So now I have a solar PV system how do I make the most of it???

don0301

HalloweenJack wrote: »

hmmm can the clamp for an owl meter actually work on the generation meter?

to get a reading of generation only, you fit the clamp to the "feed" from the inverter.

link:

http://www.theowl.com/index.php?page=faq-4

quote:

It is possible to use the OWL to see your consumption OR your generation. To see your generation you would need to connect the sensor over the live cable as it leaves your inverter. To see your consumption you would need to connect the sensor over the live cable as it enters your consumer unit.

HalloweenJack

aha its not an OWL its an ENViR - same thing though gonna get another clamp for the invertor side....

sly_dog_jonah

don0301 wrote: »

To see your consumption you would need to connect the sensor over the live cable as it enters your consumer unit.

But since all PV systems are also connected to the Consumer Unit (I believe that is correct), I don't see how there can be a single 'live cable' you can connect to measure 'pure consumption'. The diagram on http://www.theowl.com/index.php?page=faq-4 looks flawed because the PV connects directly to Consumer Unit (which includes the 'fuse panel'), not via some mystery junction in the 'fuse closet'.

Our CU has a single live cable coming from the supply meter and 8 circuits connected via MCBs (the inverter is connected to one of them, via a generation meter) which can individually switch off lighting circuits etc. The only way you could accurately measure consumption would be to clamp around each of the other 7 circuits?

If you clamp around the live cable between CU and supply meter, you get the 'import/export', but OWLs can't detect whether that is export or import, only the magnitude of the power flow.

If you clamp around the live cable anywhere between the inverter and the CU, you get the Generated Output of the PV array.

We put our OWL on the supply meter live cable, so we have an idea about the magnitude of import or export (determining which direction involves turning on something which draws detectable power on the OWL). But we use our SoloPV during the day to accurately determine what we're generating (and for logging purposes) so we can use appliances at the optimum times.

don0301

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

But since all PV systems are also connected to the Consumer Unit (I believe that is correct), I don't see how there can be a single 'live cable' you can connect to measure 'pure consumption'. The diagram on http://www.theowl.com/index.php?page=faq-4 looks flawed because the PV connects directly to Consumer Unit (which includes the 'fuse panel'), not via some mystery junction in the 'fuse closet'.

Our CU has a single live cable coming from the supply meter and 8 circuits connected via MCBs (the inverter is connected to one of them, via a generation meter) which can individually switch off lighting circuits etc. The only way you could accurately measure consumption would be to clamp around each of the other 7 circuits?

If you clamp around the live cable between CU and supply meter, you get the 'import/export', but OWLs can't detect whether that is export or import, only the magnitude of the power flow.

If you clamp around the live cable anywhere between the inverter and the CU, you get the Generated Output of the PV array.

We put our OWL on the supply meter live cable, so we have an idea about the magnitude of import or export (determining which direction involves turning on something which draws detectable power on the OWL). But we use our SoloPV during the day to accurately determine what we're generating (and for logging purposes) so we can use appliances at the optimum times.

try reading the link again....

particularly the sentence prior to the diagram......

quote:

I am making the assumption that your setup is as follows:-

sly_dog_jonah

don0301 wrote: »

try reading the link again....

particularly the sentence prior to the diagram......

quote:

I am making the assumption that your setup is as follows:-

And is your setup identical to that? I thought electrical standards meant the inverter had to be wired into an MCB first before connecting to the mains supply.

don0301

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

And is your setup identical to that? I thought electrical standards meant the inverter had to be wired into an MCB first before connecting to the mains supply.

No, it is not.

as I've said several times before, mine is setup to show generation only.

read post 1183

sly_dog_jonah

don0301 wrote: »

No, it is not.

as I've said several times before, mine is setup to show generation only.

read post 1183

I've read 1183 thanks, but I'm questioning whether the assumption that OWL made when they drew up that diagram is valid.

Read in isolation your quote from the site suggests consumption is simple to measure. I was just pointing out that if a PV array is connected to it's own circuit on the Consumer Unit (as is common practice as I understand it) then measurement of household consumption is not at all trivial.

Dave_Fowler

I don't know who's confusing who here. The following is for any 'normal' PV set-up. There may be a few (Z.) where the connections are different.

Put the current clamp anywhere on the live (or neutral) lead between the inverter and the consumer unit (including either side of the generation meter) and you will measure the generated power.

Put the clamp on the lead from your consumer unit to your electric input meter and you will measure either the power imported (if PV power is less than power used in the house) or the power exported (if PV power is greater than the power used in the house). The clamp meter can not know which way the power flows and will always read positive.

Dave F

don0301

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

I've read 1183 thanks, but I'm questioning whether the assumption that OWL made when they drew up that diagram is valid.

Read in isolation your quote from the site suggests consumption is simple to measure. I was just pointing out that if a PV array is connected to it's own circuit on the Consumer Unit (as is common practice as I understand it) then measurement of household consumption is not at all trivial.

if you read the link, they (owl) presume you (the reader) have a setup similar to the diagram. they go on to state:

quote:

Based on this setup the OWL will not only sum the energy used via the meter but will also sum the electricity fed back onto the grid.

they then go on to say how to set it up to read generation only, which is how i have mine setup.

i hope it is now clear to you.

themaverick1953

Dave_Fowler wrote: »

I don't know who's confusing who here. The following is for any 'normal' PV set-up. There may be a few (Z.) where the connections are different.

Put the current clamp anywhere on the live (or neutral) lead between the inverter and the consumer unit (including either side of the generation meter) and you will measure the generated power.

Put the clamp on the lead from your consumer unit to your electric input meter and you will measure either the power imported (if PV power is less than power used in the house) or the power exported (if PV power is greater than the power used in the house). The clamp meter can not know which way the power flows and will always read positive.

Dave F

The cable from my invertor is thick and grey and presumably takes the three seperate cables and I dont seem to be able to measure generate power qwith one of these meters unless someone knows a way?