M
Mozzerr
Having had our PV installations (mine and dad's) a couple of weeks now, we've had time to get used to living with it etc. and our attention has now naturally turned towards monitoring the system in order to try and make optimal benefit from it.
The installers supplied an OWL basic wireless monitoring device connected via a CT sensor to the live feed coming from the inverter into a spare MCB in the consumer unit. This allows us a convenient, portable indication of how much the panels are generating at any given time - useful given that the inverter itself is housed in the loft.
In order to see our household consumption we purchased separately a second similar device and placed the CT sensor as directed over a live feed coming from the main electricity meter.
After much deliberation and scratching of heads we have come to realise that the indicated consumption on this second device is not ideal due to the inability of these CT sensors to establish the direction of the current flow! Hence it seems we are unable to clearly and conveniently tell when and by how much we are importing or exporting...
So... To my main point.. All of the above has ultimately lead me to the following linked page...
Solar PV Monitoring System | OpenEnergyMonitor
...whereupon there are shown two alternative schematics (about one third of the way down the page) for how a solar PV system - particularly the inverter - may be wired into the household wiring and grid. Our system (like most it seems) appears to be wired as per the type 2 schematic - whereas it would appear to me that for what I would like to achieve, the type 1 layout would seem to be more appropriate. My trouble is, I do not quite follow how the type 1 layout works?? Particularly, what is going on in the "junction block" that still allows the grid, consumer unit and inverter to all be wired together - yet there only be a single direction of current flow in order to make the consumption CT sensor operate as I want for my simple monitoring solution to work?
Obviously I'm no electrician..! Perhaps I'm just being thick, but I don't see it.
Can someone please explain? I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
The installers supplied an OWL basic wireless monitoring device connected via a CT sensor to the live feed coming from the inverter into a spare MCB in the consumer unit. This allows us a convenient, portable indication of how much the panels are generating at any given time - useful given that the inverter itself is housed in the loft.
In order to see our household consumption we purchased separately a second similar device and placed the CT sensor as directed over a live feed coming from the main electricity meter.
After much deliberation and scratching of heads we have come to realise that the indicated consumption on this second device is not ideal due to the inability of these CT sensors to establish the direction of the current flow! Hence it seems we are unable to clearly and conveniently tell when and by how much we are importing or exporting...
So... To my main point.. All of the above has ultimately lead me to the following linked page...
Solar PV Monitoring System | OpenEnergyMonitor
...whereupon there are shown two alternative schematics (about one third of the way down the page) for how a solar PV system - particularly the inverter - may be wired into the household wiring and grid. Our system (like most it seems) appears to be wired as per the type 2 schematic - whereas it would appear to me that for what I would like to achieve, the type 1 layout would seem to be more appropriate. My trouble is, I do not quite follow how the type 1 layout works?? Particularly, what is going on in the "junction block" that still allows the grid, consumer unit and inverter to all be wired together - yet there only be a single direction of current flow in order to make the consumption CT sensor operate as I want for my simple monitoring solution to work?
Obviously I'm no electrician..! Perhaps I'm just being thick, but I don't see it.
Can someone please explain? I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
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