Can I monitor data from a different app than the Shinephone app?

Hey ​@Mick,

I’ll tag a few of our members who might be able to give some suggestions around data monitoring for your solar panels. Could you give us more information on your setup and what you’re working with? 

​@BPLightlog ​@supercitybity ​@waltyboy ​@hydro_sam 

As far as I’m aware the Shinephone app is the designated portal for the Growatt inverter (it’s the inverter that monitors and reports).

Usually, these are dedicated to the manufacturer and so it’s not easy to find anything else to link and report. The inverter often only updates every few minutes for monitoring and so they can be only seen to be a guide rather than an accurate monitor. 
Just make sure that you’re using the latest version of the app 8.2.7.0 and note that there’s also a Windows version - although I’ve no idea if that is any different to the phone version

Thank you for the replies. 

I have only 6 panels and a Growatt MIC 2000 TL-X tph inverter, installed mid August. There's no battery. 

According to the Shine app I've generated 666 kwh and, according to the meter, I've exported 653.

I think I must have used more than 13kwh myself. Although I use most electricity at night as I have storage heaters, I sometimes charge the car during the day with a granny charger turned down to 6 amps, occasionally use a washing up machine and a washing machine, boost the storage heaters as well as the always on things, including aquariums.

I've been trying to compare the smart meter, a Secure Pipit 500 which I find clumsy, and the Shinephone app.

Ideally, I would like to look at my phone and see what I'm generating and consuming in real time, then I'd be able to use electricity more efficiently. 

Presuming that you weren’t exporting anything before the solar install, those figures don’t look right. If you have a decent IHD (in home display) or can get figures from any of the third party sources - or from your account usage - you should be able to check usage, export etc. As Walt mentions, your generation is entirely separate and you should have a generation meter somewhere to double check. 
There are very limited ways to combine all the information together which is why I use a system called Home Assistant to have one place to see everything. It’s not for everyone as it needs some extra setting up but I can now monitor my whole house, including appliance usage, temperatures along with power usage and solar feed. 

Hi ​@Mick Unless you’re really on top of when you capitalise on panel energy generation, you’d be surprised just how much goes to export (“wasted” in terms of the householder not being able to exploit it).  I was stunned when I saw that I was exporting around 80% in my earlier days.  Like you and ​@BPLightlog say, I’m sure you have benefited from PV generation since August by more than 13kWh, but even so you’d be surprised.  A granny charger at 6 Amps, say around 1400 Watts, will indeed be a superb way of using your panels (I’m guessing six 400 Watt panels on a nice August - September day may well produce upwards of around 1400 Watts for quite a few hours, given reasonable weather).  EV charging at 6 Amps is a brilliant way of using your own generation, as is any other “steady” usage at that level, for example any other type of battery charging.  I know you mention you haven’t elected for house battery storage, and in a way you don’t need it because of your EV batteries, and with OVO Charge Anytime (unlike some other suppliers) you’re allowed to benefit from the 7p bought rate during the day as well as at night. But, staying clear of grid peak hours of course.

However, other stuff like washing machines at, say, 2 kWh for perhaps 15 minutes of their wash/spin cycle are, to say the least, a hitty-miss way of using your own generation, same with ovens cutting in and out; certainly for a small to medium size array like you and I have.  Mind you, my wife and I are absolutely rigorous about using any “heavy” stuff only during the daytime (but avoiding grid peak hours) and preferably waiting until a sunny day, even though for six months of the year “sunny” up here in the NE of England might equate to only a small daily total from the panels.  It all adds up, though, if one is consistent.

So, you're dead right to attempt to monitor usage closely, because even though background stuff like ‘fridge etc. will efficiently use at least some of your panel generation, there’s an awful lot slips through to the grid (for example when the ‘fridge or freezer compressor is not required) without you benefitting directly.  Your EV charging at 6 Amps is one brilliant method. Not yet having an EV, I use my small generation to charge up a small storage battery, which powers the house at night from 1500 hours to 0900 hours; it requires an inverter capable of zero export or else an off-grid inverter with your whole house (or specific circuits) isolated from the grid (can be complicated!), and a daytime charge from the grid of about 1800 Watts to be ready for each nightly cycle, which, together with the house’s normal consumption 0900 to 1500 hours of another 900 Watts or so, means that my panels must generate around 2.5 kWh daily to cover that…during December and January they never do (maybe averaging 1 kWh daily) but even during the darkest winter months it’s at least a step in the right direction! From around March to mid October, it’s a much happier story! But, with no EV to charge, during those summer months an awful lot still “escapes”!

