M-series with IQ8 micros.

electrofelon

electrofelon

Senior Member
Location
Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
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Electrician
Just want to confirm that what i have gleaned from the web is correct. Have existing system with M250 micros and envoy S. Adding some IQ8's. My understanding is i need a second gateway correct?

Another question: once this is set up, will it look just like a single system in the customer app? Anything else I should know?

Thanks
 
electrofelon said:
Just want to confirm that what i have gleaned from the web is correct. Have existing system with M250 micros and envoy S. Adding some IQ8's. My understanding is i need a second gateway correct?
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Correct. M-series communicate with the Gateway L-N and IQ series communicate L-L (because there is no neutral) so there's a physical incompatibility and each needs their own compatible one.

Another question: once this is set up, will it look just like a single system in the customer app?
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Only if you add the new Gateway to the existing system. Important not to create an new activation. These days you go into ITK and change the device count on the existing system. But yes, if you do it that way it looks like one system to the user.
 
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jaggedben said:
Correct. M-series communicate with the Gateway L-N and IQ series communicate L-L (because there is no neutral) so there's a physical incompatibility and each needs their own compatible one.



Only if you add the new Gateway to the existing system. Important not to create an new activation. These days you go into ITK and change the device count on the existing system. But yes, if you do it that way it looks like one system to the user.
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Thanks. But an IQ gateway seems to be backwards compatible With M and IQ micros, so one of those cant do a system with both? Or is it just not recommended? I see language like "should not" instead of "cannot"🤔
 
electrofelon said:
Thanks. But an IQ gateway seems to be backwards compatible With M and IQ micros, so one of those cant do a system with both? Or is it just not recommended? I see language like "should not" instead of "cannot"🤔
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See this post. Sounds like the PLC connection on IQ Gateway is only to L1 and L2, so it can not talk to M series microinverters doing PLC on L and N.


Cheers, Wayne
 
wwhitney said:
See this post. Sounds like the PLC connection on IQ Gateway is only to L1 and L2, so it can not talk to M series microinverters doing PLC on L and N.


Cheers, Wayne
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Ok, i must be losing my mind. A few hours ago i looked up the specs of an IQ gateway amd i could have sworn that under "comparability". It said IQ, M and S micros. So thata why i was confused. Not sure what i was looking at the first time, but thats clearly not correct.
 
wwhitney said:
See this post.
Click to expand...

electrofelon said:
Ok, i must be losing my mind. A few hours ago i looked up the specs of an IQ gateway amd i could have sworn that under "comparability". It said IQ, M and S micros.
Click to expand...


Ok im a bit slow but i figured it out. Yes I was looking at the specs for that version that is apparently not for or available in the US.
 
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Ok still having problems with this. So I got a new envoy for the new IQ8 micros. They are not communicating. Was on the phone with enphase yesterday, and they updated the software and said to call them back if it still didnt work. So today still no worky so I call them back. Guy is telling me the envoy is not compatible with the IQ8 micros. I double check he is clear that there are two envoys, one for the older M250's and the new one for the IQ's. He said yes, the newer one is not the right envoy. Im so confused, and think he is on crack. What I have is - I think - ENV-IQ-AM1-240. IT has a N, L1, and L2 connection. Shouldnt that work?
 
jaggedben said:
That one should be fine, especially if you're not in California and it's just grid-tied solar (no backup).
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Im not positive thats the right part number. It was a new but open box I got from a friend. I cant seem to get any definite info from the app about it, just some wierd long part number that doesnt come up with google.....so if its got a N, L1, and L2 terminal it should work?
 
electrofelon said:
Im not positive thats the right part number. It was a new but open box I got from a friend. I cant seem to get any definite info from the app about it, just some wierd long part number that doesnt come up with google.....so if its got a N, L1, and L2 terminal it should work?
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They all have those terminals, that doesn't tell me anything.

On the ones I've seen the IQ version has larger terminals in a row whereas the Envoy-S-metered has smaller terminals in a kind of square formation. It would be pretty hard for you to obtain an Envoy-S-metered from anywhere besides the Enphase online store.
 
jaggedben said:
They all have those terminals, that doesn't tell me anything.

On the ones I've seen the IQ version has larger terminals in a row whereas the Envoy-S-metered has smaller terminals in a kind of square formation. It would be pretty hard for you to obtain an Envoy-S-metered from anywhere besides the Enphase online store.
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So how many different envoys are there?

The is the IQ gateway, part number ENV-iq-am1-240 and the newer version ENV2-iq-amw-240.

There is the envoy S, for M and S series.

There is that "European version" or whatever that is not available in the US. Is that it?
 
A downside of the industry that many of us are involved in is that equipment and rules are always changing. Compatibility and compliance are moving targets and constant challenges.
 
ggunn said:
A downside of the industry that many of us are involved in is that equipment and rules are always changing. Compatibility and compliance are moving targets and constant challenges.
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True. In this case it's mostly me just not having a ton of experience with the n phase product line, particularly legacy units.

So it appears that I was sent the wrong item. The client found the part number on the unit and it is definitely an S-Series gateway. Besides being told it was an IQ gateway, I assumed because it had the two line and neutral terminals that it was. So is it the non-metered S gateway that just has the plug-in power cord connection, and the metered s gateway has the separate l1 l2 and n terminals?
 
Yes there are two versions of the Envoy-S. The Envoy-S Standard plugs into a 120V receptacle and doesn't do anything besides communicate with the micros, same as the original Envoys with the LCD screen. The Envoy-S-metered has terminals and supports consumption and production CTs, and therefore also integration of M-series with the first three generations of Enphase backup battery.

Unfortunately if you've got an Envoy-S-metered you've got the wrong one for IQ8s. I'm wishing for you that it was a vendor mistake and not a buyer mistake.
 
jaggedben said:
Yes there are two versions of the Envoy-S. The Envoy-S Standard plugs into a 120V receptacle and doesn't do anything besides communicate with the micros, same as the original Envoys with the LCD screen. The Envoy-S-metered has terminals and supports consumption and production CTs, and therefore also integration of M-series with the first three generations of Enphase backup battery.
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Thanks for the clarifications.

Unfortunately if you've got an Envoy-S-metered you've got the wrong one for IQ8s. I'm wishing for you that it was a vendor mistake and not a buyer mistake.
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Yes, vendor mistake!
 
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