Anyone using a Smappee?

[bcroe]

I think they've concentrated so much on getting it all to work, technically, they've forgotten to
help hold the hand of the uneducated, like me, to make more targeted tips on how to reduce
my energy. I've sent them a long list of ideas.

Are you going to tell us more abut your list of ideas, including actual numbers?
It sounds like your energy reduction plan is primarily using "control plugs" to cut
off vampire loads when the equipment isn't needed? Bruce Roe

[pamalot]

Are you going to tell us more abut your list of ideas, including actual numbers?
It sounds like your energy reduction plan is primarily using "control plugs" to cut
off vampire loads when the equipment isn't needed? Bruce Roe

My ideas were around how they can improve the App rather than how I can reduce my energy. They were things like - Smappee can now tell me how much my freezer is costing me, but I don't know if that's good, average or bad. I'd like it to show me in the App where, in comparison to average or new energy efficient appliances mine are in comparison. I know I could do this manually by going to something like a Best Buy website and comparing, but I'm lazy, and would prefer the App to tell me. They were ideas like this, and many more...

[LLB]

Vampire loads never enough to justify monitors

A little bit of a bombastic title but wanted to be eye catching to simulate conversation, so apologies all around. Here's to hoping this thread isn't dead as its been a few months since the last post.

I don't think anyone is surprised the Frig and Freezers cost a good chunk of money to run, nothing a free calculator can't tell you instead of a $500 monitor. Hey otherwise you would have to go buy fresh food every other day, right.
Besides you aren't going to;
1. get rid of your frig or freezer
2. put a manual dial timer on it to turn it off from mid to 6am
3. buy a new one ( the cost of the new unit, measured against what it saves will not be recovered before it breaks/dies, because of designed obsolescence)
All those are not an option if you do the math.
So why torture yourself with the knowledge?

I think for most people, discovering their electric dryer uses more then their frig is a shock. Even if they only use it once a week.
Answer; do larger loads or earlier in the morning or replace with a gas dryer (they are cheaper-down right free $50 used locally)

If all would just take a moment to think about each appliance/part of their house they could realize any of the abusers. But you say, it is for finding those loads that we need the device. Really, you couldn't figure out the pool pump, clothes dryer, AC was on 1/2 the time. How many people after getting on of these units says, "I never would have suspected the ..... used so much power". Than you didn't do step one and just ran out and bought one of these things, maybe you skipped over the first sentence in the paragraph.

The only real surprise is all the transformers hidden in equipment.
People think when they turn off their DVD, VCR, Audio Receiver, TV, Cable Box, computer+monitor+external hard drive, printers+game console, ... the list goes on... which is what I would actually like people to "cut'n'paste" and add on to. Anything left in a plug is not necessarily OFF. I also saw battery chargers that stay in the outlet for rechargeable batteries, rechargeable Swiffer vacuums, rechargeable batteries for tools, Comfort Plugs themselves (though I would suspect it is a very small draw) Microwaves (yep anything with a LED readout-ovens, blenders...)
OK so I'll clean this list up...

DVDs (just because the LED screen blacks out when you push OFF doesn't mean it isn't still drawing power
VCR's
Audio Receiver
TV
Cable Box
Computer+monitor+external hard drive
Modems, Routers, Switches
Printers
Game console (Xbox, PS4, Wii U)
Battery Chargers that stay in the outlet for rechargeable batteries, rechargeable Swiffer vacuums, rechargeable batteries for tools
Comfort Plugs themselves (though I would suspect it is a very small draw)
Microwaves
Coffee Makers
Ovens
Blenders
Washers
Dryers
Furnace
Cordless phone chargers
Cell phone charger
Tablet charger

can anyone offer an opinion on;
toasters?
can openers?
florescent light transformers?

I sure everyone knows, but it helps to repeat. Your light bulbs are an insignificant % of your electric bill. OK not insignificant put a lot less than you think. If you change out all your bulbs for LED you will be investing est. $400 and will take a long time to get that back from the utility company. In addition if you buy the cheap kind $9 instead of $11 or the $19 instead of the $24 and they fail even once and you don't get the free replacement and just run out and buy another, you will always come out on the losing end. Just buy brand name like CREE, Phillips, etc... from someone like Home Depot (not Amazon and I'm Prime too), so you can always get a free replacement easy.

