new install
Hello everyone,
I have just bought some new solar panels which included 6 x Tigo. This has been installed with my solis hybrid charger, however there is no online visual display to say that they have been installed as my installer says they won't communicate with the solis inverter and the comms for the Tigo are expensive?? My question is really have they been installed and I am being told duff info or if they are up on the roof how do I get them to communicate??? or if they have been installed can I just trust they are up there doing the job with no online visibility..
many regards from someone in Suffolk UK
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Hi Nigel,
Thank you for contributing to our community.
To monitor our optimizers, as you correctly mentioned, you need to add Tigo's datalogger, called CCA and one TAP on the roof. The TAP acts as an antenna, therefore wirelessly importing optimizer data, which will then be uploaded to the cloud through the datalogger.
Also, consider installing our TAP and CCA communication kit to monitor the operation and performance of your plant continuously and to get all the benefits of:
1. Advanced and comprehensive Tigo support.
2. 25-year warranty on the Tigo product (optimizer) instead of 5 years
3. Ability to upgrade remotely should there be new firmware availableHere you can find all the information in regards to this monitoring equipment, https://support.tigoenergy.com/hc/en-us/articles/211807027-Intro-to-Tigo-TS4-A-O-S-M-Monitoring-Group-.
Please don't hesitate to contact us be for any further questions.
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I’m in a very similar situation. I even did go up the scaffolding to check and make sure that they have actually installed the optimisers. Looks like they have, as far as I can tell, but obviously no TAP or CCA.
I have contacted the installer (home smart energy), but I’m pretty sure I know the answer already: they will tell me that the optimisers will work just fine without monitoring.
Now, I do wonder how much monitoring and communication actually do add to the efficiency of the system?
I have a feeling that a lot of installers will take that shortcut, and that most homeowners will never know what they are missing out.
Many regards from Canterbury, Kent.
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Max, monitoring does not add to system efficiency, but it does add visibility. Knowing exactly what is going on with the system at the module level is an invaluable piece of data that contributes to system uptime over the 20+ year lifetime of the system. Plus, it adds a neat addition to the monitoring app, allowing you to show off your system to friends and family.
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Thank you Greg, really useful advice; it’ll help to protect my investment in the system.
Is this easily retrofitted? Any advice on finding an installer - could a roofer do it, i.e. the roofer who installed the original panels?
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It is an easy retrofit, but since there is roof work, I would recommend a professional for this installation. There is a component called the Tigo Access Point (TAP) that is installed underneath one of the modules, preferably in the center of the array. The TAP is connected to our Cloud Connect Advanced (CCA) datalogger that is mounted at ground level, and is protected from the elements.
Once the TAP is connected to the CCA, you would use the Tigo EI app to commission the system. Since the roofer is up on the roof installing the TAP, he must use the EI App to scan the bar codes on the TS4's. Now you will see your entire system on the app and know which module is which on the layout.
Whoever does this part of the installation should take our certification course. It goes into detail about this part of the installation.
TS4 Design and Installation Course
TAP and CCA Installation Manual0 -
Max Zoettl One more thing about your current installation. Installing the TS4 optimizers without the CCA and TAP is what we refer to as Blind Deployment. We give this application this name since you cannot know what is happening with the PV array. Unbeknownst to your installer, this violates our warranty and reduces the warranty period to just 5 years. So, it is a great idea that you are moving forward with the monitoring component for your system!
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Thank you Greg for your advice. Adding the CCA and TAP isn’t too complicated, or rather not complicated as far as the excellent support from Tigo is concerned. So, I went out and bought a CCA and 3 TAPs (to cover different areas of my roof), clipped them to the panels and wired them according to the instructions.
And then I hit an unexpected snag: being up on the roof I noticed that:
1. Some of my panel had no optimiser fitted. I wasn’t pleased, and with time I grew suspicious, so I checked the few optimisers that had been fitted, to discover that
2. My optimisers are NOT Tigo! I have no idea what brand Xinlian is supposed to be, but on Alibaba they are half the price of Tigo. And of course they will never work with the CCA and TAPs I bought. All this despite my installers charging me for Tigos, sending me the Tigo PDFs, etc.
Obviously I will file a complaint, involve trading standards etc.
And I think this is of interest to Tigo, too: some customers may think they have paid for the real thing, then find it’s not performing too well, and they may never learn why, because few people will get on the roof and check what they actually have.
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Looks like there may be a problem getting my post approved as I’ve attached a picture, so I’ll just repeat what I wanted to say without a photo.
Adding the CCA and TAP isn’t too complicated, or rather not complicated as far as the excellent support from Tigo is concerned. So, I went out and bought a CCA and 3 TAPs (to cover different areas of my roof), clipped them to the panels and wired them according to the instructions.
And then I hit an unexpected snag: being up on the roof I noticed that:
1. Some of my panel had no optimiser fitted. I wasn’t pleased, and with time I grew suspicious, so I checked the few optimisers that had been fitted, to discover that
2. My optimisers are NOT Tigo, rather it says “Xinlian" on them. I have no idea what brand Xinlian is supposed to be, but on Alibaba they are half the price of Tigo. And of course they will never work with the CCA and TAPs I bought. All this despite my installers charging me for Tigos, sending me the Tigo PDFs, etc.
Obviously I will file a complaint, involve trading standards etc.
this could be of interest to the original poster, who was indeed wondering if anything or what was actually installed.
And I think this is of interest to Tigo, too: some customers may think they have paid for the real thing, then find it’s not performing too well, and they may never learn why, because few people will get on the roof and check what they actually have.
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Nigel Brown, can you please get in touch with me about this?
Thanks
Max Zoettl
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Hello Max Zoettl,
Thank you for your patience.
I'm sorry to hear that you have received the incorrect brand of Optimizers from your installer. As they are not Tigo, the CCA and TAP will not function with them. My apologies for any inconvenience you have experienced. If you would like more information on how to complete your Tigo system, please reach out to Tigo's Sales Team directly. They can help you to make the correct decision on which product you will need, and also provide design assistance to you.
In regards to Nigel Brown: it sounds like you may have actually purchased a system with the TS4-F Fire Safety series (that does not offer communications). This series is dependent upon a PLC (powerline communication) pulse to keep the MLPEs active. This pulse can be supplied by the inverter, if it is Tigo Compatible. Solis is one of the inverter companies that meets those requirements for Tigo Inverter Compatibility, so it's highly likely that you have purchased a Fire Safety System (not a TS4-Optimizer). You can confirm by checking the label color on the MLPE units (under the PV Modules / panels). If they are Orange, they will be the Fire Safety units. If they are yellow, they will be the Optimizer variety.
If either of you would like more assistance, please feel free to reach out to Tigo's Customer Support Team.0 -
Hi all
Just a quick update. After months of wrestling with Home Smart Energy homesmartenergy.co.uk (please, do not buy from them!), finally they came back, removed the Xinlian knock-offs, and together we set up Tigo TS4-A-O including smart monitoring.
What can I say? It's a beautiful piece of technology and I'd say actually essential to get the best out of your expensive PV system.
Very happy with Tigo!
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Hello Max Zoettl,
That's great news! I'm glad you were able to find a resolution and are happy with the Tigo product.
If you ever require any assistance, please do not hesitate to Contact Customer Support.
Our team of highly trained Engineers are always ready to help!
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