Energy consumption correlates with solar output - strange?

Energy Monitors Current Cost
#21

Worth a shot of course although cannot see there would be much to do. For 6 years it has measured consumption correctly but not after installing solar panels. It is the CT clamp model where I just put one clamp over each of the three phases coming directly from the main switch. But let’s see if they could help…:slight_smile:

edit: sent this to their technical support:

Hello,

after adding solar panels to my house, the EnviR (model with 3 CT jaws, one for each phase) is not measuring total consumption anymore. Prior to this it has worked well for 6 years.

Now I’m not sure anymore what it is measuring as when the solar power increases, also what EnviR is showing increases. It never shows anything below the base consumption but when solar power is e.g. 2.6kW and my real consumption (assumed) is aroung 0.6kW, EnviR is showing 2kW. It is almost like it is always showing either consumption or export, whichever is higher. Is there something I could do to get it back to show the real consumption?

#22

You should get help from an EnviR technician. It looks like it may not have been designed to accommodate Solar generation if it doesn’t sense current flowing in the opposite direction. That being said, CT’s do produce a signed signal indicating direction of flow of the current and certainly could give you the data you need. They need to tell you if you can access the CT data directly which should solve you problem.
I just found this information from EnviR online: http://www.currentcost.com/solar-pv/installation.html It may help.

#23

I changed my Import model from Net to Gross and the data display of consumption was changed to track my Solar Production instead of consumption. Changing it back to Net corrected the display. Apparently each model uses your data under a different set of equations or assumptions. You will have to excuse me if I don’t have sufficient knowledge of your models so what is the difference in the Gross and Net models…what data is each model expecting to receive?

#24

Data uploaded is always gross, unless Net is specified in the upload. Even when a Net upload is specified it is always converted back to Gross and recorded as such.

The tariff models do not affect the uploaded live data, it only affect how the import/export is calculated in order to work out the daily debit and credit amount.

These calculations are documented in the tariff model section -

#25

Your description of the import model set to “net”:

“Import is attributed only at intervals (every 5 minutes) during which consumption is greater than generation”

My system, by design, does not have any net import except on days during which I don’t produce more energy than my home uses, but even on those days the daily summary does not show any import but it does show a negative “net” bar. So even though I imported energy on that day when the sun is below the horizon the net import bar will show but the import bar will be zero?
Both import and export models are set to net. I never have had an import bar appear on the daily summary. I always import energy during the dark hours in the amount of 8 to 10 kWhs. You will see them but I entered those values manually.
Please explain where I am missing something in my reasoning process.
summary for yesterday and so far today:

image.png679×631 30.4 KB

note that there is no import bar and used = saved. This is true on a cummulative basis because I have a large excess of generation of over 2,000 kWhs. Here are the tabulated values. You can see that the Exported values are too high and the import values are nil. I have entered manually the values for preceding days. So where am I going wrong?

image.png1631×253 52.7 KB

It appears that the Imported is being ignored and added to the Exported. Yesterday your model said I exported 32.9 kWh, consumed 15.2 kWh and Imported 0 kWh. Actually I consumed 15.5, Imported 8.06 and exported a net of 25.28. The only two figures in agreement are production and consumption.

#26

I’m not sure what has changed but now my site is reporting energy imported in the daily summary. It has been showing up in the “net Production” page but not in the daily summary.

#27

The only setting that would stop import/export from being calculated is Net Calculation set to Disabled under Advance Settings of the system setup -

There appears to be import on the latest date -

image.png864×128 9.33 KB

Looking for help to confirm my setup is ok?
#28

Like I said I don’t know what changed but the Import started showing up for the first time yesterday. The Net Calculations setting has always been enabled to the best of my knowledge…I haven’t made any changes to it and it is currently enabled. The only changes I have made were in the Tariff model changing between Net and Net Daily and back to Net in the Export field. That was done just before I noticed that there were Import values being displayed in the Live view.
My programmer is trying to fill in lost data when my consumption data uploading program stops running for a period of time but he left me a message about not being able to proceed:
“unfortunate note: for extended API usage, you must get an API key, as IP Address calling only supports current-sample”

Would it be possible to obtain the needed API key?
Currently I am manually filling in the lost data using the live-loader.

#29

Please see - https://pvoutput.org/help.html#api-getting-started