PowerSwitch

I'm about to have Solar Panels installed and i have been looking at the multitude of systems available to monitor it.

I have heard that one system can detect each appliance, without remote sensors, as it is turned on and off, which sounded very interesting. There is an extensive set up process with involves turning everything off in your house and turning on each device individually so the system 'learns' each individual load on the system.

Apart from that i am looking for a system that will not only wirelessly talk to itself, but also if possible talk wirelessly to a PC or even better to a wireless network.

I would be very interested in peoples experiences with the monitors they have and if their are any systems that are worth avoiding.

All comments and advice welcomed : )

Crikey Moses that sounds a bit fancy !

I have a very basic PV monitor: gives either instantaneous power or total energy, and that's it.

Friends just down the road have a delightful little Toblerone-shaped thing with a miniature panel on one side (to power it) and a selectable graphic display on the other (the 3rd side is the base) with, iirc, a USB type connector so you can download to the PC and look at last summer's little graphs to cheer yourself up on those long winter evenings. I think they come with the Sunny Boy inverters.

My advice is to make sure, as your purchase progresses, that your installers know, and continue to know, that you want, expect, and have paid for whatever monitor you eventually choose! Otherwise, in the general mayhem and delerium, everybody tends to forget it on the day.


Oh and welcome to PS. All of life is here...

I bought a unit sold at www.totalpowershop.com. I bought their TP-S610A starter kit (they call it a Renewable Energy Monitoring Unit or their REMU I).

It monitors how much energy my house is consuming and how much power I am getting from my solar panels or any other renewable energy source. I've set it up so it automatically switches on my immersion heater (and up to 2 other appliances) when enough surplus energy is being generated.

It is only £199. I think it will pay for itself as well, although it may take a year or two to get my money back. In the mean time it will make sure that my home is not consuming anymore power than I want to. The control unit will also record my home’s energy production and consumption and download it to a pc.

Alternately spend £5 on a voltmeter! -- which, after all, is what most PV monitors are.

You can estimate the state of charge from the battery voltage. Basically 10.5V to 11V, battery empty; 12.5V to 13V, battery full (note, if the battery is under charge these figures rise by about 1V, and if it is being discharged they fall by 0.5V to 1V). As in many cases, the appliance of a little thought and rule of thumb renders all that advanced computerised gadgetry useless.

Most of the flashy electronics that comes with consumer-oriented PV systems is just window dressing, designed to reinforce the "greener than thou" image. If you really were interested in "doing your bit", you'd save some money and do without the flashy gadgets, and instead rely on a simple voltmeter to tell you the state of charge (better still, use a high value resistor and an old moving iron meter from the VU display of a scrapped hi-fi as it doesn't require a battery).

...basically, it's the same issue as why smart meters are not much use.

For those that it will help the TotalPowerShop people have brought out a Radio Frequency (RF) switch which can be used to hardwire appliances to be controlled by their Renewable Energy Management Unit (REMUI - model no. TP-S610A).

Have a look at their website www.totalpowershop.com

The REMU I unit will monitor how much energy your house is consuming and how much power you are getting from your solar panels or any other renewable energy source. It will automatically switch on your immersion heater (and up to 2 other appliances) when enough surplus energy is being generated.

Their starter kits are £199 plus p&p. The unit will pay for itself as well, although it may take a year or two to get your money back.