Troubleshooting Net Metering

[krygiel08]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone could be of assistance in a situation I have for a customer. My company has installed a 16-panel, 245 w per panel system to a grid-tie house. When tested with a handheld meter, the panels show that they are producing electricity, however the electric meter on the house is not registering the electricity and therefore the client is not receiving credit for their electricity! We've had a master electrician take a look at it and he couldn't figure it. If anyone else has had a similar experience or has any suggestions/possible solutions it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

John

[Volusiano]

Not trying to state the obvious here, but are you sure the house meter is 2 way? I had a smart meter before but the utility still had to install a 2-way meter for me before turning it on.

[SunEagle]

I agree with Volusiano

Unless the electric utility has approved the solar installation and then installed a new meter to record what is being supplied back into the grid the old meter will not be able to perform that function.

Where are you located and who is the electric utility that the grid tie is connected to?

[Sunking]

Sounds like you haver a new electric meter that has not been programmed for GTI

[krygiel08]

Thanks for the replies

Sounds like you haver a new electric meter that has not been programmed for GTI

In regards to the two way meter, we have actually had two separate ones installed and neither is registering. I spoke with my boss and he was thinking the GTI could possibly be something to further look into. However, he has installed the same exact system in two other places and they are registering fine so we are still a bit baffled. Does anyone know of a specific manual or guide that lays out the GTI programming? Also, we are located in Missouri and the utility is a CO-OP called White River Valley Electric. Thanks

[Naptown]

Describe the testing procedure
And equipment installed

[krygiel08]

Everything was tested at the disconnect box with a voltage meter. The voltage is correct, all the panels and inverters are producing. Power is going into the home but it is not reading on the net meter nor reducing the usage for the home either.

[Volusiano]

I'm no expert, just relaying what I observed when my installer did the testing after they're done with the installation. They have their own test meter and use it to plug into where the solar meter would go. It showed a flow of electricity, and my home smart meter's digital arrow went backward, too, indicating that everything works. Then my installer shut down the system at the final disconnect box going into the main circuit panel and removed their own test meter. When the utility arrived a couple of weeks later, they removed my old home smart meters and replaced it with a new meter, and installed another identical looking meter into the solar meter container box. I asked them why they had to remove the old home smart meter, and they said because that was a one-way meter, but this new one was a 2-way meter. So even though the old home meter had a digital read-out that showed an arrow going backward during the testing phase, maybe it didn't register/log the solar credit but the new one does.

Anyway, when you said you had 2 separate meters, I assume that 1 is for the solar system only, and 1 is for the home meter. You said that neither is registering, yet you also said that you could measure voltage at the final disconnect box (after the solar meter and before going into the main circuit panel, I presume). If you don't see the solar meter registering yet you can detect voltage at the final disconnect box, it's possible that your solar meter is broken.

I assume that there's a circuit breaker in between the inverter and the solar meter? Maybe this circuit breaker is not ON for your test? If you can see voltage from the inverter's output before this circuit breaker, but the solar metering is not running (assuming it's good), then perhaps this circuit breaker is not ON or tripped or broken?

Both the solar meter and the new home meter are supplied by the utility company in the end anyway. So if your own test solar meter is not working, maybe you can ask the utility to loan you their official solar meter to do testing on?

[Naptown]

Only testing with a volt meter will tell you nothing. It will read voltage from the grid
It would require an amp meter to see if any current is flowing from the inverter

[peakbagger]

A quick check would be turn off all the breakers in the house except the PV breaker. Watch the utility meter, if the sun is out it should indicate export usually be a lcd indicator under the reading that goes from one side to the other. Now turn on a big load like a electric dryer, the indicator should go in the opposite direction.

There is a chance that the meters are smart and addressed remotely by the utility and someone has screwed up the remote programming telling the meters to work properly.

[krygiel08]

Thanks for all the info! I am new to this forum and it is nice to have the support of a vibrant community. I'll see what we can find out with the system using the methods described here. Sometimes it takes people outside the frustrating situation to find solutions.

[MGE]

For what it's worth SDG&E here in so cal on my home kept the same smart meter in place but had to reprogram the software remotely to allow it to export power as well as import. It's the utilities meter tell them you think you have a problem and they will tell you whats up. As long as you pulled a permit and have contacted the utility for final approval they will test the meter. Good luck.