Occasionally, homeowners need to reconnect their solar monitoring system to the internet. We wrote this guide specifically for Certasun installations in Illinois and Wisconsin that have SunPower PVS5 hardware.
(If you aren’t sure you have a PVS5, see this post to determine which monitoring hardware you have.)
PVS5 Hardware Outside
PVS5 Hardware
First, we’re going to prepare your Wi-Fi network. Next, we’re going to prepare the SunStrong Connect app. Finally, we are going to update the PVS5 hardware.
Prepare your Wi-Fi Network
You don’t need to be near your PVS hardware for now. To update the Wi-Fi information in your PVS though, you’ll need the following information about your home network and may need to change some of it:
- Network name
- Password
- Security type
- Frequency bands
Wi-Fi Security and the PVS5
Wi‑Fi networks use different security types to protect your information. You can usually choose the security type in your router’s setup page or mobile app. Names like WPA2 or WPA3 indicate how recent the security type is.
WPA3 is the most recent security protocol. WPA2 is the prior version. It is still considered secure.
The PVS5 only supports WPA2. You must set your Wi-Fi network to use WPA2 only.
Some routers have “mixed mode” settings, like “WPA2/WPA3”. Even though it sounds like it should work, the PVS5 will not connect to a mixed-mode network.
Wi-Fi Frequency and the PVS5
Wi-Fi operates in up to three different frequency bands: 2 GHz (gigahertz), 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. (Sometimes 2 GHz is called 2.4 GHz.)
The PVS5 only supports 2 GHz, so you must ensure your network has 2 GHz as an option.
WE RECOMMEND USING A GUEST NETWORK
Many modern routers will let you create a “guest” Wi-Fi network in addition to your main one. Doing so doesn’t require any additional hardware. Using a guest network is a good idea because:
- You can share it with visitors.
- You can keep devices like the PVS separate from your personal devices.
- You can often use different security settings for each network.
Many people also use their guest network to support older devices that can’t use the most modern security protocols. For example:
- Main network: WPA2/WPA3, for most personal devices
- Guest network: WPA2, for the PVS5 and other older devices
Prepare your SunStrong Connect app
Now that you’ve set up your Wi-Fi network, let’s make sure you have the latest SunStrong Connect app and have given it the necessary permissions.
(The examples we show below are from an iPhone. If you are using an Android device, the options may be slightly different, but the steps should be similar.)
Ensure you have the latest SunStrong Connect app
We promise we’re not trying to be annoying. Although we have our own phones to set up to automatically update apps, we found in writing this that there can be a delay of a few days before you actually get the latest version.
Here’s how to make sure you have the latest version:
- Open the App Store or Google Play Store app.
- Search for ‘SunStrong Connect’.
- Tap the app’s listing, even if you see a button that says “Open”.
- Finally:
- If you see a “Get” button, click on it. You didn’t already have the app on your device.
- If you see an “Update” button, click on it. You didn’t already have the most recent version of the app.
- If you see an “Open” button, click on it – you already have the latest version of the app.
Ensure SunStrong Connect has app permissions
Now, make sure the SunStrong Connect app has the necessary permissions from your phone it needs to do the update successfully.
Missing app permissions will prevent the update procedure from working. Don’t skip this!
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and touch “Apps”.
- Find and select SunStrong Connect.
- Make sure the settings match the screen shot below:
Make sure you have access to your SunStrong Connect account
Before troubleshooting, confirm that you can log in to your SunStrong Connect account in the app.
If you’re unsure of your password, select “Forgot Password” on the app’s home screen to reset it.
If you don’t have a SunStrong Connect account yet, create one through the app. You’ll need your Site ID and PVS serial number, please contact us if you need help locating this information.
Watch the PVS5 Reconnection Video
Before you move on, you may wish to watch a short video of the next steps in the process. We describe the actual steps below, but it can help to see what’s actually going to happen.
Prepare your phone
We’re finally ready to actually update the PVS. Just before you start the process, turn off the cellular data connection on your phone. The easiest way to do this is to turn on “Airplane Mode” just make sure Wi-Fi stays on (or turn it back on).
