Waiting for PTO feels like forever - couple of questions not related to PTO

[Mike 134]

It might take five minutes. All they have to do is clip a security ring, remove the old meter and slide on the new meter. If it were me, I would turn off any large appliances or loads, so there is no surge when the new meter is put in the socket. Your inverter(s) will reboot automatically and that might take longer than replacing the meter.

Depending on the utility company you may not have any outage while the meter is swapped. IF the meter socket has bypass horns he'll add jumpers around the meter so he can pull the old meter, take break then come back and put in the net meter and you'll never know it was done unless you looked.

[SunEagle]

It's a non-event.
The installer may or not bother to shut off the large DC shutoffs that hopefully came with your system.
Either way the installer will be wearing arc flash gloves and a face shield, and will have done this before. Non issuse.
Generate away, and if they complain, plead ignorance.

If the inverter is looking for the grid to work then changing out the meter will make it stop for while until is again sees the grid. If the inverter is a hybrid and there are batteries the panels should continue to produce but if no hybrid or batteries the grid tie inverter will shut down for period of time.

[brycenesbitt]

Interesting. It is grid tied. Anything I should do? Or just accept that it will take a bit and be offline for a bit?

It's a non-event.
The installer may or not bother to shut off the large DC shutoffs that hopefully came with your system.
Either way the installer will be wearing arc flash gloves and a face shield, and will have done this before. Non issuse.
Generate away, and if they complain, plead ignorance.

Meter swaps take minutes at worst.

[SunEagle]

Interesting. It is grid tied. Anything I should do? Or just accept that it will take a bit and be offline for a bit?

I believe Ampster has described what will and should happen. You should see a short outage but unless you have critical equipment without a UPS that outage should not hurt you.

[Ampster]

Interesting. It is grid tied. Anything I should do? Or just accept that it will take a bit and be offline for a bit?

It might take five minutes. All they have to do is clip a security ring, remove the old meter and slide on the new meter. If it were me, I would turn off any large appliances or loads, so there is no surge when the new meter is put in the socket. Your inverter(s) will reboot automatically and that might take longer than replacing the meter.

[TheEmrys]

Yeah but if the system is Grid Tied then when the meter is swapped out the panels will stop producing until the inverter sees the grid again. Just thought I would throw that in.

Interesting. It is grid tied. Anything I should do? Or just accept that it will take a bit and be offline for a bit?

[SunEagle]

My experience is the utility workers rarely go beyond the meter. Your solar and house loads are all behind the meter.

Yeah but if the system is Grid Tied then when the meter is swapped out the panels will stop producing until the inverter sees the grid again. Just thought I would throw that in.

[Ampster]

Yeah, I am starting to think they sent the email to the wrong person. My only real concern is that whoever comes out to swap out my meter won't turn off the solar when he turns off the house power.

My experience is the utility workers rarely go beyond the meter. Your solar and house loads are all behind the meter.

[TheEmrys]

Yeah, I am starting to think they sent the email to the wrong person. My only real concern is that whoever comes out to swap out my meter won't turn off the solar when he turns off the house power.

[Ampster]

I got PTO from my contractor, nothing from my energy company, and no new meter (its an old disk spinner). I suspect, that since my contractor messed up my paperwork with my utility, they worked something out to let me run my solar. Whatever is really going on, I turned on my solar, and it is fabulous. Currently producing about 16kwh more than I am using. My production yesterday, a nice sunny day, no clouds, and the temperature never got above 76F. Generated 53wkh, had the AC on a bit. But really liking having my meter spin backwards.

Glad it worked out. Since you have a rotating disc I think it mechanically nets out generation. That probably means you are not on a Time of Use rate. technically only the power company can issue the PTO and it is usually in the form of an email or letter.

[TheEmrys]

I got PTO from my contractor, nothing from my energy company, and no new meter (its an old disk spinner). I suspect, that since my contractor messed up my paperwork with my utility, they worked something out to let me run my solar. Whatever is really going on, I turned on my solar, and it is fabulous. Currently producing about 16kwh more than I am using. My production yesterday, a nice sunny day, no clouds, and the temperature never got above 76F. Generated 53wkh, had the AC on a bit. But really liking having my meter spin backwards.

[Ampster]

I already have a 240/50amp outlet in my garage. The prior owner put it in as he wanted a very robust woodworking shop.

Great, you are all set. My earlier comment meant there are lots of EV choices. Buying a charging station and/or plugging in the one that comes with the car is a simple task. Soon you will see how easy it is and what a waste of personal time and money going to a gasoline station can be.

[Will792]

Calculation of additional load by EV charging is rather trivial, around 0.25 KWh per mile of driving, or 1 KWh per 4 miles. If you use average US annual driving 12K it translates to 3MWh. Obviously most likely your driving is different from US average so total would be different as well.

[TheEmrys]

When you are shopping for EVs you can ask them if a charging station (EVSE) is included and and the Amperage of the Onboard charger. That will inform your decision about what size circuit to install. FYI, charging circuits are considered continous loads so a 40 Amp charger would need a 50 Amp circuit. The rule is a continous load can be no more than 80% of the circuit breaker protecting that circuit.
Have fun shopping. There are lots of good choices out there.

I already have a 240/50amp outlet in my garage. The prior owner put it in as he wanted a very robust woodworking shop.

[Ampster]

..... But, after looking at all the incentives, I may just end up with an EV in the very near future, so that is fun.

When you are shopping for EVs you can ask them if a charging station (EVSE) is included and and the Amperage of the Onboard charger. That will inform your decision about what size circuit to install. FYI, charging circuits are considered continous loads so a 40 Amp charger would need a 50 Amp circuit. The rule is a continous load can be no more than 80% of the circuit breaker protecting that circuit.
Have fun shopping. There are lots of good choices out there.