SunPower CT Consumption Monitoring with PV5 - CT Does not Fit in Panel

[J.P.M.]

The BBB is a worthless self serving association of member business.

Take the code failure complaints to Sunpower and your state contractor licence board.

Fair enough, but since it takes about as long to file a complaint w/BBB as to post here, maybe it's worth the 5 minutes or so of bother if only to C.Y.A. and if nothing else, add some veracity to one's efforts if given stuff about due diligence.

Also, and if S.P. already ducked at least once, why bother with them (S.P. that is)?

[Mike90250]

The BBB is a worthless self serving association of member business.

Take the code failure complaints to Sunpower and your state contractor licence board.

[J.P.M.]

I just had a SunPower system installed and paid off. When the Utility (NV Energy) swapped meters and turned on the system, I was lacking consumption data. I asked the "Master Dealer" who gave me a canned "only 50% of panels on the market support CTs" and after a lot of back and forth, they refused outright.

I opened my panel and and see they could have run two sets of CTs with ease, there was enough play in the load wires to do that, but they said no. There was also a bus bar that had some plastic around it which is why it would not fit. I found this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Sense/comme..._transformers/ and this user was able to cut away the plastic protecting the bus bars.

I hired a licensed electrician to complete to do this, and installed the CTs myself from eBay. I must say, I'm extremely disappointed in SunPower. They refused to escalate on their side with their Master Dealer. The dealer tried to upsell me for a replacement panel for thousands of dollars. The documentation I have from SunPower shows it can be done a few different ways but the dealer was not willing and said find another dealer.

This is the same company that had a brand new Equinox panel fall on concrete pavers. It bent the frame on either side and scratched the surface and they refused to replace it. Security camera caught it, and SunPower Corporate also refused to do anything about it saying its the dealers responsibility and my agreement was with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T5UHJdQR0E

The panel in question is a Square D SC3040M200F Homeline for the sake of anyone else with this issue. At least I have consumption monitoring.

9sObJZp.pnghMW6L8Z.pngu8sIxPV.jpgu8sIxPV.jpg

https://imgur.com/a/AFc3Ln4

If you can document all you've written here, I'd bitch to the BBB as well.

Also, since you've identified Sunpower, it might be considered a further public service if you were to identify the vendor here as well.

[BenP]

Bummer. Did you pay before you watched the video ?

Sunpower is right - that's a dealer issue. If "I" were sunpower, they would no longer be a dealer after a stunt and blow off like that.

I trusted they would make things right but should have held final payment until everything was complete.

I haven’t got a lot of sympathy from SunPower who’s response has been pretty lackluster, no offer to moderate the discussion with the dealer or even talk to them just “it’s not our problem”.

I did fill out the SunPower survey with a bunch of 0’s and got a call right away from the dealer after they ignore me for 3 weeks. I put everything in writing back to the dealer but the damage is done. It sucks I had to use another dealer to complete what they should have and glad the city inspector caught them cutting corners and failed the install. At least someone had my back!

[Mike90250]

Bummer. Did you pay before you watched the video ?

Sunpower is right - that's a dealer issue. If "I" were sunpower, they would no longer be a dealer after a stunt and blow off like that.

[BenP]

I just had a SunPower system installed and paid off. When the Utility (NV Energy) swapped meters and turned on the system, I was lacking consumption data. I asked the "Master Dealer" who gave me a canned "only 50% of panels on the market support CTs" and after a lot of back and forth, they refused outright.

I opened my panel and and see they could have run two sets of CTs with ease, there was enough play in the load wires to do that, but they said no. There was also a bus bar that had some plastic around it which is why it would not fit. I found this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Sense/comme..._transformers/ and this user was able to cut away the plastic protecting the bus bars.

I hired a licensed electrician to complete to do this, and installed the CTs myself from eBay. I must say, I'm extremely disappointed in SunPower. They refused to escalate on their side with their Master Dealer. The dealer tried to upsell me for a replacement panel for thousands of dollars. The documentation I have from SunPower shows it can be done a few different ways but the dealer was not willing and said find another dealer.

This is the same company that had a brand new Equinox panel fall on concrete pavers. It bent the frame on either side and scratched the surface and they refused to replace it. Security camera caught it, and SunPower Corporate also refused to do anything about it saying its the dealers responsibility and my agreement was with them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T5UHJdQR0E

The panel in question is a Square D SC3040M200F Homeline for the sake of anyone else with this issue. At least I have consumption monitoring.

9sObJZp.pnghMW6L8Z.pngu8sIxPV.jpgu8sIxPV.jpg

https://imgur.com/a/AFc3Ln4

[davahad]

Yep all connections are extremely tight and I do have smoke detectors. The CT's were added June 2016 and have had no issues with the panel or the solar install.

[peakbagger]

Wow, that panel looks tight! Hope all the connections are tight and you have smoke detectors.

[davahad]

Pictures of the installation of the CT's.

[davahad]

They did not charge anything. I called SunPower and told them my dealer says the CT's only fit in 50% of the panels (which is not true). They fit in almost all panels it is just very time consuming to install in tight panels. Dealer only wants to install in panels that are easy.

My dealer talked to the Sunpower CT Engineer and he offered to come out at no charge to train the dealer on how to install in tight panels.

Dealer said they will start offering installs in tight panels but will be billing for the time on future installs.

Adding pictures of the install for others so that it might help them.

[vins]

I am having the same issue. How much sun power charges for installing those. I just have my system commissioned but I have not paid the last installment since the consumption monitoring is not working.

[davahad]

Sunpower came out an installed 4 CT's in the box and they fit and it was probably 2 hours total as they also trained the dealer at the same time.

[davahad]

SunPower CT Engineer coming out next week to attempt install on my panel. Said it should fit but we will see.

[davahad]

Here is a picture of the type of panel that I have. SunPower is telling my dealer they should be able to install in this type of panel. Guessing my dealer looked at the panel and just assumed based on past experience it was a no go.

Would appreciate hearing from anyone that was in a similar situation to me and how they were able to get the CT's to work. Service Panel.jpg

[SunEagle]

From what I read, not all CRs are directly interchangeable. Some put out 333mv at full scale (full scale can be different sizes), some have
other standards. Get a match. Bruce Roe

You are correct. Most CT's have a current output with ratios like 200/5 which is 200 amp converts to 5 amps. Others convert the high side amps into 333mv. Those are used by most portable meters because it is safer to the operator and does not require a shorting block on the output side.

Still the rope CT's can be very accurate and are used with high end power quality meters made by Fluke, Dranetz to name a couple. But you must match the CT output to the input of the measuring device.