and Enphase IQ7XS microinverters back from 2016. If I understand correctly, a SunPower PVS6 monitors the microinverter data and sends it to SunPower - who sends it back through various apps etc. That last part, the monitoring, isn't something I pay a continuing fee for. It just sort of continues. I just hired different, moonlighting installer to add four LG panels with Enphase IQ7A microinverters on a separate array (separate roof) with its own line to the load center.

I can access my PVS6 configuration screens locally, but after the second page of configuration (network page) it redirects to say that "SunPower Console is now retired for PVS6 commissioning" with further instructions to download the 'app' that only certified installers can use.

So if I want the second array to be recognized by the PVS6, what needs to be done? I've read posts here that suggest that someone at SunPower might be persuaded to add the inverter IDs, but it is a 'favor'.

Or. Is there a way to do this myself? Back door into the SunPower PVS6?

Thanks.

Did you have any success with this? I unfortunately don't have any tips for you, but am going to be in a similar situation.

 

[fafrd]

I've just added four panels with microinverters to my grid tied system. If I want the second set of microinverters to be recognized by the SunPower PVS6, what needs to be done?

Original system is a grid-tied 3.8kw system with 11 SunPower X21 panels and Enphase IQ7XS microinverters back from 2016. If I understand correctly, a SunPower PVS6 monitors the microinverter data and sends it to SunPower - who sends it back through various apps etc. That last part, the monitoring, isn't something I pay a continuing fee for. It just sort of continues. I just hired different, moonlighting installer to add four LG panels with Enphase IQ7A microinverters on a separate array (separate roof) with its own line to the load center.

I can access my PVS6 configuration screens locally, but after the second page of configuration (network page) it redirects to say that "SunPower Console is now retired for PVS6 commissioning" with further instructions to download the 'app' that only certified installers can use.

So if I want the second array to be recognized by the PVS6, what needs to be done? I've read posts here that suggest that someone at SunPower might be persuaded to add the inverter IDs, but it is a 'favor'.

Or. Is there a way to do this myself? Back door into the SunPower PVS6?

Thanks.

I don’t use Enphase but my Microinverter maker tells me I’ll need a new gateway if I want to add current-generation Microinverters to my 2016-era grid-tied system.

I just mention this to point out that while backward compatibility is generally fairly safe to assume, if the new Microinverters are not identical to the 6-year-old ones you’ve already got installed, forward compatibility / compatibility with your existing gateway might not be guaranteed…

 

[jcdesenhaf]

I do have some answers.

I gave up waiting on hold with SunPower for an hour each time only to have them disconnect the call.

So I asked my former installer for the courtesy to calling in the new MIs to SunPower. They misunderstood this as a request to repair the ones they installed, and sent someone on site. This seems odd since the PVS6 seems to have switched to an APP-only access over the internet, accessible only to SunPower dealers. The installer came out, nonetheless, and spent a day trying to get into the PVS6 (and fried the USB ports in the process). The local installer is saying IQ7A are made by Enphase and thus are incompatible with the PVS6.

This makes me think that the IQ7XS might feature something SunPower specific over the Enphase IQ7X, thus the added "S"? It would have been nice to find some reference ahead of time since I could have put in any MIs. The only other hint I got was that shortly after I installed the IQ7A MIs, the SunPower end-user app (Android) added a 'you need to call SunPower" message for about a week. Then it vanished.

There really doesn't seem to be a DIY way to get into the PVS6 to change anything and I could understand why SunPower wants it that way.. Read only so far.