Monitoring Systems
Monitoring Systems
It is very important to monitor your system’s health. Most solar companies will not call you when there is an issue, so being confident in a monitoring system is key to your system’s performance. Since none of the solar panel manufacturers make monitoring systems (with the exception of Sunpower), it is good to know what to ask for when you are looking at monitoring options.
If you go with a string inverter solar system, your monitoring options are limited as you cannot drill down to see each panel’s production. We do not sell string inverters (and would not recommend you purchase SMA, or Solaredge inverters). However, if you do go with a string inverter you may want to purchase an additional monitor like Eydro Home, or wiser home smart energy monitor.
With Micro-Inverters like Enphase and Sunpower, you may be able to upgrade to Consumption Monitoring. Consumption Monitoring will not only show you how much power you are generating, but how much power you are using.
Sunpower Monitoring
The New Sunpower monitoring system can be upgraded to a consumption monitor (on most main service panels). The upgrade would include a consumption monitoring kit providing additional features. You may pay a bit more, but consumption monitoring allows people the ability to see a graph of their usage next to their consumption. Also, sunpower is able to diagnose system issues, so if there is a problem with your system, they can remotely diagnose and send a crew to fix that issue. Here is a picture of a consumption graph from the Sunpower Monitoring system.
Specifically with Sunpower Monitoring, you can use one app to monitor your solar system and battery.
For more information about monitoring, we offer a free (no obligation) 30 minute Zoom Consultation. You can expect a design for your home, and a friendly representative to walk you through the ins and outs of a solar system. We will give you a bid at the end of the presentation, based on your individual needs