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Copyright 2017 SolarCity Corporation. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1 - Welcome
5.9 - Communications
This section describes the communications connections to the SolarCity H6 inverter.
5.9.1 - ZigBee & Gateway
SolarCity uses the ZigBee protocol for communications between the SolarCity H6 inverter
and the SolarCity server. The gateway may be connected to the home Internet Wi-Fi system
using either a wired or wireless Ethernet connection. The server establishes a connection to
the inverter via the gateway based on the ZigBee serial number and other details. The
inverter searches for the gateway connection and, once established, displays the signal
strength and other details about the ZigBee. See
“ZigBee (Xbee) Information Menu” on
page 81
to view ZigBee information.
This communication interface is used for performing over-the-air (OTA) firmware upgrades
to the inverter, battery pack, and the ZigBee processor itself. It can also be used to remotely
control the adjustable parameters. The SolarCity H6 inverter stores firmware upgrades in
local memory and then loads the updates into the appropriate processor(s). During this
process, the inverter may remain operational or go into a boot mode until the upgrade is
complete before restarting automatically. Updates may affect some or all processors. See
“Communications” on page 66
.
To install the ZigBee antenna, screw the antenna into the connector on the bottom of the
SolarCity H6 inverter wiring box until it is hand tight
5.9.2 - Integrated Revenue Grade Meter (RGM)
The SolarCity H6 inverter includes integrated high-precision components that can measure
AC output current, voltage, and power fed into the AC grid and then report this information
via ZigBee to the SolarCity server. This precision is revenue-grade ANSI C12.1, 1% class.
5.9.3 - PV-Only Charging
The SolarCity H6 inverter is primarily intended to act as a PV inverter that also provides
backup power to protected home loads. Utility restrictions prevent the inverter from using
grid power to charge the battery pack, meaning that all battery pack power must come from
the PV array and that the battery pack can only discharge to the protected home loads. The
inverter is set to do this by default; however, it includes software-enabled features that will
allow it to bypass these restrictions upon receipt of approval or permission from the local
authorities and utilities.
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