Energy monitoring - going beyond smart meters...

End of November so it’s time for a progress update.

My energy monitor still under construction on a HDF (high-density fibreboard) base with a plastic facing.

The technique I’m using is to mark out the modules’ fixing points on masking tape. The required holes are drilled (mostly 3.8mm) and then a brass nut-insert hammered into place.

These enable the individual modules to be fixed into place using M2.5 nylon bolts and standoff pillars.

 

 

OOOOOOOOO wow serious looking stuff. 

Have you already outlined what this computer power is going to be doing? I’m really looking forward to seeing this (literally) take shape, and then see the data it produces (if you’re happy to share it on the forum that is!) - keep us updated! 

Another piece of the jigsaw prior to assembly:

This view shows brass nut-inserts encapsulated within a 3D printed part.

@Tim_OVOwrote:

Have you already outlined what this computer power is going to be doing?

Yes. Monitor everything!

It’s going to be sited alongside my consumer unit, PV Inverter and PowerVault battery, and be connected to the Smart Meter on the other side of the exterior wall. Then I can clip current transformers onto whatever wires are of interest.

I want to be able to run ‘short’ experiments to get a much better idea of what goes on between the half-hour chunks recorded by our Smart Meters.

We should be able to take about 100-readings per second, depending on the number of sensors deployed at that time. So if there’s any tussles between my inverter and the Storage Battery for example, then this monitor will pick up the transients/spikes.