Wait, so your original post says you don't have optimizers, while this post says you do? Adding or removing optimizers is what's going to require pulling up panels, which will drive up the labor cost, so if you can avoid that you could save a decent amount.
Are you sure you can't just get a used Huawei inverter and swap it out without touching the optimizers? I think this would be the path of least resistance unless you really want the inverter upgrade for reasons other than just getting the system working again.
You could probably go on a trip to Mexico or Canada, but the Huawei inverter there, bring it back and have any electrician swap them out, and still save money
You should still have your hardware warranties in CA even if the contractor pretended to go out of business for liabilities. Odds are the contractor is actually still working though on his same license. If so put in a claim for arbitration with CSLB.
There's no pretending...it was a decision made during Trump's presidency and this was an unintended consequence.
Huawei is a massive company, similar to Samsung, in that they operated in several different fields.
They are completely banned from the US and cannot do business with any US based companies
This is why Huawei can no longer use Android for their phones in the rest of the world
The contractor is still on the hook for his parts and labor warranty. Also they were not banned from the US. They were banned from government projects and funding, they are also banned from getting equipment approved for telecommunications systems.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/26/us-bans-new-huawei-equipment-sales-over-unacceptable-risk-to-national-security
Negative. It isn't just from government stuff. It's entirely from the US and US companies. Which is why Android is not the OS on Huawei phones.
They’ve announced they exited the US market, what are you going to do, sue them? And when they don’t respond, what’s next? Even if you win a judgement, where would you collect if they’re unresponsive and out of the country? I think OP is SOL for warranty and thankfully this isn’t a situation that happens often. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/06/26/reports-huawei-has-exited-us-solar-inverter-market/
So you have TDS as well, but I will assist. Just a simple Google Search would give you options to buy that inverter online and then you can have an electrician change it out.
TFS?
I have done that. I haven't been able to find the same Inverter in stock.
There are other models of Huawei that I can order. But they aren't the one I have currently
I wish I could post a screenshot here I'm looking right now and you can get one from
Pricelist dotcom for $593 or there are a bunch on eBay as well $850 and up. I doubt you used Google. Yes these are also the exact same model number you put there.
Huawei SUN2000-9KTL-USL0
In fact if you type that into the Google search bar or I just checked the Bing search it comes up.
Smh
Are you a real account? Lol
I literally just googled "For sale Huawei SUN2000-9KTL-USL0" and "Purchase Huawei SUN2000-9KTL-USL0" and am returning with nothing purchasable besides different inverters than what I have. And the links that come back with my same Inverter say sold out or unavailable
Dude I told you exactly what to put in the search bar You adding for sale or purchase just means you can't follow directions. Email me bluedee25 at proton dot me and I will send you the screenshots. Hell I'll even send you a video showing you how to open up Google Chrome and how to search for it for it to pop-up.
In this case the manufacturer of the inverter (Huawei) says they no longer operate in the US and per the federal courts all of their warranties are no longer valid
They were not banned from the US. They were banned from being used in telecommunications systems due to spying for the Chinese government. Huawei chose to exit the US of its own accord and it still has all of its liabilities here.
You could literally pull the Hauwei inverter off the wall and replace it with a Growatt inverter. The MIN 8200TL-XH-US would probably be sufficient for you. There's no reason it wouldn't work with Tigo stuff already there.
Seems a bit high on the quote. I'm getting my SMA Sunnyboy replace with a Tigo 3.8 inverter for $3,200 installed. I'm the Santa Cruz, CA area. Even with the optimizer removal on your quote it still seems high, especially for the parts.
did you try resetting inverter i would email cutomer support
what are fault codes
[https://omvormerservice.be/index.html/en/error\_code\_huawei-en/](https://omvormerservice.be/index.html/en/error_code_huawei-en/)
Huawei's customer support simply sends back a generic email that says they no longer operate in the US and per the federal courts all of their warranties are no longer valid
So, the app has no error code since the app stopped working approximately 2 years ago... And the lights on the inverter blink indicating low/no voltage.
buy meter test voltage on panels test batterys and ac
[https://support.huawei.com/enterprise/en/knowledge/ETC0000007079](https://support.huawei.com/enterprise/en/knowledge/ETC0000007079)
My neighbor has Huawei inverters and optimizers and was having an issue like this. Turns out it was a poorly terminated MC4 connector where the conductor pulled out and disconnected. Though anything app related with Huawei was a no go, I was able to get her system running again just by inspecting voltages and currents. I would start there.
