The Latest Solar Hot Water Technology -- Better Than Ever, SolFlux (Replaces the STECA) System Controller

 Compared to the "Dumb Controllers" such as the Goldline and the DeltaT which only have non-informative lights, and no digital display.    The new SolFlux is worlds apart.

Even the super simple PV powered solar pump (with small PV panel at rooftop) can be improved by converting to the SolFlux.   You will get higher efficiency, and a special "Vacation Mode" that prevent panel overheating if you are gone for more than a few days. 

You get 3 temperature sensors, which tells you the tank temperature, the panel temperature, and temperature of the water going into your house.

Using these, our solar technicians can quickly diagnose any problem, even remotely, to keep you at top efficiency and money savings. 

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What the new SolFlux controller adds

The SunEarth SolFlux controller keeps the basic differential-temperature control but adds a much deeper level of system information and configuration.

Multiple programmable system types

• Additional temperature, flow, and pressure inputs
• More relay and pump-control options
• Auxiliary-heating control
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Remote monitoring through an app
• Solar storage-tank status
• Pump operating status
• Energy-production information
• Peak-power information
• Historical operating data
• Remote diagnostic information

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What we set up during a normal installation

Our primary goal is to make the solar hot water system operate correctly and safely.

That includes setting up and commissioning the controller for the equipment installed at the home. We verify the temperature sensors, confirm pump operation, check automatic mode, and establish the basic operating and safety settings appropriate for the system.

Once this work is complete, the system is ready to perform its normal solar hot water function.

The Wi-Fi features are an additional communications and monitoring layer. They can be useful, especially for technically inclined homeowners who enjoy seeing system data on a phone or computer, but they are not necessary for every homeowner.

Important support boundary for Wi-Fi functions

Some owners will love the extra features. They may enjoy connecting the controller to their home network, exploring the app, reviewing historical energy data, and adjusting advanced settings.

However, Pacific Energy’s standard installation does not include ongoing support for:

• Home router configuration
• Wi-Fi passwords and network changes
• 2.4 GHz compatibility problems
• App accounts and phone or tablet issues
• Internet service or cloud connectivity
• Firmware updates
• Customer-created advanced settings
• General home-network troubleshooting

Customers who want to use these functions should be prepared to configure and maintain them using the manufacturer’s instructions or with assistance from a qualified information-technology professional.

Lights on the Enphase MicroInverters, What Do They Mean?

 

Enphase Microinverter LED Meanings

Micro LED	What it means	Field interpretation
🟢 Flashing Green	Normal operation	AC grid is acceptable and the micro is communicating with the Envoy/IQ Gateway. This is what you want to see.
🟠 Flashing Orange / Amber	AC is good, but no communication with Gateway	The micro can still be producing power. This is primarily a PLC communications problem, not necessarily a production problem.
🔴 Flashing Red	AC grid missing or outside allowable limits	Micro has DC from the panel and is alive, but it will not connect/produce because it doesn't like the AC it sees.
🔴 Solid Red	DC isolation / resistance fault; power-off condition	More serious. Micro has detected excessive DC leakage/isolation failure. On older M215/M250 this can also indicate a GFDI-type fault.
⚫ No LED in good daylight	Micro probably isn't awake	First suspect no PV DC, disconnected/bad module connector, inadequate module voltage, or failed micro. Don't condemn the micro until DC is verified.

These basic meanings are essentially the same on M215/M250, IQ6/IQ7 and IQ8. Enphase specifically defines flashing green as normal operation, orange as good AC/no Gateway communication, flashing red as AC absent/out of specification, and solid red as the DC-resistance-low shutdown condition.

🟢 FLASHING GREEN — GOOD

This tells you several things at once:

PV DC → micro is alive → AC is acceptable → micro is operating → Gateway communications are working.

On a normal operating array, this is the ideal indication.

For IQ8 there is one nuance: Enphase says the IQ8 will flash green in normal operation after it has been provisioned into the system.