OwlWhat you're actually plugging in
Iris is a small dedicated collector (not a computer, not an app) that plugs into your home router by Ethernet. Give it power and a network cable and it starts reading your Enphase Envoy or IQ Gateway, every 5 seconds, panel by panel, all day. There's nothing for you to configure.
OwlWatt is a service first: independent measurement, expected-production modeling, shortfall documentation, and a claim-ready report in your dashboard, hardware or no hardware. Your claim is always built from the vendor's own number, the one your installer can't credibly dispute because it's their own vendor's record. Iris doesn't change that. What it adds is a second reading that's entirely yours, taken at your gateway, so you're never leaning on one cloud connection for the whole story.
Where Iris sits on your network
Below is the whole path: your panels, your gateway, Iris (if you have one), Enphase's cloud, OwlWatt Cloud, and your dashboard on top.
You get the vendor cloud path (navy) either way: connect your Enphase account once and OwlWatt reads your production from there. Iris adds the local path (amber), its own reading, sent straight to OwlWatt.
Why you might want Iris rather than cloud-only
A reading that's yours
Cloud-only reads your production from the same vendor account your installer's evidence comes from. Iris gives you a second measurement of your own, taken at your gateway.
Every panel, every 5 seconds
Iris reads every microinverter every 5 seconds, so one underperforming panel shows up right away instead of hiding inside a daily total.
Keeps working if account access doesn't
If an installer account closes or vendor access changes, Iris keeps reading your gateway over your own network. Nobody else's door has to stay open.
Nothing opens inbound
Iris only sends data out. It never opens a port on your network.
Whichever you pick, your dashboard travels with you, including on your iPhone. See the OwlWatt app →
Is it safe to put on your home network?
Fair question, and you should ask it of anything you plug into your router. Iris is a single-purpose appliance, not a computer on your network. It has 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.
Your production numbers, nothing else
What leaves your home is your production reading and a device heartbeat, nothing else.
Closed by default
No standing remote access for anyone, us included. The SSH path opens only when you turn it on, and closes itself after a few hours if you forget. The one exception is a rare, time-boxed, logged emergency override, used only if your device stops responding and can't be reached another way. Never silent, never standing. Iris 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.