(During the update, your phone will connect to a temporary Wi-Fi network created by the PVS5. This Wi-Fi connection is used only so your phone can communicate directly to the PVS. The PVS does not provide internet access. However, modern phones don’t like Wi-Fi networks without internet! They often switch back to cellular data when they detect they are on Wi-Fi without internet access. If that happens in this case, the update process will fail. Turning off cellular data before starting the update makes sure your phone stays connected to the PVS throughout the process.)
Power down your PVS5
We are now ready to proceed with the update.
To begin, find the circuit breaker that powers the PVS so you can power it down temporarily.
If your PVS is outside
If your PVS is outside, we will have installed mid-size circuit breaker panel nearby. In the picture below, it is to the left of the PVS, a little bit higher on the wall. Open the door to this panel. (You won’t be exposed to high voltage just by opening the door.) Now identify and switch off the breaker for the PVS hardware. It is usually labeled “PVS” or “monitoring”. If you aren’t certain, just switch off all the breakers. Confirm that the power LED on the PVS is now off.
PVS5 Hardware Outside
PVS5 Breaker Switches
If your PVS is inside
If your PVS is inside, it will be close to the main breaker panel for your house.
- Open the door to the main breaker panel and identify the breaker that powers the PVS. It’s usually labeled “PVS” or “monitoring”. If you are unsure, just turn off all the breakers that seem to be related to solar.
- Confirm the power LED on the PVS is now off.
Update your PVS5
We are finally ready to update your PVS! You need to remain within 6 to 10 feet of your PVS for this part of the process.
Important: The descriptions and instructions in the SunStrong Connect app itself are not entirely accurate, at least for installations in Illinois. Please follow these steps precisely.
Individual customers’ experience may differ.
- Make sure power to the PVS has been off for a least 10 seconds.
- While noting the time on your phone’s display, switch power to the PVS back on at the breaker. (As in “OK, I switched that breaker on at 9:13 a.m.”)
- Open SunStrong Connect App and go to Profile / Wi-Fi settings.
- At “Step 1” in the app, click “Found it” (Note: the description in the app is misleading.)
- At “Step 2” in the app, click “Next” (Note: the description in the app is misleading.)
- At “Step 3” in the app, when your clock display is two minutes after the time you noted above, click “Connect Device”. (This will ensure you press “Connect Device” 60-120 seconds after you turned the power back on.)
- You will now get a pop-up on your phone telling you that the app wants to connect to a Wi-Fi network the PVS is temporarily creating. It will be called something like SunPower#####, where the ##### is a five-digit code unique to your PVS. Press “Join”.
Your phone will say “Connecting” for about 15 seconds, after which you will be at “Step 4” in the app:
Your phone may fail to connect to the PVS on the first try, but will give you the option to try again.
If it doesn’t connect by the third attempt, start this process again from the beginning, rechecking each of the steps. If it still refuses to connect, reach out to us at support@certasun.com for service. Your PVS may be defective.
8. Click the “Connect Wi-Fi” button. The app will say “Scanning” for a few seconds, then present you with a list of networks:
9. Select the network you would like to use. You will get a popup asking for the Wi-Fi password. Enter it and use the “eyelid” feature to confirm you have entered it correctly:
10. Press Connect. The App will say “Connecting…” and also “This may take a few minutes.” This is unfortunately accurate. Expect to wait about two minutes:
In some cases, during this phase we’ve seen the same pop-ups we mentioned before about joining the PVS’s network. If you see any, press “Join”.
11. After about two minutes, if your programming has been successful, you will see this page:
12. Soon, the App will take you back to the “Profile” page. As it says in the app, it takes around 15 minutes to see any change:
13. You are done updating the Wi-Fi connection! Now is a good time do some housekeeping:
- Ensure all the breakers you turned off in your breaker panel are now on.
- Close the door to the panel.
- Switch your phone out of airplane mode.
- Reconnect your phone to your home’s main Wi-Fi network.
14. After about 15 minutes, you will see something like this in the SunStrong Connect app:
A day or two later, you will see this:
You did it!
Your PVS5 is now connected to Wi-Fi.
Your system will resume reporting data to the monitoring platform. It may take a few minutes for updated production information to appear in the app.
If you experience any issues or your system does not come back online, please contact our support team at support@certasun.com and we’ll be happy to help.