PV Monitors

ely_ellis

Hi John,

I have a Wattson Solar Plus monitor same as Legoman already mentioned on here.
I find it not to be very accurate BUT it gives an excellent indication that you are exporting to the grid, importing from the grid (backed up with a nice colour change) and how much spare there is along with a few other figures.
It has become second nature to us to watch it before using any electricity as we can see if there is enough spare and if not, how much we will be using.
The problem is that the company that make it no longer exist (unless things have changed since last year), so getting hold of one may be difficult. If you search on ebay, just make sure you get the 'Solar Plus' version as there are other versions which just monitor home usage.

Another point to mention, are you aware of what you are generating when you use your appliances and are not just assuming that when you generate you will be generating enough to cover what you are using?

For example, on a normal bright day without direct sunlight, I am only generating a few hundred watts, just enough to cover my base load (the fridge freezer) and half of what the kettle will use. If your assuming full generation under these conditions and start using your dishwashers etc, where you probably wouldn't normally use them, then your bill IS going to increase!
I suppose you are aware of this which is why you want some form of metering to check but your inverter should be able to tell you how much it is generating assuming its not stuck away in the loft without easy access!

An example of what my appliances use, are:
Kettle: 800 watts
Washing machine: 2000 watts (when heating)
Dish washer: 2500 watts (when heating)
Iron: 2500 watts (when heating)
Vacuum cleaner: 800 - 2000 watts (depending on setting)
Central heating: 500 watts (this is mostly what the pump is using)

We had the dishwasher on for the first time since October the other day because it drinks electricity!

For some people it's not easy to understand at first how the juggling act works, but you have come to the right place for advice.

Maybe you could give us some more information, what inverter you have and do you have software to access it etc.

Sorry, long reply, I get carried away...
Cheers