Setup
Get up and running in minutes
Connect your Tesla account, set your location, and configure your solar arrays and tariffs for accurate live data, forecasting, and cost tracking.
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Connect to Tesla
- Open the app and tap the gear icon to open Settings
- Tap "Login with Tesla" to open the secure in-app browser
- Sign in with your Tesla account and approve read-only access to your energy site
- Once connected, Settings shows "Logged in via Tesla". You can log out at any time.
- Note that Zap Panels does not store your Tesla credentials
- Tap Save or Get Started to return to the dashboard
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Display
- Polling Speed controls how often live data refreshes: Fast (15s), Medium (30s), or Slow (60s)
- Carousel Speed sets how quickly the solar and grid panels cycle between views automatically, or set to Manual to advance with a tap on the panels
- Reading Font Size and Secondary Text Size let you scale the dashboard text for your display
- Keep Screen On prevents your device from sleeping while the app is open, useful on a dedicated display
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Location & Weather
- Tap "Pick on Map" to position the pin at your home address, or type a place name in the search bar
- Confirm and your coordinates are filled in automatically
- Alternatively, enter latitude and longitude manually if you know them
- Set your temperature unit (°C or °F) and confirm your local timezone
- Location is used for weather forecasts and solar irradiance calculations only. It is never shared.
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Solar Arrays
- Enter Peak Power (kWp), Tilt (degrees from horizontal), and Azimuth (compass bearing) for each of your arrays
- Up to four arrays are supported. Set Peak Power to 0 to disable unused arrays.
- Azimuth is a compass bearing: 0 = North, 90 = East, 180 = South, 270 = West
- Auto-calibrate compares your actual daily generation from Tesla against the irradiance model and adjusts the performance ratio automatically, using up to 30 days of history
- The active ratio is shown once calibration completes. You can also set a manual ratio if you prefer.
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Tariffs (Premium)
- Tap "Import from Tesla" to pull your configured rates directly from your Tesla account
- Add time-of-use windows for import pricing: for example super off-peak (midnight to 5am at a lower rate) and peak
- The Standard tier covers all times not matched by a windowed tier. Set all rates to 0 to disable cost tracking.
- Set export rates to track earnings when your solar surplus is sent to the grid
- Add your daily standing charge to include it in the net cost calculation