How to Turn on Your Solar System
Overview
Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect the solar activation process to look like:
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How long to allot: Plan on less than 15 minutes (if you need to connect to WiFi it might be closer to 30 minutes).
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Tools needed: None.
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When to do it: System energization is easiest when done in daylight hours.
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What to know beforehand: If you’ve received the go-ahead from your solar installer and your system has received PTO (permission to operate) from your utility company – you’re good to go. You’ll need to know how to access your electrical panel, AC Disconnect, and solar inverter. We’ll walk you through where to find each of these below
Step 1: Find Your Breaker Box and Turn on The Solar Breaker
Electrical panels or breaker boxes are typically found in utility spaces, such as a basement, garage, utility closet, or laundry room. These breakers interrupt the flow of electricity from your panels to the grid and can protect anyone doing maintenance or repairs on the system, as well as protecting the electrical system itself.
Once you find the electrical panel, open the door. There should be a clearly labeled solar breaker switch with a red sticker, marked “PV Solar Breaker.” (PV stands for photovoltaic.)
Turn the switch to OFF for a few seconds, and then turn the switch to ON. With the breaker switched on, alternating current (AC) can pass to your AC Disconnect and inverter.
Turning on your panels
Turning on your solar panels typically requires a few simple steps you can complete between 15-30 minutes. The process will include:
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Finding your breaker box and turning on the solar breaker.
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Turning on your AC Disconnect.
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Turning on your solar inverter.
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Connecting the system to your home’s wifi.
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Checking the LED light display to make sure your system is fully activated.
Now, we’ll dive into more detailed descriptions of each step so you have all the details you need for a smooth and hassle-free experience. If at any point you feel you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team at 1-800-377-4480 or support@blueravensolar.com.
What needs to happen before you turn on your solar panels?
Before your solar panels can be turned on, you need permission to operate, or PTO. PTO is the official sign-off from the utility company letting you know you may safely turn on your solar panel system.
Once your system is installed and connected, your Blue Raven Solar team will apply for PTO. We will coordinate with your local utility company to inspect your solar panels and home. The person performing the inspection will ensure all safety precautions are in place and ensure your system complies with local laws and regulations. They will check if the solar panels are functioning properly.
After the inspection, your utility company may install a new electrical meter, and then, if there are no issues with your solar system, you will be issued PTO and may turn on your solar panels. Once your system has PTO, Blue Raven will notify you and send you instructions via email.
STEP 2: TURN ON YOUR AC DISCONNECT
Next, find your AC Disconnect box. This will most likely be outside your home near your electricity meter. It should be clearly labeled. The AC Disconnect halts the flow of AC power between your home and your solar panels in case of an emergency, such as a fire.
Find the switch or lever on the AC Disconnect and switch it to the ON position. Now electricity can flow between your solar inverter and power grid.
STEP 3: Turn on Your Solar Inverter (A.K.A. Combiner Box.
To complete the process, find your solar inverter. This is also called the combiner box, and it will most likely be a box on the outside of your home, possibly in the garage. If you need help finding or accessing your inverter, call a Blue Raven Solar specialist for assistance at 1-800-377-4480.
Solar inverters are essential for solar power to be usable. When your home is connected to the grid, your panels send energy into the utility grid while your home in turn pulls power from the grid. However, the energy captured by solar panels is direct current or DC, but your home and the grid require alternating current or AC. The solar inverter captures the DC from the sun and converts it to AC.
Regardless of the type of inverter you have, to turn it on you will want to flip the breakers, switches, or dials to the ON position.
Step 4: Connecting to your Home Wifi
As a safety precaution, solar inverters have a built-in wait time before they are fully activated. Thus, it may take a few minutes for your solar system to be fully turned on. You’ll know the system is on when the LED light display is fully activated.
These lights may not turn on until after you’ve connected your system to your home’s wifi. This final step also allows you to monitor your system’s status and production.
At Blue Raven Solar we install the Enphase Envoy combiner box, and an in-depth walk-through video on how to connect it to wifi is available on the Enphase site. You will want to press (but not hold) the AP mode button, then connect your phone or laptop to the gateway by selecting the wifi network titled Envoy_XXXXXX, where “XXXXXX” is the last six digits of your Gateway’s serial number. Once you’ve chosen the correct wifi network, open a browser on your device and type 172.30.1.1 (don’t forget the dots!) in the address bar. This will open the gateway configuration page where you’ll click View Networks and select your home network from the list of available networks. After you enter your home network’s password, your solar system should be able to connect to your home’s wifi. You can check by ensuring the green light by the cloud icon has turned green.
Once your system is connected, you can use the Enphase Enlighten app to monitor your solar system.