Solar Freaks

Hi all
I am looking at getting a 2kW system installed and would like to monitor the production and feed in amounts. Ideally even the net feedin as in NSW this will be the money back...

With my research it seems that the SMA inverters have the best monitoring options but likely you need to stick to their add-on items.
Anyone experience with the sunny webbox or sunnyboy?

Any alternatives of good inverters that can be monitored ?

pls share your monitoring experience here.

cheers

I use a SMA 1100, with an RS 232. Have the software from SMA running on a box that exports to a database.

That then creates some graphs for my weather site.
http://www.lyndhurst-hill.info/solar/Index2.php

YOu can use the SMA software to upload to the SMA webpage, if not using a sunnyboy you can use the email option to send the data.

H.

Hey Henk, Nice graphs.
I was looking at your 1KW output, your only getting around 600watts max. That seems abit low don't you think.
Normally you should see 800-900watts or so...

BTW for monitoring output, the webbox is really good, however, i think its overboard for a 1KW system.

Hi,

Many people in Europe use the “Solar-Log” from “Solare Datensysteme GmbH”
http://solar-log.weber-ebusiness.de/home.html

It’s a real time web data logger. Updated every 5 minutes. You can use him with a lot of inverters:
SMA, Sunways, Diehl AKO, Refu, Sunville, SolarMax, Kostal, PowerOne, Mitsubishi, Soutronic, Kaco, Fronius, Danfoss, Mastervolt, Schüco, SIAC, Riello, Conergy, Converteam, AEG and Ingeteam.
You can put the free software on your own webpage also in the English language.

My PV-installation:
http://home.scarlet.be/francis/
(Sorry, only in the Dutch language)

I use two SMA-inverters SB1100 with each a “PiggyBack” RS485 communication module. You can use the email option to send “error messages” from the inverter to your email address.
I use the “capacity guarding” between the two PV-strings to locate a fault in one of the two strings.

Best regards from Belgium

Francis

Hey Francis,
Great find Thank-you very much.

Francis wrote:Hi,

Many people in Europe use the “Solar-Log” from “Solare Datensysteme GmbH”
http://solar-log.weber-ebusiness.de/home.html

That site doesn't appear to exist anymore, has anybody got a new URL for it ?

Thanks.

Hi,

The new URL: http://www.solar-log.com/

Francis

Francis wrote:
The new URL: http://www.solar-log.com/

Thanks for that.

Hi,

New software "SolarAnalyzer Lite" (Beta version) by Stephan Collet (SUNICS-Photovoltaik Germany) to use with Solar-Log (TM) data.
To read the log values click with the left mouse button in the screen and move your mouse.
Take a look on my website:
You need Java (TM) on the computer.

http://home.scarlet.be/francis/solaranalyzer.html

Regards from Antwerp, Belgium
Francis

TonyB wrote:Hey Henk, Nice graphs.
I was looking at your 1KW output, your only getting around 600watts max. That seems abit low don't you think.
Normally you should see 800-900watts or so...

BTW for monitoring output, the webbox is really good, however, i think its overboard for a 1KW system.

Yes you right it is a bit on the low side,

But that is what it is, I even monitor the flow into the net (using CC128, which is connected to a unix box). I actually went up the roof, unbolted a panel and looked at it.

The panels are from Solar Module, AS-5M-165W, and it is only 990watts on the roof. I might add some more panels later, but this is the system I got from FreeSolar, they advertised as a 1kw system.

H.

Has anyone seen these: http://www.diykyoto.com/uk/wattson/about
Any good?

Yes, thats what I use.
I also run Powometer software on it. Very happy with the results.

Bazzle

i think it would be a better plan. I also imagine that a lot of people use this solar log for further details and information about the solar products, so it will be very nice to update it by day by day.

Monitoring solar output to the grid from the inverter is far more accurate than directly from the inverter to your wireless device.
The conversion process itself is not 100% efficient and the losses within the inverter itself are significant when averaged over a month for example. The Sunnyboy can bluetooth wirelessly to their monitor but it is not an accurate reflection of the true grid feed.

For better accuracy, you can't beat monitoring the grid line out of the inverter and to do this you would purchase a device such as the Current Cost "EnviR" or Watts Clever Energy monitor. It has a CT clamp inductive pickup that connects over the output cable and this in turn connects to a transmitter and finally outputs the data to your receiver up to 50 meters away. Your receiver can connect to your computer and with some simple software (eg: Techtoniq) you can graph, plot and save your data daily, monitor daily, weekly and annual generation and do comparitive analysis with your electricity accounts.

I have noticed a difference between what the inverter reports (1.5kwatts higher daily) and the more accurate line feed to the grid via my Current Cost EnviR monitor. The RS232 output and bluetooth are gimmicky......for accuracy monitor the line output!!

Im now having a look at this product: Fluksometer V2
https://www.flukso.net/
available in Oz here: http://www.rowetel.com/blog/?page_id=439

Any one have any comments?

Thanks Bazzle

All fitted up and running.
Flukso meter Mk 2

Gives me a reasonable indication of my solar and Mains power use on an wifi based sender. Can be read on the Net anywhere also.

Bazzle

Reasonable solutions. cell phone tracking Glad i gave my issue fixed too. Many thnx.