Enphase Enlighten

I purchased this device with my solar system in Nov 2016. I installed the PV system in March 2017 during new construction and was finally ready to set up the Enphase monitor today (April 2018.) The setup process went exactly as it should and the instructions were actually accurate. The only thing I have left to do is set up the array. The monitor scanned my system and found every inverter. All serial numbers and specs downloaded exactly as it was described in the instructions and the sync from the toolkit to Myenlighten was accomplished on the first try. I would not call the setup “easy,” but if you read the instructions all the way through before you start and then follow them, your results should be the same as mine... Perfect!

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I’ve been using Enphase for the last couple of years since installating my home solar system. I found the previous V2 interface easier to get current data, and it worked equally well with both my iPhone and iPad... Sadly, the new V3.0 that came out today may look like a better or more modern interface to some with it’s larger graphics, but getting to current data just isn’t as intuitive — at least to me. There seems to be less info per screen, and little things like monthly view shows relative bars for the previous month, but no dates to get a sense of when things were going on and how weather patterns effected performance. Additionally, I use my iPad most of the time and V3.0 has lost a horizontal mode that I use 99.9% of the time, so now I have to turn my iPad into portrait mode with my keyboard on the side to use the app. Love my inverters and solar array. Love the ability to get to real time and historical data of my system performance via the app — thank you. ...but sadly, the presentation of that information just isn’t doing it for me any more. There is work to be done.

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I have explored this version and I think it is terrible. The types of reports you can run have been greatly reduced. For example the report that let you look at multiple reports by year with monthly detail side by side is gone? How can look at historical data without this. Graphs are terrible now, above and below bar charts don’t let you see what is happening easily at a glance. If you are not technically inclined this may be O.K.but if your more analytically inclined it’s a downgrade! Perhaps you could add the old reports and format as a second optional skin / interface? As for other commenters who don’t see panel level monitoring in the birds-eye view etc. It is because your installer didn’t offer it to you so you only see system level monitoring in aggregate. Some don’t want you to have it because customers call them too much about the info it provides confuses some customers. Shading, weather, time of day etc. I negotiated it in my contract and got them to pay for it as they claim it’s a few hundred dollar upgrade. I think you should have it so call your installer.

The redesign on V3 is a big leap from previous versions . Clear UI, easy to navigate, I wish the reports were able to be displayed and had the option to send instead of the send-to-see default option. However , the app is still missing one very useful tool/feature: Sunlight forecast based on weather forecast (Netatmo has this info in their app) this feature it is particularly useful to us for planning when to charge our Electric Vehicles as we want to be able to charge them with 100% renewable energy and also to avoid the transmission fees from our Power Company if we have to buy energy from them (nights and cloudy days) Please add this feature and fix the reports and you’ll get the 5 stars!

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Why? This new interface text is tiny and difficult to read. The graphics are chunky and outdated. My biggest complaint is with the “energy” tab. The old version allowed you to scroll your finger over the timeline and clearly see progress through the day. This version try’s to do that, but the information is displayed in a tiny “pop up” box which is hidden by your thumb as you scroll. Also (and more important) the numbers at the top of the page which show “production” and “consumption” do change as you scroll your thumb, but do not display the same numbers shown in the “pop up” box. I can’t figure out what they’re supposed to represent. I called emphase customer service (two days after the update) and they didn’t know either. They said they’d look into it. I also don’t understand why Enphase changed their smooth colorful graphics in the “energy tab” to the blocky analog style graphics they are using today. I like the idea of the “currency widget” but unless you allow us to include more information (like consumption costs) the widget is a novelty. I’m sure a lot of decisions go into these updates , but I hope Enphase can swallow their pride and realize this app is worse, not better than what we had before.