Trouble uploading live power or energy data via API and "Load Live Outputs"

Problems
#1

Hi,

I am setting up a custom system which currently only provides Export data.

I have had it sending 5 minute data to https://pvoutput.org/service/r2/addstatus.jsp with only v2 and with n=1. However when I look at the Live data I have so far only seen 1 point plotted per day (possibly just data that I manually uploaded using curl). None of the live data seems to include the automatically uploaded values, even though these are returning “OK 200: Added Status”

When I downloaded the CSV data, it only includes a value (“0”) for POWER_IN, except for the first record which has a “0” for POWER_OUT.

I have also tried uploading Power Generated CSV data through the “Load Live Outputs” web page, but most of the non-zero values are marked as ignore and greyed out.

I then instead tried that with “Energy Generated” values, with non-cumulative values. Most of them are again ignored. I then converted those to cumulative, but leaving the “Cumulative energy values” option on the upload page unchecked. Those values were accepted until they hit the 200kWh level. I then tried using the “Cumulative energy values” option but they were still rejected above 200kWh.

Ideally I want to upload live net Energy Exported or Power Exported data at each 5 minute interval through the API. Am I doing something wrong?

#2

All values recorded on PVOutput are gross and must be positive.

The net values are combined with existing generation values to calculate gross consumption.

See Net Data section of https://pvoutput.org/help.html#api-addstatus

#3

I eventually had success uploading using the Load Live Outputs page and uploading just Power values. I may have failed to set the field number selectors correctly but can’t be certain.

However I still cannot get the API submitted data to register v2/Power Generation. Due to a typo some records were submitted with a v4 value = 1, and those records do show up, but none of the v2 data submitted via the API shows up.

I have tried adding v4=0 to the submitted data. When I download the data each record has a value of 0 for POWER_IN (v4), but the v2 field is empty.

As far as I can tell, v2 data submitted via https://pvoutput.org/service/r2/addstatus.jsp is being ignored.

Just to recap, what I am trying to do is submit 5min live data via addstatus API, provding v2 (export power) data exclusively i.e. no other uploads whatsoever.

#4

This (API live uploading) seems to be resolved by sending both v1 and v2 (generated energy and generated power) and not using n=1 (net) flag.

However I am still having trouble using the live upload page. When I include Energy Generated values, the validator rejects records whose Energy values are not larger than the previous (accepted) value. e.g. (R indicates Rejected records):

  06/12/17	06:30	1.060kWh	12.720kW
  06/12/17	06:35	1.340kWh	16.080kW
R 06/12/17	06:40	1220.0	14.640kW
  06/12/17	06:45	1.460kWh	17.520kW
R 06/12/17	06:50	1410.0	16.920kW
  06/12/17	06:55	1.890kWh	22.680kW
  06/12/17	07:00	3.380kWh	40.560kW
R 06/12/17	07:05	2190.0	26.280kW

This occurs even though the “Cumulative energy values” option is not checked (and regardless of whether or not the Power Generated value is selected for inclusion in the import).

Not including Energy Generated values and just using Power Generated values allows a successful upload.

Somehow I had missed the Restrictions and Limitations section. In particular:

  • When uploading Net data, generation must already exist at the same data point.
  • An energy value cannot be lower than the previous energy value recorded in time.

So if I’ve finally comprehended the requirements, Energy values have to be cumulative within each day, and optionally can be cumulative over the lifetime of the system.
And net power values are only applicable in conjunction with existing energy values.

So in the end, it looks like all I actually need to do is supply v2, and not as a “net” value. I was misled by the fact that our source data is a net “export power” value and not a “generation” value.

#5

This is not possible as Net data must be combined with generation data to calculate the gross consumption.

The only way to store raw net data is via v7-v12 which allows negative values.