Congratulations on making the change to clean energy and getting your house connected to solar energy with Tesla Solar panels. While this is a high end system with all the bells and whistles, it will still need some troubleshooting every now and again.
This article is here to help you quickly diagnose any issue you may be having with your Tesla Solar system and steps you can take towards fixing it. It’s important to understand the system and the parts before diving in too deep.
What Are the Major Parts of a Tesla Solar System?
The most obvious element of the system is the panels themselves. These are installed on your roof by technicians and you more than likely won’t have to do any troubleshooting up there with the physical panels. Homeowners will spend time troubleshooting the other parts of the system.
The Solar Gateway is a piece that may require some troubleshooting. The Solar Gateway is a small box in your house that resembles an internet modem and/or router and should be located nearby in the same area as those devices. It will likely say “Solarcity” or something else solar related on top.
The Solar Inverter is another piece of equipment to check on if you are having issues, and you can probably find it outside near your electric meter. There are several different models and Tesla’s engineers are supposed to choose the best option for you when designing your system.
The final piece of equipment to check on is the Powerwall if your home is equipped with one. The Powerwall is effectively a giant battery storing energy as a backup in the event of a system failure for any reason. This may be installed on the exterior of your home or in the garage.
Troubleshooting Your Solar Gateway
Once you’ve located your Solar Gateway follow the steps below to try and resolve any issues.
- Check the Power: Ensure the gateway is receiving power. Try unplugging it and plugging it into a different power outlet. Also ensure the outlet is sending power by plugging in a different device and checking if it receives power.
- Switch Ethernet Ports: Try unplugging and plugging back in the ethernet cable. Also try plugging the ethernet cable into a different available port on your modem. Make sure you are using an ethernet cable that you are confident works.
- Move the Gateway: Try moving the Solar gateway closer to the Inverter if you have cables long enough. Creating a bit of distance between the gateway and other electronics can ease up the connection.
- Disconnect and Reboot: Disconnect your modem, router, and gateway from the power supply for 30 seconds and then reconnect them in the same order, modem, router, gateway. Wait for each device to fully reboot before powering on the next one.
If none of the above works, contact Tesla Support: If the issue with your gateway continues to persist, then it’s time to contact Tesla’s support team. Complete the form available here detailing your issue and a representative should reach out to you soon.
Troubleshooting your Solar Inverter
When it comes to troubleshooting the inverter, it starts by identifying your model. The exact process may be similar, but will vary based on the model of your inverter. Begin by identifying your model from the list below and comparing it with the inverters on Tesla’s support website here.
- SolarEdge
- SolarEdge HD Wave
- SolarEdge SetAPP
- Fronius Primo
- Fronius IG Plus
- Delta Solivia
- Delta M
- ABB PowerOne
Regardless of your system, Tesla does not want you to try and fix it yourself. Instead, that as you to not troubleshoot any further and simply contact them using this form.
Troubleshooting Most Inverters
Most of the inverters above will look slightly different, but any of the inverters with digital displays, should follow the steps below. It’s important to do this while the sun is currently shining to ensure accuracy.
- Confirm Wattage: Check the display and confirm that the inverter is displaying more than 0 watts (W.) If it says 0, an error message, or no display then contact Tesla support using the form link above.
- Turn Inverter Off: If the display is showing greater than 0 watts, turn the inverter off using the dial.
- Turn off AC disconnect: If your system is equipped with a large AC disconnect box, then pull the lever to the off position.
- Switch Breaker Panel: Flip the breaker switch in your electrical box labeled “solar”, “PV”, or “Photovoltaic” to off.
- Wait and Reboot: After 30 seconds, turn power back on in reverse order, starting with the electrical box, then the AC disconnect if equipped, then the inverter.
Then, just reboot your gateway using the steps above.
Troubleshooting SolarEdge SetAPP and DeltaM
These are two rarer but important issues.
To troubleshoot the SolarEdge SetAPP:
- Confirm Wattage: Verify that the middle LED is lit up green, and there are no red lights illuminated. If red lights are illuminated or the green light is blinking or off, use the support form above and do not proceed to further troubleshooting.
- Follow the steps for SolarEdge Inverter: If wattage is confirmed, then follow the above power cycling steps for the most inverters.
To troubleshoot DeltaM:
- Confirm Wattage: Verify that the leftmost LED is solid green and there are no yellow or red indicator LEDs. Use the support form if the green light is flashing or there are any yellow or red LEDs.
- Follow the steps for most inverters: If production is confirmed by a solid green light, then follow the above power cycling steps for most inverters.
If the inverter is producing energy and the above process did not resolve the problem, then we recommend reaching out directly to Tesla support by completing the form available here. Tesla has quick video guides available right here for each different inverter if you’d like to visually follow along with the steps.
Troubleshooting a Tesla Powerwall
If you are monitoring your system using the convenient smartphone app, then you may receive an alert that says “Powerwall Disconnected,” if installed. The steps below should help you quickly address any issue or find out if you need professional assistance. We’ve identified some common situations and how you should handle them.
Your Powerwall Breaker Was Accidentally Left Open
You could contact the installer and have them fix it, but you can also follow a few quick steps.
- Locate the breaker box connected to your Powerwall system.
- Switch the Powerwall Breaker back to the closed position to close the circuit.
The Powerwall Breaker is usually near or at the bottom of your main panel and will be labeled as such.
You Have Intentionally Opened Your Powerwall
Tesla does not want their customers to intentionally open their Powerwall. Minor troubleshooting is ok—but if you are unsure or don’t know what you are doing, contact your installer.
My Powerwall is Exhibiting Unusual Behavior
If you notice your breaker tripping over and over or strange smells, don’t try to fix it yourself. This indicates a serious issue and you need to contact your installer ASAP.
Is There More To Do Besides Turning It On and Off Again?
Overall, the simplest solution is the best solution.
Unless you have specialized training in this technology, it is best to leave bigger issues to the professionals.
Any consumer should be more than capable of doing some unplugging and plugging things back in or switching on and off, but if the problem continues, better than safe than sorry, and contact your system installer.