PG&E Data Looks Off

[Rade]

All kidding aside...

This is my first year with a full solar rig (we're 5 months since the system activation). I have been riding herd over the meter and the monitoring app. Our system uses the Generac PWRView app (they shut down the web GUI that gave me a lot more data output). I take a daily meter read and can get the daily solar production off the app. I use the two numbers to determine how much power the house has used and how much should have been sent back to the grid for credit. Note: It also helps that I am retired and have nothing else to frickin' do than splice and dice metrics.

The monthly statement is usually around 20kW less than what I calculated, but in the ballpark.

My concern is that our house is a power hog. Don't care what kind of "Energy Star" appliances we installed, there were times with the old analog meter that I could hear those dials spinning. I am looking at the historical numbers of what we consumed in a given month last year over this year, are we using more or less power this year, how much did solar offset, etc. On the plus, with the arc of the sun moving Southward and our energy production reduced to around 6 hours a day, our meter is still showing an daily energy credit over the prior month. Not much, but it's still there.

[bcroe]

"That's NOT the Port-a-John!"

They are the well crew replacing the down pipe and pump of my well.
One of the few jobs I would not attempt DIY. That partial leak was the
biggest waste of energy I had ever experienced. Made me wonder
what I should do to detect such a thing sooner? With the whole HVAC
and electric energy situation running pretty smoothly unmonitored for
some years, I estimated it had been leaking like a week before it
affected my electric bill rollover reserve. Weeks after that I was working
on installing the spinning disc meter when I noticed the pump never
shut off. By then it was using a lot of energy, more than my solar could
generate in winter over a 24 hour day.

For those too young to have ever seen one, that is a real Superman
phone booth, not a Port-a-Pottie. A hint of how I spent a 41 year
career. Those were everywhere whan I was hired to design phone
equipment in 66. The original 200w light is replaced by a 3w LED.
When I retired they were gone, because we had managed to put a
phone in the hands of every person in the world.

The propane tank is still there, as a backup in case a long outage shuts
down the heat pumps. Costs me $50 a year.

I highly recommend identifying and putting numbers on energy
consumers at home, that started decades ago at my previous place.
There were days I came home, and that rotating disc was stationary,
at least until something got turned on, many bills under $20 total. If
the place is an energy hog, where exactly is the energy going? That
is the first step to real improvments. Here I used 120VAC and 240VAC
versions of the Kill-A-Watt meter to track down some hundred loads
on 60 circuits, over a couple years. Nice project for someone retired.

In some cases "Energy Star" appliances really helped reduce
consumption, other things took more engineering. The story is ongoing,
I am still finding ways to shave down use by subtle continuous standby
loads like CO/fire detectors, garage door openers, battery maintainers,
communication amplifiers, and security devices. Improvements have
allowed me to turn on some luxuries at no cost.

Some good numbers allowed me to estimate just what size solar might
eliminate my energy charges, and completely avoid connect fees to a
gas supplier. Presently this ancient but accurate spinning disc moves
right (counting up) when solar is generating credit, the opposite when
I use more than generation. A glance at the disc gives me an idea of
what is happening, the numbers give energy reserve when compared
to those at April true up. About now is the peak, 14,000 kWh heading
into winter. good luck, Bruce Roe

BiDirMtr.JPG

[DanS26]

There are many energy monitoring systems out there that work well to identify loads.....I DIY installed the TED System many years ago. Here is a screen shot of some of the 28 circuits I monitor in my service.....


IMG_0985 (2).PNG

[DanS26]

My SO rolls her eyes when I notice something is not right....like the iron or sewing machine is left on in her workshop or I leave the lights on in my garage workshop. More than once I spotted a well pump running when it should not be....a toilet tank flapper not closed, etc.

If an AC or heat pump is pulling more amps than normal then I know. I monitor how many kWh my EV is using and how well the solar system is working, An old saw says "If you measure it, then it will get better" and I believe it.

[bcroe]

Another note, when everything was in place at this location, the
steady load with everything turned off was about 300W, or 2600kWh
a year. Perhaps not so much for some, but pretty big in my use.
Most of this was eventually tracked down to older stuff that was
either on 24/7 (garage door radio, fire det, etc) or machines using
energy with the switch in the off position (older electronics, TV
remote control circuit, doorbell transformer, etc). Most of these
were in the 2 to 5 watt range. Not much can be done about a
couple dozen GFI outlets. Some were just failures, found a locked
fan motor in the attic. After a lot of effort over time, tracking down
every individual circuit, these were reduced to some 60W.
Generally a single measurement told a circuit story, no need for
continuous monitoring. Bruce Roe

[DanS26]

Another note, when everything was in place at this location, the
steady load with everything turned off was about 300W, or 2600kWh
a year. Perhaps not so much for some, but pretty big in my use.
Most of this was eventually tracked down to older stuff that was
either on 24/7 (garage door radio, fire det, etc) or machines using
energy with the switch in the off position (older electronics, TV
remote control circuit, doorbell transformer, etc). Most of these
were in the 2 to 5 watt range. Not much cn be done about a
couple dozen GFI putlets. Some were just failures, found a locked
fan motor in the attic. After a lot of effort over time, tracking down
every individual circuit, these were reduced to some 60W.
Generally a single measurement told a circuit story, no need for
continuous monitoring. Bruce Roe

Pretty much agree except for solar monitoring. Like you, I run two matched Fronius 7.5 inverters. On a daily basis I monitor the output of these two inverters....it tells me immediately if there is any difference in output which if so I need to investigate. I do not have to use the Fronius tools.

It just a simple matter of opening the TED app and I know....in a matter of seconds each day and I can monitor anywhere in the world.

[DanS26]

Identifying vampire loads is one thing....knowing when they come and go instantly is entirely different.

[Stratton_Oakmont]

Does your emphase system includes a monitoring of your import / export from / to grid?

If not, you need to install your own monitoring, like the Emporia Vue, so that you can compare what you measure as import / export to grid versus what PG&E says you import / export.

The emporia Vue will also allow you to monitor house loads which may help identify if you have something using more than it should.

I finally installed the Emporia Vue 2 monitoring system but I have four mains feeding my 200 amp breaker. Therefore, I'm told I can't monitor the mains and my best bet is to just monitor all of the breakers for usage. This will require two more Vue systems to be installed, which my panels do not have the space for. Any other monitoring solutions that can monitor four mains?

[scrambler]

If the 4 mains' wires are close, you can pass the CTs around two wires of the same phase.
If the regular CTs are too small, they make large band CTs you can use instead.