RE: Re: Solar PV ?

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

Marcus
Thanks for the offer re Sunny Beam.
Since it would only work in the garage, I think I'll pass!!
House is a new selfbuild. Garage is attached.=20
Dect phones work everywhere. So does OWL and=20
Efergy and Siemens dect handset bluetooth. SMA=20
bluetooth can't make it through the garage to kitchen wall.
I'm happy with real time display on the computer=20
in the study (other end of house from garage). Good ol' usb.

As if to prove I am reaching my knowledge limits,=20
two questions re your colleague's setup.

1. Is his IP switched socket a homebrew thing or=20
are there commercially available units?
2. What current clamp meter does he use and what=20
form does the data capture in the pc take? I have=20
only found proprietory devices like owl where the=20
clamp talks to the device (real time) and the=20
device to the pc (download, not real time). What=20
I would like is two clamps that connect direct to=20
my network (generation and consumption). Then I=20
could calculate import and export (no point using=20
a clamp for that as it wouldn't know the=20
difference) and ultimately switch things on accordingly.

Appreciate any leads you can provide.
Rgds
Peter

At 09:23 15/07/2011, you wrote:
>
>
>Peter,
>
>=D8 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.
>
>Actually my installer can get the SunnyBeams for=20
>about =A3100 + vat , so I could get them for =A3105=20
>if I order as part of my install (5% vat) or=20
>=A3120 (20% vat) if I order later. I am tempted to=20
>get one just to see, especially as I watched one=20
>sell on eBay for =A3148 last week !
>
>If you were interested in getting one then I=20
>could get my installer to order an extra one for you.
>
>Thanks for the clarification on Sunny Explorer,=20
>sounds like if I'm just wanting the CSV's there won't be a problem.
>
>One of my Directors here at work has a SolarPV=20
>array fitted and has rigged up a IP switched=20
>socket (global cache) to a ~2KW immersion tank.=20
>He then uses a current clamp meter (like the=20
>OWL) connected to a PC and if his generation=20
>exceed his cosumption by ~2KW he automatically=20
>sends a HTTP request to the switch to turn on the immersion heater.
>
>Marcus
>
>From:=20
><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx=20
>[mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter
+ Jane
>Sent: 15 July 2011 06:30
>To: <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Re: Solar PV ?
>
>Hi Marcus
>I am sort of relieved to hear this. My conclusion
>was that a cabled connection was prohibitively
>expensive, and I was wondering if there was a
>cheaper option than the webbox that I had missed.
>Next option is a Sunny Beam display (groovy
>looking) which has usb download. Needs to be in
>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
>day/month/year). It allows interrogation and
>option setting. It shows a lot of settings data
>and running data (voltages, frequency etc). I like it for all that.
>When you log on it always starts from no data and
>has to download everything (so it doesn't
>remember historical data, for example). So nyou
>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
>example, it might have the odd day with nothing.
>Or the odd day with a spuriously high figure.
>These data must be stored in the inverter in a
>different file from the downloadable csv data. My
>experience is the csv data are always correct. So
>the missing day or the high figure will not be in
>the csv data! I thought it may be my inverter
>(4000TL), but a neighbour finds the same.
>The sample rate for the csv data is much more
>frequent than the histogram stuff, which in turn
>is much better than the histogram displayed on
>the front panel of the inverter. With it you can
>change passwords for inverter access. Pity it doesn't remember them!
>I use an Efergy display (retired when I got an
>Owl+USB) then brought out of retirement. I
>insisted on a separate small consumer unit for
>connection of inverter output upstream of my
>house consumer units (6 of them :-[). There is or
>was a practice of connecting solar input on a
>spare way in the normal house consumer unit. My
>view was that consumer unit mcbs are for output.
>I thought that was a bad idea as consumption and
>generation couldn't be separated for measuring. I
>also question the safety of a consumer unit that
>could be live when the isolator switch is off.
>Installer's arguement is that the inverter cuts out if no mains is
detecte=
d.
>So I download csv data from the inverter and
>download usage data from the Owl and one day when
>I have time I will correlate them!!!
>I have tried twice on this list to encourage
>another solar user to come up with a more elegant
>monitoring system, or an automated switching
>system based on consumption and generation
>monitoring as I am on the limits of my skills in
>that area! My plea was ignored!!
>In the meantime the two monitors are in the
>kitchen with a triple X10 switch and the hot tub
>heater, the tumble drier and the washing machine
>are rigged that they can be switched on manually
>if generation exceeds consumption by a suitable
>amount. I opted for the assumption that I would
>export 50% of what I generate, so the game is to
>use as much as possible as it is "free".
>HTH
>Peter
>PS 6:30am already 645 watts. Baseload 770 watts
>(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
> >support guys, it transpires that the RS485 card
> >only works with their webbox (=A3350!) and not
> >with their Sunny Explorer software. I'm not
> >convinced that's necessarily true but probably
> >safe to say it certainly wouldn't be the "plug
> >and play" solution I'd envisaged.
> >
> >Anyway, given this new piece of information I'm
> >back to having to make do with Bluetooth like
> >yourself. My server is probably only about 7M
> >away from where the inverter will be so I'm
> >pretty confident I would be abler to get away
> >with using a simple passive USB/Cat5 extender to
> >get the receiver into the same cellar as the
> >inverter (i.e. within line of sight).
> >
> >When you say that Sunny Explorer is "flakey"
> >what do you mean ? Does it crash or just loose
> >connection, if it crashes then that's probably
> >easier to automate a solution for.
> >
> >Marcus
> >
> >From:
> ><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d=20
> %40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com=
>
> >[mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40=20
> yahoogroups.com>] On Behalf Of Peter + Jane
> >Sent: 13 July 2011 14:46
> >To:=20
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com>
> >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.
> >
> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
>
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>
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>
>


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