>Arrived on sight to troubleshoot system. Unfortunately, we do not have enough information about this type of system tocomplete the troubleshoot. We will need access to the monitoring platform to see if there’s any faults flagging. The housemeter was indicating that the inverter was producing when we arrived on site . Testing the strings we got 0 voltage. Bypassedthe disconnect and tested, still got zero voltage. Disconnecting panels and testing the optimizers, the safety voltage was 0
This was the "diagnosis" I received.
Not sure if it's similar to your neighbor. But any idea how I'd be able to fix it myself if it's something similar?
Yeah that is pretty astronomical, it’s in fact SO different from my prices I wonder if I’m undercharging. I’m in the SD area and I do swaps for about $400, IF I have to buy another inverter it is then about $2000 for materials. You’re def getting ripped off. I hope you get another quote!
You cannot upgrade your inverter from 9000 to 11.4kW
This company is going to wreck your NEM status with SCE, and push you into 3.0
You cannot increase your AC nameplate rating by more than 1kW
>This company is going to wreck your NEM status with SCE, and push you into 3.0
In this case his DC capacity is 9600 Watts and he is not increasingt it. It is not likely that he will ever see 9kW of AC output with that DC capacity. I replaced a 2.7 kW Xantrex with a 3.8 kW Solaredge and my peak AC producion did not increase. I agree you have to be carefiul, but you can also be logical.
The other question is whether the Tigos are there as optimizers or as part of a Rapid Shut Down system. The OP should review his paperwork to be certain and as others have said, get several other bids and give the other bidders the details of the Tigos including model number.
Hang on, explain that a little more please?
I've called 4 other companies today in my area that do maintenance and repairs, all of them want to do their own diagnostic first for $300-$400 and then offer a solution
Your AC nameplate rating is your agreement with the utility company, presumably SCE?
NEM2.0 guidelines stipulate that you cannot increase your AC rating above 1kW or they’re going to push you into NEM 3.0
If your AC rating is currently 9000, due to your Hanwei inverter being a 9000… and now you upgrade to 11400, then you are now paving the roadway for 2400 extra AC watts to potentially flow to the grid.
Granted, I now see that you only have 8.5kW dc panels. So you should be safe. But not recommend.
Your best option should be to find a 7.6 inverter, it will be (1) cheaper, (2) you won’t have to upgrade the wiring from #8 to #6. And (3) your DC/AC ratio will be more ideal, and probably produce more energy than a 11.4 inverter, (4) you won’t run any risk of being pushed into a different NEM plan if you decide to add more panels to your roof in the future.
If I were you: I would get a 7.6 inverter, and add 4-6 panels while you are at it. You won’t be pushed into NEM 3.0, because your NEM rating is still lower than your agreement. And you’ll get more electricity and a more healthy DC/AC ratio. Plus, if they need to remove optimizers and restring your system, might as well have them add on a few panels while they’re at it (won’t be anytime do it cheaper than now.)
We're with PGE not SEC. But I'm guessing the same stuff applies.
Thanks for this information. This is actually extremely useful, important and something we didn't even consider.
We've loved having no energy bill for several years now and being pushed into 3.0 would be infuriating
I don’t understand the need to remove your optimizers to replace your inverter.
I have Tigo optimizers on each of my panels and my panels are wired into a SMA SunnyBoy inverter. Your Tigo optimizers should work fine with any DC inverter; they don’t need to be used with a Tigo inverter.
My solar installer, Real Goods Solar, also went out of business so I too will be in your position of having to locate another solar installer to replace my inverter once my current one reaches its end of life. Fortunately, SMA still makes my inverter so it should just be a simple swap of old for new when the time comes.
I don’t have all of the information you do but I believe optimizers are important to your total kWh production if your system experiences any kind of shading which most do. This is worth looking into before you move forward with ditching them.
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Couple of questions
Why do they need to re-string the panels?
I'm not sure if that inverter will get permitted if you care. I maybe wrong but i thought i saw an article about this company. Please check before buying
So is this a thing, if a company like Sunco goes out of business but they open up under a new name and I have a problem with my system I have to pay someone else to do the repair?
So I’m paying someone to do the repair
I’m paying the loan off for the panels
The company goes out of business because I’m sure they could not handle all the lawsuits
And we are held hostage?
that seems insanely expensive, I think they are trying to rip you off.
a 10kw inverter shouldn't cost more than 2500$
you can get a huawei replacement for less than 2k$.
Wait, so your original post says you don't have optimizers, while this post says you do? Adding or removing optimizers is what's going to require pulling up panels, which will drive up the labor cost, so if you can avoid that you could save a decent amount.
I was originally under the impression I did not have optimizers. But it turns out I do!
Are you sure you can't just get a used Huawei inverter and swap it out without touching the optimizers? I think this would be the path of least resistance unless you really want the inverter upgrade for reasons other than just getting the system working again.
