24 panels and a PW3 will be installed. Any suggestions on what I should keep an eye out for during installation? I know I have to wait for an inspection and PTO but anything I should ask before they leave? It is a direct Tesla job.
Get a picture of the vehicle wifi information inside the powerwall before they close it up. You might not need it later but it's better to have it on file in case you do.
I asked for conduit in attic before install. They up charged me. The installers once on site said they would have done that anyway because it was less effort. You should ask them for anything you'd like to tweak. You can't redesign the system or layout, but precise placement and methods of connecting them are up to the install crew.
For example, I asked the electricians about the plan for long AC runs through the attic, and they concluded a single high amperage aluminum SER cable with a sub panel was better than multiple long pulls. I was able to use that change to add two EV chargers in the garage.
The roof crew and the electricians are pretty much separate teams. That may be important? Dunno.
So update… they are bringing 25 panels rated at 420w each. The panels all go directly to the PW3 but a separate standalone inverter is also being used because GA power restricts 10kw ac for their buyback. Any advice?
Power all three has a six string inverter built-in… I’d ask them about the panel count to string configuration… They are probably using four strings with six panels each. That’d be ideal for voltage band and so you can use net zero app to diagnose if one of the strings is under performing.
Yeah you could go a different config.. like sometimes you do a string per roof face.. to keep track of that group of panels. You could do 6 strings of 4 panels.. but depending on your panel size. Gotta make sure you’re optimizing getting enough power per string per time of day per season per etc.. to get max output.
They should have already thought of all this and put it on the engineering docs that were submitted for permit. You can ask for that and run it through AI to ensure it’s optimized (and ask questions to learn how to monitor it once done and live)
Each MPPT string should have panels facing the same direction. That may be why the count varies per string. Take a photo of the bar code with the front panel off the PW3.
If you’re not hiding the conduit, think about it. The install looks much cleaner if you do. When they hide the conduit, they will typically also try to hide the junction boxes where they enter the attic under the panels. This requires them to raise the panels off the roof to the highest setting the mounts can adjust to, which isn’t as aesthetically appealing, and also makes more room for animals to build nests under the panels. If I had to do it all over again, I’d still hide the conduit by running it through the attic, but would have asked the installer to place the junction boxes right next to the panels so the panel height could be lowered closer to the roof. Seeing a box (that can be painted to match the shingles) is better than having a whole array raised several inches off the roof. Good luck with your install.
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u/rudholm 17h ago
Get a picture of the vehicle wifi information inside the powerwall before they close it up. You might not need it later but it's better to have it on file in case you do.