Is the SMA Webconnect module truly Plug & Play?

[truav8r]

Hi all,

Looking forward to getting my system installed next month. Looking at SMA's YouTube video on the Webconnect makes it look easy to get the basic monitoring up and running on Sunny Portal. I'm proficient in working with my router/network, and will have easy access to run the Cat5.

So is it as easy to activate the Webconnect card as the video shows? Plug a Webconnect card into both inverters, run the Cat5 between them and to the router, maybe cycle the power on the inverters to initiate an IP address, and voila?? Can it be that easy, without having to access any installer settings on the inverters?

Thanks for the help.

[Naptown]

Yes pretty easy

[sensij]

As i understand it, sunpower will want you to use their own monitoring system. That system requires the inverter to have an rs-485 communication card installed. The inverter can only accept one card, so you won't be able to use the webconnect without disabling the sunpower system. That may void some of the warranty.

[truav8r]

As i understand it, sunpower will want you to use their own monitoring system. That system requires the inverter to have an rs-485 communication card installed. The inverter can only accept one card, so you won't be able to use the webconnect without disabling the sunpower system. That may void some of the warranty.

Huh? Only the panels happen to be sunpower. The inverters are SMA. So I should be able to use SMA's WebConnect cards, regardless of the panels that are hooked up right?

[Naptown]

The inverters say SMA and not SunPower?
Even if they are the rebranded SMA you can use the cards. You may need to remove the SunPower monitoring first however but is I recall they both use the same data card.
The hardest part is plugging in the little connector to the inverter due to being at an odd angle and a tight space.

[truav8r]

The inverters say SMA and not SunPower?

The inverters are straight up SMA, not rebranded as SunPower. So there will be no SunPower monitoring to disable.

[Naptown]

Life is good then

[sensij]

In recent sunpower installations here, the inverters are not always rebranded. Sunpower monitoring uses an external device they call the PV Supervisor. That device communicates with the sma inverter using rs-485, preventing a webconnect or a webbox from being installed. There was a recent thread about sunpower monitoring describing the architecture. I would definitely run your plans by your installer and make sure it won't conflict with what they will be installing.

worst case, The good news is your data will be available through the sunpower portal, you just won't have as much control over it as if you had collected it yourself.

[truav8r]

In recent sunpower installations here, the inverters are not always rebranded. Sunpower monitoring uses an external device they call the PV Supervisor. That device communicates with the sma inverter using rs-485, preventing a webconnect or a webbox from being installed. There was a recent thread about sunpower monitoring describing the architecture. I would definitely run your plans by your installer and make sure it won't conflict with what they will be installing.

worst case, The good news is your data will be available through the sunpower portal, you just won't have as much control over it as if you had collected it yourself.

There is no "PV Supervisor" or any other Sunpower monitoring that will be added by the installer. Perhaps I confused the issue by mentioning that the panels themselves happen to be Sunpower panels. My question deals with the SMA inverter. The fact that the panels are Sunpower shroud not have anything to do with the monitoring of the inverters.

My original question is just making sure that on a true SMA Sunny Boy 3800TL-US-22 that installing the WebConnect cards and hooking up to the router is all that is needed to get up and running on Sunny Portal. i.e. there aren't any common snags that make the WebConnect cards difficult to deal with.

Thanks.

[sensij]

The reason "sunpower" matters is that they do not sell their panels to just anyone. They have a structured dealer network, and are not divorced from the installation in the way that other panel manufactures will be. Perhaps you are right and there is no additional monitoring, but for a Sunpower system, that is a rare exception, definitely not normal.

[truav8r]

Yes I'm aware of all you said.

[quitepossibly]

If they wire in the Secure Power Supply, the space where the WebConnect card goes might be very tight.

[UkiwiS]

Hi all,
I'm proficient in working with my router/network, and will have easy access to run the Cat5.

Sean

I have an SMA with WebConnect card but it was installed by my installer. If you are some distance from your router/switch/hub you might want to look at a powerline adapter for connecting it to your home network. That's what they did in my case and it's been rock solid. It helped that there was a spare outlet nearby.

[truav8r]

If they wire in the Secure Power Supply, the space where the WebConnect card goes might be very tight.

I decided against getting the SPS actually. It's definitely a cool feature, but not practical in my case. Planning to get a generator