Here is my take;
Go buy a bunch of electronic timers for $10ea. not the manual ones, they consumer more power. Separate out your alarm clock (if you still use one), internet modem and cable/sat box and put the rest on timers, gang together as best you can. No setting your computer to turn off and on at a certain time doesn't count. Although you can set it to turn on right after the manual timer turns on if you like.
If you have a IP or CCTV security system you have to leave that up as well, which means you have to leave your switch, router and one computer/black box ON all the time as well.
The point being you can turn your vampire loads off for $50-$70 bucks you don't need a $500 system to tell you.

Home Automation is a different story, like having a security system, that's a matter of preference. Don't let the fear of wasting money make you waste more money.
If you want to preload your K-cup with French Vanilla and make the coffee maker go on at 5am to wake up fine (by-the-by the manual timer does that too, shhh...don't tell anyone)

And trim that branch that keeps triggering your security lights 100x a night.

Solar people... (and I am soon to be one, panels get installed tomorrow.)
The solar company gives you a monitor. So if you were planning on double checking your SunPower/SMA setup with your Smappee what are going to do about it if they disagree. They are both going to point to each other and say they other guy is wrong and what are you going to be talking about +/- 1-3% How much time and energy are you going to spend fighting with them over that?

I just try to not get caught up in the rat race. Distress your life, you'll save a lot more on medical bills and put it towards a good Long Term Care Policy or better yet a Universal Life Policy. No I don't sell insurance.

Hope you enjoyed the read.

[prhamilton]

I was agreeing with you right up until the universal life.

[Naptown]

My life is distressed enough.
I don't need any more.






Sorry couldn't resist that autocorrect

[bcroe]

The only real surprise is all the transformers hidden in equipment.

Microwaves

Perhaps you can tell us about your solar system. If you want to see fixes for
transformers, microwaves, and more, look at my PHOTOBUCKET, album ENERGY
CONSERVATION, 6 subs. Bruce Roe

[pamalot]

Hi LLB, and welcome to the forum

I agree with what you say. I certainly wouldn't pay $500 for something to reduce my vampire loads, there are a lot cheaper ways of doing that, like you said in your post.

With my Smappee ($250) I was trying to hit many birds with one stone. I wanted something to measure the energy my home was using, tell me how much my solar was producing (kWh and $), give me some ideas where the energy was being consumed in my home, and turn it into a smart-home so I could control stuff or get something to automatically control it for me. All in all I think $250 was cheap to achieve all this.

I did indeed get a solar monitor from my solar provider and yes, the Smappee and the monitor had a disagreement. The figures were about 15% out, turns out the Smappee was correct. My electrician said that the solar monitor was only measuring current and not taking into account the voltage or phase angle which was important to calculate the kWh correctly so it would always read low.... or was it high?? I can't remember now. Anyway, it was wrong by quite a bit. After I gave the monitor to my unsuspecting brother I looked into it a little more. Apparently the best solar monitor should be one that either get's it's data from the inverter or is like Smappee i.e. measure the amps and volts 1000's of times a second to get within the +/-1%. Something I wasn't aware of before, so I thought I'd pass this nugget onto others to be aware of - apparently not all energy monitors are the same

[LLB]

I was agreeing with you right up until the universal life.

I'm sure this is not the proper place to discuss, suggestions? Is there a Solar/Financial Planning thread already,
It is not your typical LI policy, I will get a more correct name from my FP. The way you structure it is not typical either.

[LLB]

My life is distressed enough.
I don't need any more.

Sorry couldn't resist that autocorrect

Sorry for the delay, had to reset password....
You were very forgiving, there were many more now that I just reread it, that I can't even blame on auto-correct.

[LLB]

Perhaps you can tell us about your solar system. If you want to see fixes for
transformers, microwaves, and more, look at my PHOTOBUCKET, album ENERGY
CONSERVATION, 6 subs. Bruce Roe

I will head over there right after this to try and find your page. Do I search with your same "bcroe" to find it, link??

System is a 19 panel SunPower X21 345watt with a SMA SunnyBoy 6000TLUS

I went round and round and almost did 285 Solar World panels and enphase inverters or an Outback inverter version as I wanted batteries very much. But talked myself out of it as Mr. Musk just announced his wall sized battery bank and I figured prices would start dropping even though I had sourced out professionally reconditioned forklift batteries that could run my whole system even with my 3ton AC unit running and be recharged to 100% from a 3.5 hrs., 80 discharge.

So I figure by the time my SunnyBoy dies, 10-15years? I'll know if I really want/need batteries.

Which brings me to my question. I still would like a small backup for frig. freezer, internet, set-top box, but not liking the mini generator option. I want instant or nothing. I opted for UPS for the small stuff.

