Newbie grid tie questions

[TimJ]

Something is wrong 240 volts x .023 amps = 5.5 watts.

Hi,

Any ideas? Any more info you need from me that would be helpful?

[Raul]

Tim, I think you registering the consumption of the gti if I'm not wrong you plugged the meter on a extension Pluged into your mains ring. The gti is Pluged at the front that's why is not working . Is that right?
How would work is to chop the plug of the inverter then fit a socket to it and plug the meter in it. Now with a suicide cord ( plugs at both end ) if you plug one in the meter and the other in your mains . This is extremly dengerous practice and I would not advice you to do that is just a way of explaining myself as I've seen it done on YouTube .
I may be wrong and will stand corrected .

[inetdog]

Hi,

Any ideas? Any more info you need from me that would be helpful?

Yes. A wiring diagram or schematic of your test setup. As has been requested already.

[TimJ]

Hi,

I could try and draw it out!

Basically the leads from the panel are connected to the inverter input

The inverter has a standard kettle lead socket for an output, the other end of the lead is a standard 3 pin plug.

The plug is plugged into the front port on the plug in meter ( the black plug plugged in on the front of meter in the photo)

The meter plug was plugged into an extension cable which was plugged into the mains socket, all switched on.

Apparently the inverter detects the mains and only supplies electricity when plugged into the mains socket. This seems to work as if you unplug it the inverter it goes from green light to fault red light.

This video actually shows the identical meter. Interestingly his shows 0.2w to start with, then goes up. I'm guessing he switched something on but he doesn't really explain. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-X22XxlJE1k

Does that make sense?

[inetdog]

Hi,

I could try and draw it out!

Basically the leads from the panel are connected to the inverter input

The inverter has a standard kettle lead socket for an output, the other end of the lead is a standard 3 pin plug.

The plug is plugged into the front port on the plug in meter ( the black plug plugged in on the front of meter in the photo)

The meter plug was plugged into an extension cable which was plugged into the mains socket, all switched on.

Apparently the inverter detects the mains and only supplies electricity when plugged into the mains socket. This seems to work as if you unplug it the inverter it goes from green light to fault red light.

This video actually shows the identical meter. Interestingly his shows 0.2w to start with, then goes up. I'm guessing he switched something on but he doesn't really explain. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-X22XxlJE1k

Does that make sense?

Some. It is possible that your meter only works for power transfer in one direction. In that case you can try reversing the meter connections to see what happens. If you do not have any local loads connected (such as a kettle) then the GTI should still produce its full potential power and feed it out through the mains panel to the grid.

[TimJ]

I think I understand. So I would need a suicide cord from the mains to the front of the meter plug. Then plug into the extension cord and change the extension cord plug to a kettle lead to plug into the output on the inverter.

Is this the only way it would work? I don't really like the idea of a suicide cord, I think it's the name that put me off.

[TimJ]

But all the youtube videos I've watched seem to work in reverse without any suicide cables? So maybe something else is wrong?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C0EGnsevAos

[inetdog]

But all the youtube videos I've watched seem to work in reverse without any suicide cables? So maybe something else is wrong?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C0EGnsevAos

Have you tried measuring the DC input voltage at the GTI terminals with and without the grid connected?
Even without a current measurement, that will tell you whether the GTI is taking in any power from the panel(s).

[TimJ]

Have you tried measuring the DC input voltage at the GTI terminals with and without the grid connected?
Even without a current measurement, that will tell you whether the GTI is taking in any power from the panel(s).

Is that what I've done in this picture? I get a voltage reading of 18-23 depending on light from the terminals whether the GTI is switched on or not (but I get it just from the panel cable ends too). Or are you suggesting something different?

Thanks for your help!

attachment.jpg

[inetdog]

Is that what I've done in this picture? I get a voltage reading of 18-23 depending on light from the terminals whether the GTI is switched on or not (but I get it just from the panel cable ends too). Or are you suggesting something different?

Thanks for your help!

[ATTACH]6855[/ATTACH]

That is what I was looking for. If switching the GTI on and off does not change the voltage, then the GTI is not drawing any power from the panels. That is consistent with reading very low AC power out (or in).
It looks like your GTI is defective. (Not surprising.)
Also, if the open circuit voltage of your panel varies between 23 and 18 volts where there is still sunlight (not necessarily direct) on the panel for the 18 volt measurement, then there may be something wrong with your panel too.