You'll find it quite interesting monitoring your generation and your usage, I’m slightly obsessed by it, I admit, but it’s very satisfying! I’m looking forward to hearing from you how you get on, do please keep us posted! it’s definitely the right time of year as your panels from February onwards will increase their generation markedly. All the very best…

Unfortunately, I can't use Charge Anytime because my Nissan Leaf (which I love) is not compatible and I have no need of a faster charger. When the sun's out late morning or early afternoon now, I generate enough to charge off the panels at 6 amps. 

I have delayed getting a battery because it was difficult to find a good place for it and I also, I fancy, that the price will drop. Maybe I could save £200 this year but, if the price goes down £250, I'd be worse off. 

I'm trying to monitor the electric usage because I've no doubt I can improve it but I don't trust the numbers I'm seeing. 

Hi ​@Mick Aye, you’re right to double check everything…if you like, can you give us an example of the figures you don’t trust? I’m guessing generation over, say, the last week? I can tell you mine for comparison’s sake.

The problem is this.

According to the information I have 

Power generated 666

Exported 653

So used 13 kwh

If the power generated was under recorded by just less than 1%

Power generated 672

Exported 653

So used 19 kwh

In other words, an error of approximately 1% results the usage being out by 46%

It also means that any comparisons with similar installations is likely to be inaccurate. 

​@Mick , I presume you’re reading the generated power reading from the app?

Did you find your generation meter .. it will be a small power meter often placed near the inverter or possibly in the meter cupboard.

That should give you an accurate generated reading to compare with the app. 

Hi ​@Mick yes, as ​@BPLightlog says….if you’re not sure about the generation meter, your inverter should be able to give you a rough idea of the total that it thinks it’s generated.
 

Also, are you pulling your export figure from the smart meter or from your app?  Something definitely awry with such a small difference between generated and exported, it looks like you’re exporting practically everything, which is ridiculous! 13 kWh of your rooftop generation used by the house in six months, about 2 kWh per month?!  
 

If you haven’t seen any savings in your bought kWh from OVO (your import) since August, then this may indicate a problem with the way the system has been installed or configured, rather than just being a question of the metrics? For example, a CT clamp the wrong way around? If, on the other hand, you have seen reductions in your electricity bill, then this would point to a problem with the way the data are being presented in your app.

The very good news is that your panels and your inverter seem to be happily generating, which is one big worry less.

I'm "getting on a bit" and don't really want to clamber around in the loft to look at the inverter.

I queried the accuracy of the app with Ovo and the installer in October but never heard back. 

My circumstances have changed and I've been using more electric as a result, so it's difficult to compare, but looking at a day's data in the Ovo app it's very obvious that I'm generating most of the electric I use in daylight.

I am reading the export data from the same meter that I read to give the numbers to Ovo. 

I thought of turning all appliances off for an hour and comparing the generated and exported data, but the app gives the data in kwh and only one decimal place. 

Which comes back to the purpose of this thread, which was to try and find alternatives to the Shinephone app. 

Okay ​@Mick I understand now, it’s a frustrating situation you’ve got…I hope you get some advice re an alternative to the Shinephone app, and thank yiu for being so patient and full in your information.  I don’t suppose the Shine app customer support people have any light to shed on the problem?  In general, the technical support folk on these apps, I find, tend to be very good and very friendly.

All the very best….

Thanks for all the answers. 

I often think that bad data is better than no data at all. 

Searching a few other forums, there are some comments about users setting up Solar Assistant. 
I have not used that so not sure how easy or useful it is. 

That looks interesting. I wish there was an Android or Windows version.

I think that what I would like most is a phone app that could show, preferably in graph form, the current generated and the current used. I think I'd get the hang of when to turn things off and on.