Here is the real question.
Read this link before replying...

http://www.sma-america.com/home-systems/solar-system-basic.html

Part1
TECHNICALLY, does the SMA SunnyBoy send the power from the roof panels to the appliances and send excess to the grid (I'm in the city) or does all solar power go to the grid for credit and I buy it all back? Can this answer vary city by city/utility company by utility company?

Part 2
The sales rep said I use first the grid gets leftover but the install tech said the SMA needs 220 in order to operate and if the grid goes down the inverter shuts down and my appliance will not work off solar alone (during the day only of course).

Thank you,

[LLB]

I agree with you,
I'm here because I was researching TED Pro vs Smappee because the SunPower has the best claims in the business and they charge a premium for this. Well how am I going to be able to tell the panels are putting out to spec in the 20th years, by believing their own monitor software, I don't think so.

As you pointed out in your post, different monitors measure at different points.
[to answer your question I would say it reads HIGH not low]
I think TED and Smappee both take from the same place. The Smappee needs an outlet in the panel which I don't have and the TED needs two empty breakers which I have space for.
So Smappee measures 1000's times a second...I think TED is every 1 sec. I'll have to double check.

Thank you for that feedback,

Hi LLB, and welcome to the forum

I agree with what you say. I certainly wouldn't pay $500 for something to reduce my vampire loads, there are a lot cheaper ways of doing that, like you said in your post.

With my Smappee ($250) I was trying to hit many birds with one stone. I wanted something to measure the energy my home was using, tell me how much my solar was producing (kWh and $), give me some ideas where the energy was being consumed in my home, and turn it into a smart-home so I could control stuff or get something to automatically control it for me. All in all I think $250 was cheap to achieve all this.

I did indeed get a solar monitor from my solar provider and yes, the Smappee and the monitor had a disagreement. The figures were about 15% out, turns out the Smappee was correct. My electrician said that the solar monitor was only measuring current and not taking into account the voltage or phase angle which was important to calculate the kWh correctly so it would always read low.... or was it high?? I can't remember now. Anyway, it was wrong by quite a bit. After I gave the monitor to my unsuspecting brother I looked into it a little more. Apparently the best solar monitor should be one that either get's it's data from the inverter or is like Smappee i.e. measure the amps and volts 1000's of times a second to get within the +/-1%. Something I wasn't aware of before, so I thought I'd pass this nugget onto others to be aware of - apparently not all energy monitors are the same

[bcroe]

[QUOTE=LLB;169479]I will head over there right after this to try and find your page.
Do I search with your same "bcroe" to find it, link??

System is a 19 panel SunPower X21 345watt with a SMA SunnyBoy 6000TLUS /QUOTE]

Thanks for the system info. When I wanted backup power a couple decades ago, I bought a
generator. Have only used it lightly 4 times. Solar PV is a lousy backup, and batteries need a
generator anyway, besides a lot of other inconvenient stuff.

For the PHOTOBUCKET link (user bcroe)
click on bcroe this post

click on view profile

click on About Me

drop down to Basic Information; Interests

[LLB]

Update: As you all probably knew, what I just confirmed with an SMA rep is... if you are on a Grid-Tie setup, net-metering, that since your SMA inverter needs 240v to operate, so if there is an outage during the day your inverter shuts down and you have no power available at all from your panels.


Here is the real question.
Read this link before replying...

http://www.sma-america.com/home-systems/solar-system-basic.html

Part1
TECHNICALLY, does the SMA SunnyBoy send the power from the roof panels to the appliances and send excess to the grid (I'm in the city) or does all solar power go to the grid for credit and I buy it all back? Can this answer vary city by city/utility company by utility company?

Part 2
The sales rep said I use first the grid gets leftover but the install tech said the SMA needs 220 in order to operate and if the grid goes down the inverter shuts down and my appliance will not work off solar alone (during the day only of course).

Thank you,[/QUOTE]

[sensij]

A quick update... late last year PVOutput.org added auto-uploader support for the Smappee

https://getsatisfaction.com/pvoutput/topics/auto-upload-service-smappee

For those interested in uploading both generation and consumption, it should work.

[teslaliving]

Hi folks, new member here. I have a SolarCity system (69 panels). Anyway I've been looking for a home energy monitor too and came down to 2:

1) Smappee discussed above
2) Neurio (http://neur.io/).

in my reading the Neurio got a bit of an edge over Smappee in terms of active community, more forthcoming information etc. Anyone here have experience with it?