Can a SolarEdge smart meter installed with my solar panels provide OVO with all the data they need?

hebe

Hello, I used to be a regular on MSE whilst paying off our mortgage. Back with a question please as I am new to both solar and smart meters.

Our power is provided by OVO and we are looking at getting SolarEdge panels, inverter and battery installed in early summer. I was going to ask OVO to fit a smartmeter as they will do it for free... but they're not making any bookings in my area at the moment because of "high demand". We can get a smartmeter fitted with our panels though, albeit at a cost. Will a smartmeter provided and fitted with our panels provide ovo with the same data that they'd get if they provided the meter? Thanks for any help. For some reason I can't register to post in OVO's own forum.

QrizB

Welcome back the to forum!

To answer your question, it seems unlikely. If you're hoping to get SEG payments for exported electricity. you'll need an export meter. The usual meter fitted with a solar PV installation is a generation meter, which can't distinguish between electricity that you've generated-and-consumed and electricity that you've generated-and-exported.

Do check with your installer, since I guess it's possible that they're offering to install an export meter.

Once you know exactly what your installer is offering, and that your installer claims it will measure export, you should then check with OVO that they'll accept it.

hebe

Thank you, that’s very helpful. I shall ask further questions.

NoobSolar

I think the 'meter' your installer is offering would amount to the solaredge monitoring app  and the part of the kit all solar installs have which is a generation meter. I don't think they are likely to be referring to the SMETS2 Smart meter that comes from your power provider. In fact I assume it wouldn't be legal for an electrician or contractor hired by yourself to touch these items. I have always assumed, although I would love to be corrected, that these meters are actually not the homeowner's property.

Were it to be possible to have an electrician replace your own electricity meter with one of your or their choice, I wouldn't recommend doing that.

I am thinking OVO are particularly useless not to offer you a Smart meter, as it is part of their remit to achieve changeover to these within a certain time frame. Could it be you were a bit unlucky in the operative you spoke to there? I am 80 percent sure they are legally out of line there.

Remember they will replace the gas meter too if they come to change the electric meter.

hebe

NoobSolar said:

I think the 'meter' your installer is offering would amount to the solaredge monitoring app  and the part of the kit all solar installs have which is a generation meter. I don't think they are likely to be referring to the SMETS2 Smart meter that comes from your power provider. In fact I assume it wouldn't be legal for an electrician or contractor hired by yourself to touch these items. I have always assumed, although I would love to be corrected, that these meters are actually not the homeowner's property.

Were it to be possible to have an electrician replace your own electricity meter with one of your or their choice, I wouldn't recommend doing that.

I am thinking OVO are particularly useless not to offer you a Smart meter, as it is part of their remit to achieve changeover to these within a certain time frame. Could it be you were a bit unlucky in the operative you spoke to there? I am 80 percent sure they are legally out of line there.

Remember they will replace the gas meter too if they come to change the electric meter.

Thank you, that aligns with what I’ve learned over the last few days.  I think it was a sloppy terminology issue, the Solar people have confirmed that it is a different  smart meter and not interchangeable with the OVO one. And to be fair to OVO, they do offer free smart meters and installation, but they weren’t able to schedule any installation dates because of volume of work. That has now changed, I have now been able to book in for for both gas and electric smart meters to be done by them in early June. Whereas before, every time I clicked on the website button to book smart meter installation it told me that none were available and to wait for an email. Thanks again for replying in such detail.