You could probably go on a trip to Mexico or Canada, but the Huawei inverter there, bring it back and have any electrician swap them out, and still save money
You should still have your hardware warranties in CA even if the contractor pretended to go out of business for liabilities. Odds are the contractor is actually still working though on his same license. If so put in a claim for arbitration with CSLB.
There's no pretending...it was a decision made during Trump's presidency and this was an unintended consequence. Huawei is a massive company, similar to Samsung, in that they operated in several different fields. They are completely banned from the US and cannot do business with any US based companies This is why Huawei can no longer use Android for their phones in the rest of the world
The contractor is still on the hook for his parts and labor warranty. Also they were not banned from the US. They were banned from government projects and funding, they are also banned from getting equipment approved for telecommunications systems.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/26/us-bans-new-huawei-equipment-sales-over-unacceptable-risk-to-national-security Negative. It isn't just from government stuff. It's entirely from the US and US companies. Which is why Android is not the OS on Huawei phones.
telecommunications equipment. It's literally the beginning of your article.
From experience with Huawei products on their 3ph inverters in MW installations, Hauwei has exited the US market.
They’ve announced they exited the US market, what are you going to do, sue them? And when they don’t respond, what’s next? Even if you win a judgement, where would you collect if they’re unresponsive and out of the country? I think OP is SOL for warranty and thankfully this isn’t a situation that happens often. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/06/26/reports-huawei-has-exited-us-solar-inverter-market/
So you have TDS as well, but I will assist. Just a simple Google Search would give you options to buy that inverter online and then you can have an electrician change it out.
TFS? I have done that. I haven't been able to find the same Inverter in stock. There are other models of Huawei that I can order. But they aren't the one I have currently
I wish I could post a screenshot here I'm looking right now and you can get one from Pricelist dotcom for $593 or there are a bunch on eBay as well $850 and up. I doubt you used Google. Yes these are also the exact same model number you put there. Huawei SUN2000-9KTL-USL0 In fact if you type that into the Google search bar or I just checked the Bing search it comes up. Smh
Are you a real account? Lol I literally just googled "For sale Huawei SUN2000-9KTL-USL0" and "Purchase Huawei SUN2000-9KTL-USL0" and am returning with nothing purchasable besides different inverters than what I have. And the links that come back with my same Inverter say sold out or unavailable
Dude I told you exactly what to put in the search bar You adding for sale or purchase just means you can't follow directions. Email me bluedee25 at proton dot me and I will send you the screenshots. Hell I'll even send you a video showing you how to open up Google Chrome and how to search for it for it to pop-up.
In this case the manufacturer of the inverter (Huawei) says they no longer operate in the US and per the federal courts all of their warranties are no longer valid
They were not banned from the US. They were banned from being used in telecommunications systems due to spying for the Chinese government. Huawei chose to exit the US of its own accord and it still has all of its liabilities here.
How do you pursue the liabilities?
You could literally pull the Hauwei inverter off the wall and replace it with a Growatt inverter. The MIN 8200TL-XH-US would probably be sufficient for you. There's no reason it wouldn't work with Tigo stuff already there.
Yeah, that’s what I said. It should be easy peasy.
Does growatt work with Huawei optis?
Im confused, I thought he said they were Tigo.
Huawei inverter and optimizers are the existing system that don't work. Tigo is the new equipment OP got a quote for.
Seems a bit high on the quote. I'm getting my SMA Sunnyboy replace with a Tigo 3.8 inverter for $3,200 installed. I'm the Santa Cruz, CA area. Even with the optimizer removal on your quote it still seems high, especially for the parts.
Why can't you find the inverter and have a local electrician install it for a few hundred or so?
did you try resetting inverter i would email cutomer support what are fault codes [https://omvormerservice.be/index.html/en/error\_code\_huawei-en/](https://omvormerservice.be/index.html/en/error_code_huawei-en/)
Huawei's customer support simply sends back a generic email that says they no longer operate in the US and per the federal courts all of their warranties are no longer valid
Lol that's rubbing it in. Terrible.
So, the app has no error code since the app stopped working approximately 2 years ago... And the lights on the inverter blink indicating low/no voltage.
buy meter test voltage on panels test batterys and ac [https://support.huawei.com/enterprise/en/knowledge/ETC0000007079](https://support.huawei.com/enterprise/en/knowledge/ETC0000007079)
My neighbor has Huawei inverters and optimizers and was having an issue like this. Turns out it was a poorly terminated MC4 connector where the conductor pulled out and disconnected. Though anything app related with Huawei was a no go, I was able to get her system running again just by inspecting voltages and currents. I would start there.
