RE: Re: Solar PV ?

[Peter + Jane <pandj.munnoch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Marcus
I am sort of relieved to hear this. My conclusion=20
was that a cabled connection was prohibitively=20
expensive, and I was wondering if there was a=20
cheaper option than the webbox that I had missed.
Next option is a Sunny Beam display (groovy=20
looking) which has usb download. Needs to be in=20
bluetooth range. Costs a bit under =A3200.
Sunny Explorer software is free.
It doesn't crash or lose connection, it just does odd things.
It has quite nice graphics (histograms=20
day/month/year). It allows interrogation and=20
option setting. It shows a lot of settings data=20
and running data (voltages, frequency etc). I like it for all that.
When you log on it always starts from no data and=20
has to download everything (so it doesn't=20
remember historical data, for example). So nyou=20
have to wait. My solution...stay logged on.
The histograms are nice (I can send sample screenshots if you want)
What is strange is that for monthly data, for=20
example, it might have the odd day with nothing.=20
Or the odd day with a spuriously high figure.=20
These data must be stored in the inverter in a=20
different file from the downloadable csv data. My=20
experience is the csv data are always correct. So=20
the missing day or the high figure will not be in=20
the csv data! I thought it may be my inverter=20
(4000TL), but a neighbour finds the same.
The sample rate  for the csv data is much more=20
frequent than the histogram stuff, which in turn=20
is much better than the histogram displayed on=20
the front panel of the inverter. With it you can=20
change passwords for inverter access. Pity it doesn't remember them!
I use an Efergy display (retired when I got an=20
Owl+USB) then brought out of retirement. I=20
insisted on a separate small consumer unit for=20
connection of inverter output upstream of my=20
house consumer units (6 of them :-[). There is or=20
was a practice of connecting solar input on a=20
spare way in the normal house consumer unit. My=20
view was that consumer unit mcbs are for output.=20
I thought that was a bad idea as consumption and=20
generation couldn't be separated for measuring. I=20
also question the safety of a consumer unit that=20
could be live when the isolator switch is off.=20
Installer's arguement is that the inverter cuts out if no mains is
detected=
.
So I download csv data from the inverter and=20
download usage data from the Owl and one day when=20
I have time I will correlate them!!!
I have tried twice on this list to encourage=20
another solar user to come up with a more elegant=20
monitoring system, or an automated switching=20
system based on consumption and generation=20
monitoring as I am on the limits of my skills in=20
that area! My plea was ignored!!
In the meantime the two monitors are in the=20
kitchen with a triple X10 switch and the hot tub=20
heater, the tumble drier and the washing machine=20
are rigged that they can be switched on manually=20
if generation exceeds consumption by a suitable=20
amount. I opted for the assumption that I would=20
export 50% of what I generate, so the game is to=20
use as much as possible as it is "free".
HTH
Peter
PS 6:30am already 645 watts. Baseload 770 watts=20
(ha, Sonos, MHRV, etc). Looks like another profitable day ahead!

At 16:14 14/07/2011, you wrote:
>
>
>Peter,
>
>After my installer has been talking to the SMA=20
>support guys, it transpires that the RS485 card=20
>only works with their webbox (=A3350!) and not=20
>with their Sunny Explorer software. I'm not=20
>convinced that's necessarily true but probably=20
>safe to say it certainly wouldn't be the "plug=20
>and play" solution I'd envisaged.
>
>Anyway, given this new piece of information I'm=20
>back to having to make do with Bluetooth like=20
>yourself. My server is probably only about 7M=20
>away from where the inverter will be so I'm=20
>pretty confident I would be abler to get away=20
>with using a simple passive USB/Cat5 extender to=20
>get the receiver into the same cellar as the=20
>inverter (i.e. within line of sight).
>
>When you say that Sunny Explorer is "flakey"=20
>what do you mean ? Does it crash or just loose=20
>connection, if it crashes then that's probably=20
>easier to automate a solution for.
>
>Marcus
>
>From:=20
><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx=20
>[mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter
+ Jane
>Sent: 13 July 2011 14:46
>To: <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Re: Solar PV ?
>
>Marcus
>
>FYI I played with USB to cat 5 baluns + bluetooth
>dongle. Worked, but dropped out occasionally. I
>now use 2 x 10m plus 1 x 5m active USB cables
>plus a dongle. Cost =A325 total. Stable and works
>with Sunny Explorer software, which itself is a
>bit flakey. CSV files downloadable so still ok!
>
>Yes I did get a deal on Sanyo. Shape of my
>available roof was perfect for them, so no
>brainer (as long as they last!) Not proven technology.
>
>Rgds
>Peter
>
>At 11:36 13/07/2011, you wrote:
>
> >Intersting you mention the Bluetooth, as I was a
> >little concerened about coverage because it
> >would be below ground level rather than at a
> >high point. I was planning on using a cheap BT
> >dongle to gather statistics from the inverter on
> >the house server, but maybe I'll invest in the
> >optional RS485 card for the inverter and use a cable instead.
> >
> >
> >I looked at Sanyo HIPS but again, for me, they
> >cost more (added about an extra =A32K to the
> >quote!) than they'd return. I think if you've
> >limited roof space ,or you get them cheap, they make more sense.
>
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>
>


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