After Installation: What Your Monitoring App Tells You Daily

Real-Time Power Flow: What to Watch

• Solar production (kW): Instant output from your array. A smooth rise, midday peak, and afternoon decline is typical. A flat “tabletop” at noon often indicates inverter or export limiting (not always a fault).
• Home consumption (kW): Turn on a big appliance and this should jump. Use it to identify energy spikes and schedule them smarter.
• Grid import/export (kW): Positive means you’re buying; negative means you’re sending out. Track this to understand net metering credits or grid reliance.

Battery (ESS): State of Charge and Power

State of Charge (SoC)

Your battery’s fuel gauge (0–100%). Daytime surplus raises SoC; evening usage lowers it. Keep a minimum reserve (for outages) and increase it ahead of storms.

Charge/Discharge Rate (kW)

Shows how fast energy moves in/out. If discharge power can’t cover short spikes, the grid will still fill the gap—stagger heavy loads or adjust settings when available.

From Data to Action: Three High-Impact Habits

1. Load-shift to your solar peak: Run dishwasher, laundry, water heating, or EV charging during late morning to mid-afternoon. If you have time-of-use pricing, discharge the battery during peak rates.
2. Set operating modes to match your tariff: Self-consumption when export credits are low; TOU optimization when peak prices are high; backup-first if reliability is your priority.
3. Track trends, not just snapshots: Compare daily/weekly kWh. Look for multi-day drops on clear weather—often a sign of soiling, shade changes, tripped equipment, or sensor issues.

Health & Diagnostics: What’s Normal vs. Not

• Production suddenly down on sunny days? Check for shade changes, debris, or a recent alert in the app. If multiple days persist, contact a qualified technician.
• Midday “flat top” curve: Usually inverter/export limiting (normal). Validate by reviewing total daily energy rather than the single noon point.
• No data in the app: Verify internet to the gateway/inverter, current transformers (consumption sensors), and recent firmware/app updates.

Costs & Savings: Make the Math Honest

Treat in-app “$ saved” as estimates. Validate against your utility bill and a simple model. A widely used public model is NREL’s PVWatts, which estimates expected production based on system size, tilt, and location. Use it to set reality-checks for monthly kWh. Then compare your net imports/exports over a billing cycle to see how habits and battery settings affect the bill.

Illustrative Before/After (Hypothetical)

Note: Example only. Savings depend on rates, system size, weather, and behavior.

Five-Minute Weekly Checklist

1. Open the app → confirm today’s production curve is within recent norms.
2. Scan alerts → resolve repeated faults or communication losses.
3. Check SoC behavior → does it charge on sunny days and cover evening peaks?
4. Review week-over-week kWh → investigate clear-day drops >15–20%.
5. Note any shade/roof changes after storms, pollen, or nearby construction.

Methodology & References

This guide focuses on people-first use of monitoring data: clear actions, verification steps, and public, reputable references.

• International Energy Agency — System Integration of Renewables
• U.S. Department of Energy — Solar Futures Study
• NREL — PVWatts Calculator