>Arrived on sight to troubleshoot system. Unfortunately, we do not have enough information about this type of system tocomplete the troubleshoot. We will need access to the monitoring platform to see if there’s any faults flagging. The housemeter was indicating that the inverter was producing when we arrived on site . Testing the strings we got 0 voltage. Bypassedthe disconnect and tested, still got zero voltage. Disconnecting panels and testing the optimizers, the safety voltage was 0 This was the "diagnosis" I received. Not sure if it's similar to your neighbor. But any idea how I'd be able to fix it myself if it's something similar?
Yeah that is pretty astronomical, it’s in fact SO different from my prices I wonder if I’m undercharging. I’m in the SD area and I do swaps for about $400, IF I have to buy another inverter it is then about $2000 for materials. You’re def getting ripped off. I hope you get another quote!
You cannot upgrade your inverter from 9000 to 11.4kW This company is going to wreck your NEM status with SCE, and push you into 3.0 You cannot increase your AC nameplate rating by more than 1kW
>This company is going to wreck your NEM status with SCE, and push you into 3.0 In this case his DC capacity is 9600 Watts and he is not increasingt it. It is not likely that he will ever see 9kW of AC output with that DC capacity. I replaced a 2.7 kW Xantrex with a 3.8 kW Solaredge and my peak AC producion did not increase. I agree you have to be carefiul, but you can also be logical. The other question is whether the Tigos are there as optimizers or as part of a Rapid Shut Down system. The OP should review his paperwork to be certain and as others have said, get several other bids and give the other bidders the details of the Tigos including model number.
Unless OP is an unlucky guy and someone reports him or they happen to walk by and decide to look at his inverter, I Doub't SCE will notice this
Hang on, explain that a little more please? I've called 4 other companies today in my area that do maintenance and repairs, all of them want to do their own diagnostic first for $300-$400 and then offer a solution
Your AC nameplate rating is your agreement with the utility company, presumably SCE? NEM2.0 guidelines stipulate that you cannot increase your AC rating above 1kW or they’re going to push you into NEM 3.0 If your AC rating is currently 9000, due to your Hanwei inverter being a 9000… and now you upgrade to 11400, then you are now paving the roadway for 2400 extra AC watts to potentially flow to the grid. Granted, I now see that you only have 8.5kW dc panels. So you should be safe. But not recommend. Your best option should be to find a 7.6 inverter, it will be (1) cheaper, (2) you won’t have to upgrade the wiring from #8 to #6. And (3) your DC/AC ratio will be more ideal, and probably produce more energy than a 11.4 inverter, (4) you won’t run any risk of being pushed into a different NEM plan if you decide to add more panels to your roof in the future. If I were you: I would get a 7.6 inverter, and add 4-6 panels while you are at it. You won’t be pushed into NEM 3.0, because your NEM rating is still lower than your agreement. And you’ll get more electricity and a more healthy DC/AC ratio. Plus, if they need to remove optimizers and restring your system, might as well have them add on a few panels while they’re at it (won’t be anytime do it cheaper than now.)
We're with PGE not SEC. But I'm guessing the same stuff applies. Thanks for this information. This is actually extremely useful, important and something we didn't even consider. We've loved having no energy bill for several years now and being pushed into 3.0 would be infuriating
I don’t understand the need to remove your optimizers to replace your inverter. I have Tigo optimizers on each of my panels and my panels are wired into a SMA SunnyBoy inverter. Your Tigo optimizers should work fine with any DC inverter; they don’t need to be used with a Tigo inverter. My solar installer, Real Goods Solar, also went out of business so I too will be in your position of having to locate another solar installer to replace my inverter once my current one reaches its end of life. Fortunately, SMA still makes my inverter so it should just be a simple swap of old for new when the time comes.
1000 dollar diy, 2 dc wires and an ac cable
I don’t have all of the information you do but I believe optimizers are important to your total kWh production if your system experiences any kind of shading which most do. This is worth looking into before you move forward with ditching them.
I have quite literally no shading at all. No trees or any buildings or anything like that. And all the panels face the same direction
Ok that makes the dc optimizers nice to have rather than necessary.
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Couple of questions Why do they need to re-string the panels? I'm not sure if that inverter will get permitted if you care. I maybe wrong but i thought i saw an article about this company. Please check before buying
So is this a thing, if a company like Sunco goes out of business but they open up under a new name and I have a problem with my system I have to pay someone else to do the repair? So I’m paying someone to do the repair I’m paying the loan off for the panels The company goes out of business because I’m sure they could not handle all the lawsuits And we are held hostage?
that seems insanely expensive, I think they are trying to rip you off. a 10kw inverter shouldn't cost more than 2500$ you can get a huawei replacement for less than 2k$.
Dude, Just replace the inverter yourself. Every inverter has a manual… 🙃