OwlWhat Iris does
OwlWatt Iris is a small dedicated collector — not a computer, not an app — that plugs into your home router by Ethernet. Plug it into power and your router and it starts reading your Enphase Envoy or IQ Gateway on your own network, every 5 seconds, panel by panel, all day, every day. Nothing to configure.
OwlWatt itself is a service, first and foremost: independent measurement, expected-production modeling, shortfall documentation, and a claim-ready report, delivered through your dashboard whether or not you own any hardware. Cloud-only proves that out with nothing to plug in — you connect your Enphase account once, and OwlWatt reads your production from there. Your claim itself is always built from that same vendor number, the one your installer can't credibly dispute because it's their own vendor's record — Iris doesn't change that. What Iris adds is a second, independent reading that's entirely your own: measured at your gateway, so you're never relying on a single cloud connection to tell you the whole story.
Where Iris sits — what it talks to
The diagram below shows the whole path: your panels, your Enphase gateway, OwlWatt Iris (if you have one), Enphase's own cloud, OwlWatt Cloud, and the OwlWatt dashboard sitting on top of it all.
Every OwlWatt customer has the vendor cloud path (navy): you connect your Enphase account once, and OwlWatt reads your production from there. Iris adds the local path (amber) — its own independent reading, sent straight to OwlWatt from your network.
Why choose Iris over cloud-only
Your own independent reading
Cloud-only reads your production from the same vendor account your installer's evidence comes from. Iris gives you a second, independent measurement of your own, taken at your gateway.
Every panel, every 5 seconds
Iris reads every microinverter every 5 seconds. A single underperforming panel shows up immediately — not buried inside a daily production total.
Keeps working if account access doesn't
If an installer account closes or vendor access changes, Iris keeps reading your gateway directly, over your own network — no one else's door has to stay open.
Nothing opens inbound
Iris only sends data out. It never opens a port on your network, and there's nothing to configure beyond plugging it in.
Whichever you choose, your OwlWatt dashboard travels with you — including on iPhone. See the OwlWatt app →
Is it safe to put on your home network?
Iris is a single-purpose appliance, not a computer on your LAN. One job: read your gateway, send the numbers to OwlWatt.
Talks out, never in
Iris only reaches your own Enphase gateway and OwlWatt. It never opens a port to the internet.
Reads, doesn't touch
Iris can only ask your gateway for a reading — it can't change a setting or send a command. Watching is all it does.
Your production numbers, nothing else
What leaves your home is your production reading and a basic device heartbeat — nothing else on your network.
Closed by default
No standing remote access, for anyone, including us. It runs locked-down and unprivileged, and every update is cryptographically signed.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need OwlWatt Iris to use OwlWatt?
No. OwlWatt Iris is optional. Cloud-only, OwlWatt connects to your existing Enphase account and reads your production from there — no hardware required. Iris adds a second, independent reading at your gateway for homeowners who want one.
Does Iris data become my claim figure?
No. Your production guarantee claim is always built from the vendor's own cloud data (Enphase) — that's the number an installer can't credibly dispute, because it's their own vendor's record. Iris is an independent watchdog alongside it, not a replacement for it.
What does Iris actually plug into?
Iris plugs into your router by Ethernet and reads your Enphase Envoy or IQ Gateway on your own network every 5 seconds. There's nothing to configure beyond plugging it in. It sends its readings to OwlWatt over a one-way, outbound-only connection — nothing on your network is reachable from the internet.
How much does OwlWatt Iris cost?
$149 one-time, shipping included, on top of an active OwlWatt subscription ($9.99/month or $87.89/year). There is no separate Iris subscription — one OwlWatt plan covers cloud-only and Iris customers alike.
What does Iris catch that cloud-only monitoring might miss?
Iris reads every microinverter every 5 seconds instead of relying on the vendor's periodic cloud totals, so it surfaces a single failing panel sooner — the kind of silent, partial failure a daily production total can hide for weeks. It also keeps reading locally if your installer's account access or the vendor's cloud connection ever goes away.
Does OwlWatt support SolarEdge with Iris?
Not yet. OwlWatt Iris and OwlWatt's cloud integration both work with Enphase systems today. SolarEdge support is on the roadmap — see the SolarEdge early-access program.
Can OwlWatt reach into my Iris remotely?
No, not on a standing basis. Iris only makes outbound connections and never opens a port to the internet. Every update it installs is cryptographically signed, so it only ever runs code OwlWatt shipped.
Iris measures and documents your production — it doesn't determine whether an installer honors a claim, or guarantee that you're paid.