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New solar panels and a PV Grid Tie inverter charging 4 Li-ion batteries - Why is my meter still clocking similar usage? Have my batteries been installed correctly?

  • 16 November 2020
  • 31 replies
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31 replies

Tim_OVO
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Some pretty high value info in this thread, just tagging members that might want to be made aware @ArundaleP @Jequinlan @D10hul 

 

Have a lovely Saturday everyone! 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Jequinlan
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Thanks @Tim_OVO . Interesting read. And great info as always from @Transparent 

John Quinlan
Tim_OVO
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Heads up everyone, those recent posts from Transparent have now been moved to its own tutorial topic, here. 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Transparent
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That’s the posts about lightning protection for Solar Panels, which @Tim_OVO ‘s referring to.

I raised the issue here because I checked the specification for the Solis Inverter which @dnshorto has just had installed. It stated that the unit has integral “surge protection”, but without saying what it was protecting against.

extract from ENF database https://www.enfsolar.com/pv/inverter-datasheet/12271

 

As the Inverter does not appear to have a separate earth connection through which it could send the energy from a lightning strike, I’m assuming that the anti-surge provision is to prevent spikes/transients rather than a lightning discharge.

Save energy... recycle electrons!
Transparent
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I’ve just added a post about surge protection devices (SPDs) on AC mains.

This will hopefully explain a bit more about the level of Suppressor that might be integral to the Solis Inverters.

Save energy... recycle electrons!
M
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I have the same issue as dnshorto after a large solar install 24 panels = my meter is still clocking the same levels of usage! Help please required? 

I already had a first generation SMET 1 smart meter installed by SSE OVO [Elster AS300P] in 2016/17 prior to a large new Solar PV system installed in mid-Dec 2022. A sizeable 24 panels x 380W = 8.8kWh array, with a potential to generate  up to 8.8kW x 4 or 5hrs/day = 35 to 44kW++ peak per day. My Av. daily consumption from the previous year without PV was 22.6kW and testing it and compiling accurate figures since then confirms it has pretty much not changed now at a daily Av. of circa. 21.0kwh. [All figures quoted are from my readings of my SMET 1 utility meter i.e. my utilty billing]. I have micro-inverters, a SOLAR edge SE800H single phase Inverter, a Luxpower Tek LXP3600 ACS control monitor module and  I have a Pylontech battery storage to 6.6kW. I am getting good solar yields some days., to the point i should be off grid many days. The installer is coming back to have a look but to be honest i find them lacking in expertise and dragging their heals.

I have read in some other places that SMET 1 meters are not always compatible and I am not sure even if SMET 2 are either but i find this thread a little confusing. Can somebody clarify a summation  of what the most likely issues are in rank order?  dnshorto  how did you finally resolve this? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated as my return on my expensive investment is so far standing at NIL! 

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