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Adding Battery Backup to your SPAN Panel

  • Updated

What to know before adding battery backup to your SPAN panel

  • SPAN is designed to replace the critical loads panel in a battery backup system.
  • SPAN is compatible with the following backup systems:
      • Tesla Powerwall
        • Powerwall+ (with Backup Switch or Backup Gateway 2)
        • Powerwall 2 (with Backup Gateway 1 or Backup Gateway 2)
        • Powerwall 3 (with Backup Switch, Backup Gateway 2, Backup Gateway 3)*
          *An ethernet cable is required for communications between SPAN and the leader Powerwall 3 battery.
      • SolarEdge Home Hub
        • with Home Backup Interface
        • with SolarEdge Home Battery
          *SPAN can be paired with up to 2 Energy Hub inverters
      • Enphase IQ Battery
        • IQ 3, 3T, 10, 10T batteries with IQ System Controller 1 or 2*
        • IQ 5P batteries with IQ System Controller 3*
          *Enphase IQ Battery compatibility requires a SPAN Remote Meter Kit accessory.
      • FranklinWH aPower 
        • aPower (with aGate)
          *An ethernet cable is required for communications between SPAN and the Franklin aGate
  • For FranklinWH aPower, Enphase IQ, and Powerwall 3 backup systems, your SPAN-Authorized installer must add the hardware using the SPAN Installer App while on site; it cannot be remotely done. 
      • For FranklinWH, the installation can also be completed via an onsite Franklin Technician and requires the use of the SPAN Installer App and the Franklin Installer App. 
  • As part of an installation with battery storage systems, SPAN requires either a wired ethernet communications connection to the battery system (SolarEdge, Tesla, FranklinWH) or a SPAN Remote Meter Kit (Enphase) to ensure robust functionality during an outage.

Preparation

Make sure your installer knows that you’ll need a hardwired communications cable between SPAN and your backup system or SPAN Remote Meter Kit so it can be included in the scope of work, and they come prepared with the right materials. 

If your backup system installer is not SPAN-Authorized, you can direct them to become SPAN-Authorized before they complete the installation by following the instructions here. Otherwise, you'll need to have your SPAN-Authorized installer come back on-site to complete commissioning for the new backup storage system; this includes Powerwall 3, Enphase, and FranklinWH systems. 

Installation Day

Before your installer leaves (if they are not a SPAN-Authorized installer), be sure to get the following information from them and submit it to SPAN Support:  

SYSTEM REQUIRED INFORMATION
SolarEdge Home Hub
  • Total Number of Inverters
  • Lead Inverter Model
  • Inverter Location: upstream of SPAN or SPAN breaker spaces (specify which breaker spaces)
  • Total Number of Batteries
  • DC Array Size
  • Photo of the Leader Inverter’s QR Code
Tesla (Powerwall 2 or Powerwall +)
  • Total number of batteries
  • Tesla Energy Gateway password 
  • Battery breaker location: upstream of SPAN or SPAN breaker spaces (specify which breaker spaces)
  • Close-up photo of the Tesla Energy Gateway Label, with QR code visible for scanning.
  • Solar DC array size (if applicable)
  • Solar inverter brand and model (if applicable)
  • Solar inverter breaker location: upstream of SPAN or SPAN breaker spaces (specific which breaker spaces)

SPAN Support will use this information to enable battery backup features in your SPAN Home App within 1 business day of receiving the request.

*For Enphase Customers: After the battery system is added, you’ll see a banner at the top of your SPAN Home App saying “Battery calibration in progress.” Click this and fill out the requested information (using your Enphase App) and you’ll begin seeing your battery data reflected in the SPAN Home App.