What is required to pass Stage 3 – Good Communications Established?

Learn the factors that determine when Stage 3 of the Activation checklist - Good Commuincations Established - is complete

Good Communications Established means that the signal strength between the microinverters and the Envoy is at three or more bars. This check can only be cleared if it is daylight (since the microinverters can only communicate with the Envoy during daylight hours), and if the microinverter branch circuits are energized (the circuit breakers for the array are in the ON position).

If you have set up the Envoy on site and the system has not cleared Stage 3, check the Envoy’s signal strength. Steps for doing this differ based on the type of Envoy that was installed with the system.

  • If the system has an Enphase Envoy, press and hold the Envoy menu button, then release when you see Enable Communication Check on the LCD. Once the Envoy begins detecting microinverters, the LCD screen displays the power line communication level (from zero to five bars). The communication check can take up to 15 minutes. If the signal strength shows fewer than three bars at the conclusion of the check, follow the troubleshooting steps below.
  • If the system has an Enphase Envoy-S, use the Enphase Installer Toolkit mobile app to connect to the Envoy. On the Overview screen, check the icon to the right of the word Communicating in the Microinverters section. If the signal strength shows fewer than three bars, follow the troubleshooting steps below.

Troubleshooting steps for Envoys using a power cord:

  • The Envoy may be plugged into an outlet that is too far from the electrical panel (site load center). Move the Envoy to an outlet as close to the electrical panel as possible.
  • Make sure that the Envoy is plugged directly into an outlet and not into a surge protector, extension cord or power strip. Ideally, the outlet should not be a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) type.
  • Make sure that no other devices are plugged into the same outlet as the Envoy.

Troubleshooting steps for any Envoy, regardless of power source:

  • If the Envoy uses a dedicated circuit as close as possible to the electrical panel, there may be another device interfering with power line communications. If any of these devices use the same circuit as the Envoy, move the device to another circuit and see if this resolves the issue:
    • Power strips and surge protectors
    • UPS (uninterruptible power supply) or battery backup units
    • Touch lamps
    • Battery chargers or AC adapters like those used for cell phone and laptop chargers, especially for older devices
    • Heavy rotating motors in devices like fans, refrigerators, freezers, or water pumps
    • Workshop equipment like a drill press, table saw, wood router, or planer
    • Electronic pest deterrents

If the Envoy still displays fewer than three bars after trying these troubleshooting steps, refer to the Envoy Installation and Operations Manual for additional information, or contact Enphase Customer Support.

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