Energy Monitors and Solar PV

chrissy555 · 4 July 2018 at 5:32PM

hi, i have an Efergy energy monitor. I also have Solar PV panels which generate electricity. It was very confusing recently, as i thought i was using lots of energy to run the panels (ie ticking over 2kwh at sun peak). But if i were to switch the kettle on, the 2kwh dropped. I am assuming that the monitor doesn't display negative energy (ie load which is being fed into the grid) and so what i thought was my usage of 2kwh was actually minus 2kwh. Anyone got an energy monitor that can read negative kwh???

The_Green_Hornet · 4 July 2018 at 5:38PM

chrissy555 wrote: »

hi, i have an Efergy energy monitor. I also have Solar PV panels which generate electricity. It was very confusing recently, as i thought i was using lots of energy to run the panels (ie ticking over 2kwh at sun peak). But if i were to switch the kettle on, the 2kwh dropped. I am assuming that the monitor doesn't display negative energy (ie load which is being fed into the grid) and so what i thought was my usage of 2kwh was actually minus 2kwh. Anyone got an energy monitor that can read negative kwh???

http://www.eco-eye.com/product-monitor-solar-smartpv
https://shop.glowmarkt.com/products/shine-kit

macman · 4 July 2018 at 7:19PM

The panels don't use any power to run: there are no moving parts. The inverter takes it's power from the panels, and when their output drops below the amount required to power it, the inverter shuts down.
2kWhp is not 'ticking over', it's the sort of maximum output you'd expect off an 8 panel system. What is the capacity of your install?
A kettle will typically draw 2kW on it's own.
Are you sure you haven't simply installed the efergy cable clamp around the wrong supply cable?

Energy Monitors and Solar PV

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