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I recently found myself in need of a more complete, more precise and with better data download monitoring system than what my Solar system provides.
I was looking at power meters and data loggers when I came across an affordable system with impressive capabilities. It is called the Vue Gen 2 from Emporia Energy.
*** The system: ***
-----------------------------
- It can monitor classic Split phase or three phase system with 2 or 3 directional 200A CTs that record both Grid Import and Export for solar system.
- It also has up to 16 x 50A Cts (precise up to 64Amp monitoring) to monitor any loads in your panel(s). CTs are quite precise (+/- 1%).
- The system measure Amps, Voltage and Phase for accurate power calculation, and reports through a mobile App where you can see real time second / minutes / hours / days interval data or graphs.
- For Dual Pole loads, you can put one CT per line or monitor a single line and use a multiplier in the App (if the Loads are balanced and it is precise enough for you).
- It lets you download the last 3 hours of seconds’ data, 30 days of Minutes’ data, and unlimited amount of hourly data.
- The system with 2 x 200A and 16 x 50 A CTs is about $150, no subscription required.
Installation was a breeze (except for fitting all 18 CTs in my somewhat cramped panel J). I have been using it for a week, and so far the data is very accurate. One drawback, right now, is that the 50A CTs are not reporting directional values, so the values from the CTs on the Solar line only have one sign. This means it won’t make the difference between Solar providing power to the panel, or Solar drawing from the panels (if it has its own loads or charges a battery from grid when there is not enough solar).
I was told the HW can do it, and it is only a matter of Firmware implementation that is planned in the near future.
*** My usage: ***
----------------------------
I have a Hybrid Inverter with battery, and following some problems with the inverter last year, the provider removed 2 of the 20 panels, and put them on Micro inverters separate from the main Hybrid Inverter / battery system.
I have a Sub panel with its own ATS for all the 15/20A house loads that switches automatically to the inverter in case of an outage.
Left in my house panel are 8 Dual pole breakers for heavy loads:
- The Critical Load Sub panel Dryer
- Electric Oven
- AC
- Two EVSE dual pole breakers
- Main Inverter Breaker
- IQ7+ Micro Inverters Breaker
Having this new monitoring system, I get to monitor the 2 panels on Micro Inverters, to measure the Efficiency of the main Inverter, and to monitor the full house consumption.
In addition I get excellent data download which my system did not provide.
*** Now for the problem (in case some people have ideas): ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been having some unexplained random production dropping periods (not sun radiation related) during which the production of the main inverter drops suddenly by up to 30% and stays down with fluctuations for period of 30mn to 3 hours, then suddenly recovers.
Having these during clear sky sunny day with no sun exposure or shadows to explain them, I am pretty sure something abnormal is going on, but have been having a hard time getting the attention of the provider.
By being able to monitor not only the DC in of the 18 panels (using Tigo Monitoring) but also the AC out of the 18panles as well as the AC out of the two panels on IQ7+, I now have graphs that clearly show the 2 Panels on IQ7+ being unaffected during these events, implying something specific to the main inverter configuration is going on.
(Bonus, I can also calculate Inverter efficiency, and monitor house consumption as well as the individual heavy loads)
Another thing I noticed during these events is that the two string become out of sync. This normally only happens when the inverter is modulating production (like in an outage), or if I have local shadows causing actual string production difference, and even then, with the Tigo monitoring I would see differences at the panel level. During these events, all the panels of each string have the same power output, but the strings move up and down differently. (And in any case there are no shadows during these events}
So unless there are external factors other than solar radiations/exposure that can explain why the Main inverter production crashes but not the one from the Micro inverter, something must be up with the Inverter.
Suggestions Welcome. 
I was looking at power meters and data loggers when I came across an affordable system with impressive capabilities. It is called the Vue Gen 2 from Emporia Energy.
*** The system: ***
-----------------------------
- It can monitor classic Split phase or three phase system with 2 or 3 directional 200A CTs that record both Grid Import and Export for solar system.
- It also has up to 16 x 50A Cts (precise up to 64Amp monitoring) to monitor any loads in your panel(s). CTs are quite precise (+/- 1%).
- The system measure Amps, Voltage and Phase for accurate power calculation, and reports through a mobile App where you can see real time second / minutes / hours / days interval data or graphs.
- For Dual Pole loads, you can put one CT per line or monitor a single line and use a multiplier in the App (if the Loads are balanced and it is precise enough for you).
- It lets you download the last 3 hours of seconds’ data, 30 days of Minutes’ data, and unlimited amount of hourly data.
- The system with 2 x 200A and 16 x 50 A CTs is about $150, no subscription required.
Installation was a breeze (except for fitting all 18 CTs in my somewhat cramped panel J). I have been using it for a week, and so far the data is very accurate. One drawback, right now, is that the 50A CTs are not reporting directional values, so the values from the CTs on the Solar line only have one sign. This means it won’t make the difference between Solar providing power to the panel, or Solar drawing from the panels (if it has its own loads or charges a battery from grid when there is not enough solar).
I was told the HW can do it, and it is only a matter of Firmware implementation that is planned in the near future.
*** My usage: ***
----------------------------
I have a Hybrid Inverter with battery, and following some problems with the inverter last year, the provider removed 2 of the 20 panels, and put them on Micro inverters separate from the main Hybrid Inverter / battery system.
I have a Sub panel with its own ATS for all the 15/20A house loads that switches automatically to the inverter in case of an outage.
Left in my house panel are 8 Dual pole breakers for heavy loads:
- The Critical Load Sub panel Dryer
- Electric Oven
- AC
- Two EVSE dual pole breakers
- Main Inverter Breaker
- IQ7+ Micro Inverters Breaker
Having this new monitoring system, I get to monitor the 2 panels on Micro Inverters, to measure the Efficiency of the main Inverter, and to monitor the full house consumption.
In addition I get excellent data download which my system did not provide.
*** Now for the problem (in case some people have ideas): ***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been having some unexplained random production dropping periods (not sun radiation related) during which the production of the main inverter drops suddenly by up to 30% and stays down with fluctuations for period of 30mn to 3 hours, then suddenly recovers.
Having these during clear sky sunny day with no sun exposure or shadows to explain them, I am pretty sure something abnormal is going on, but have been having a hard time getting the attention of the provider.
By being able to monitor not only the DC in of the 18 panels (using Tigo Monitoring) but also the AC out of the 18panles as well as the AC out of the two panels on IQ7+, I now have graphs that clearly show the 2 Panels on IQ7+ being unaffected during these events, implying something specific to the main inverter configuration is going on.
(Bonus, I can also calculate Inverter efficiency, and monitor house consumption as well as the individual heavy loads)
Another thing I noticed during these events is that the two string become out of sync. This normally only happens when the inverter is modulating production (like in an outage), or if I have local shadows causing actual string production difference, and even then, with the Tigo monitoring I would see differences at the panel level. During these events, all the panels of each string have the same power output, but the strings move up and down differently. (And in any case there are no shadows during these events}
So unless there are external factors other than solar radiations/exposure that can explain why the Main inverter production crashes but not the one from the Micro inverter, something must be up with the Inverter.
Suggestions Welcome.
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