The Enphase Enlighten Mobile App

How Enphase Lifetime Free Solar Monitoring Works

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Enphase provides world-class solar monitoring and unparalleled customer support. When you purchase an Enphase microinverter based solar electric system from Florida Solar Design Group, you will automatically get access to Enphase’s Enlighten solar monitoring platform and app. We will install a data monitoring gateway that connects to your home Wi-Fi network and sends performance data to the Enphase Cloud where it can be displayed in a web browser or mobile app.

The Enphase Enlighten Mobile App

The Enphase Enlighten Mobile App

Here are some important things to know and understand:

  • The data monitoring for consumers is known as Enphase Enlighten. There is a limited real-time “live view” that shows current energy flows for your system. The primary purpose of the data monitoring system is to provide historical performance data. Data will accumulate and be displayed in 15-minute increments, daily, monthly, yearly, and lifetime. You will also be able to see cumulative per-panel historical data with the same timeframes. There is no per-panel instantaneous data displayed. That is reserved for the Enlighten Manager portal and app, which is intended for installers but available for purchase by consumers as a subscription or one-time cost. We also have an Installer Toolkit app that is reserved for installers and intended to initially commission your system and perform diagnostics.
  • You may or may not have consumption monitoring installed. We sell all systems with solar production monitoring. When it is technically practical, we also install whole-house consumption monitoring for the Enphase monitoring system at no additional charge to you. The consumption monitoring parts come with the monitoring hardware, but it is not always practical to install it depending on your home’s existing electrical setup. Some physical challenges may exist that make it difficult or even impossible to install consumption monitors. That’s why we do not advertise or guarantee consumption monitoring as part of your contract. Rest assured, if it doesn’t present any undue challenges, we will install it, and even provide a second set of consumption monitors if you have 400 amp electrical service or subpanels monitoring required based on your existing setup.
  • You are responsible for providing a viable Wi-Fi signal and broadband Internet service for the data monitor. Because the data monitor is often installed in a garage or on an exterior wall of the house, Wi-Fi signals can be poor. We will provide you with a basic Wi-Fi extender free of charge at the time of installation if your signal is insufficient. In the vast majority of homes, we are able to connect the data monitor to Wi-Fi successfully. If we can’t, you will need to improve the Wi-Fi signal and possibly even hire a third party to provide a good signal at the location of the monitoring equipment. We are not networking professionals and cannot provide networking support beyond the basics. We do not provide hard-wired Ethernet connections, but the data monitor can be hard-wired by you or a network/IT professional.
  • If you change your Wi-Fi equipment or network credentials or if your data monitor loses its connection, you will need to reconnect your data monitor. The app will walk you through this, or you can refer to Enphase’s instructions for reconnecting. You can also call Enphase at (877) 797-4743 for support. We offer a one-time free service call in the first two years after installation to reconnect your Wi-Fi if necessary. As a last resort, you can request a paid service call from our office.
  • All battery backup systems come with a backup cellular modem for redundant Internet connectivity, but Wi-Fi Internet is still required. The cellular modem comes with a 5-year data plan from AT&T. Once the data plan is exhausted, you can choose whether to extend it by purchasing a new modem/plan. Cellular modems are also available at an additional charge for non-battery systems. The cellular modem only provides 4 updates per day at 6-hour intervals. It does not provide the 15-minute update intervals that broadband provides.
  • While your microinverters come with a 25-year warranty, the data monitor is warranted for 5 years. Not to worry – they are very reliable in our experience.
  • Enphase provides the monitoring portal, but they do not actively monitor your system. That is your responsibility. They provide the tools for you to ensure your system is in working order and send alerts when known system issues exist. At the time of installation or at a time that is convenient to you, we will go over the app usage in person to help familiarize you with the important features. We call this our “Solar 101.” You can also refer to our helpful Enphase Enlighten video here. It is important that you regularly check the monitoring system to ensure that the system is working and there are no service issues.
  • Florida Solar Design Group does not actively monitor your data. With hundreds of systems deployed, it is impossible for us to actively monitor your system performance and respond to alerts. We rely on you to notify us if something is not working properly. If you require a review of your system performance beyond a cursory look, service charges may apply (outside of our 2-year courtesy window after installing your system). Enphase also provides a 2-year labor warranty for the replacement of faulty microinverters, but that does not include our service fees for reviewing and processing your warranty claim and applicable trip/diagnostic charges. We offer very reasonable flat-rate warranty swap fees outside of the initial 2-year period for systems we installed.
  • Occasionally the Enphase cloud may perform updates or be down for system maintenance or problems. If your app stops responding, you may want to give it some time. The same thing applies to system alerts and errors. May issues will clear themselves, especially communication issues and battery alerts. If an issue persists, you can reach out to Enphase or contact us for support.
  • When your system is first installed and while waiting for the utility company to install your bi-directional meter, the app will display an error or warning. This is normal, as your system production is remotely turned off or set to no-export mode. Once you get your new bi-directional meter from the utility company we can remotely enable power production in most cases. Error messages may persist for up to 24 hours beyond that. We will monitor your system when first activated until it is operating normally and all solar panels are producing power.
  • While we are happy to answer your questions, keep in mind that the free monitoring service is provided by Enphase, not by Florida Solar Design Group. If you have issues with the monitoring system itself, your first call should be to Enphase. If you are unsuccessful in getting it working, do not hesitate to contact us.

The Enphase system and Enlighten monitoring portal and app lead the industry in ease of use and in-depth performance data. We are sure you will have a great experience.

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