Want to add on to existing Sunpower system

[rsmith2597]

Hi everyone, new member here and i have a question for you all. My new home(in 2017) came with a 2kW, 6 panel Sunpower system which consists of their 335 X-series panels with the Sunpower branded microinverters(not the newer Enphase inverters). Like many others, Sunpower has come out and replaced the microinverters in all of the panels to their newest(before switching to enphase) rev (mi-c-320-us208/240-10) due to some of the original ones going bad.

My question is, if i buy some second hand Sunpower panels along with the same P/N microinverters to add on to my system, do the new inverters need to be comissioned or the system layout updated by logging into my PVS5x which i don't have the password to do? Or will everything just work when i plug them in?

I've been in the public access part of the PVS5x where it shows basic info but i cannot configure anything without actually logging in.

I've searched high and low on the internet and also searched through some of the pages here to see if i could find anything but i didn't. Forgive me if this info is elsewhere on this site.

i'll try to answer some questions up front that you may ask:

I'm an electrical engineer by trade and am very familiar with PV solar systems. In my last home I added on to its series string/central inverter system which was easy.

This Sunpower system has already been relocated by me to my lanai roof to make room for a 40 panel, 13kW system with a Solar Edge inverter with optimizers(not installed by me) with 2 Tesla Powerwalls(which are amazing BTW)

I'm already authorized/certified to be operating at Tier 2 levels with my utility so that detail is completely kosher

I know i can only add 6 more panels for a total of 12 for that branch per the microinverter specs

The panels i'm looking at purchasing to add to the system are Sunpower 305W that i can get for a really good deal from a local wholesaler, and their specs match up perfectly with the mi-c-320-us208/240-10 specs

I live in Orlando, FL and would follow all requirements(probably go a little beyond) to ensure i'm meeting the rail mounting wind requirements

We have a 4000sf home with a pool heated by an electric heat pump(don't use in summer) and like to keep the AC at 68 at night when we sleep so before the large solar system was installed we averaged 80-ish kWh/day.

I'm so close to having no electric bill(minus the connection fee and taxes) and the additional 6 panels should just put me over the top.




Thanks for your time and reading my post!

 

[Ampster]

Welome.

 

[Ampster]

I will write a tech i know that works for a Sunpower installer in my former hometown.

 

[rsmith2597]

Awesome, thank you for doing that!

 

[Ampster]

I heard from the tech who did my Sunpower install at my former home. He said the micros will produce but you won't be able to see them on the monitoring system. He said a call to SunPower or a local installer should be able to get you a user level access to the monitoring software where you could commission them and then see them on the software.

 

[rsmith2597]

That is awesome news, thank you for reaching out to him for me. I'll go ahead and buy them and update here once i'm done with adding the new panels.