As the title suggests, I'd like to be able to monitor/record energy usage (including PV export) but without having an energy company supplied smart meter. Can anyone suggest/recommend a suitable device, please?

The Owl systems seem to get reasonable reviews and look to have at least an equal capability to a smart meter, in terms of monitoring: http://www.theowl.com/index.php/products/smart-electricity-monitors/

47 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

The Owl systems seem to get reasonable reviews and look to have at least an equal capability to a smart meter, in terms of monitoring: http://www.theowl.com/index.php/products/smart-electricity-monitors/

Yep, have seen those but reviews are very mixed with many complaining about poor accuracy and annual or biannual fee to access data.

Bit of an update, I've been in touch with Efergy and they tell me they hope to have just such a product in the near future (possibly within a few weeks). I understand it will be similar to their E2 model but able to report on PV export. Will post again when/if I hear more.

A bit OTT, but the Iotawatt (https://iotawatt.com/) sold in the UK by https://openenergymonitor.com/iotawatt-wifi-connected-14-channel-electricity-monitor/  is a very versatile multichannel monitoring device. It's ready built, uses clip on CTs and is fairly simple to set up. Stores data locally with its own web server but can export data to the Open Energy Monitor server (or a lcoal version), PVOutput.org or InfluxDB.

 

It's a bit expensive, but much more useful than the commonly available simple versions while still being fairly easy to install.

 

15 hours ago, billt said:

A bit OTT, but the Iotawatt (https://iotawatt.com/) sold in the UK by https://openenergymonitor.com/iotawatt-wifi-connected-14-channel-electricity-monitor/  is a very versatile multichannel monitoring device. It's ready built, uses clip on CTs and is fairly simple to set up. Stores data locally with its own web server but can export data to the Open Energy Monitor server (or a lcoal version), PVOutput.org or InfluxDB.

 

It's a bit expensive, but much more useful than the commonly available simple versions while still being fairly easy to install.

 

Thanks for that. Looks interesting but, as you say, may be a little OTT for my purpose. I'll bear it mind though ?

I'm sure one could knock something bespoke up with a Raspberry Pi and a couple of sensors. 

Dump readings to a log file and display via a webpage.

Took a bit longer than expected but Efergy Pro is now available - see https://efergy.com/efergypro/

Will be calling them to confirm a few points and all being well ordering it shortly. 

On 04/03/2019 at 08:38, CADjockey said:

I'm sure one could knock something bespoke up with a Raspberry Pi and a couple of sensors. 

Dump readings to a log file

What I have been doing for years.

 

Must be about 15 to 20 years ago that we borrowed a smart meter from the local library. We plugged it into each socket around the house and it told us how much energy that appliance was using. We have never felt the need to repeat that exercise!

I am sure there must be a market for an updated version of the above? All the expense and labour involved in rolling out the current system could be better spent on doing it.

There was a push over a decade ago to give out free energy monitors.  Trouble is, most people that got them had no idea what it was showing them.

 

8 hours ago, NSS said:

Took a bit longer than expected but Efergy Pro is now available - see https://efergy.com/efergypro/

Will be calling them to confirm a few points and all being well ordering it shortly. 

Let us know how you get on, I'd be interested to see

1 hour ago, willbish said:

Let us know how you get on, I'd be interested to see

Will do

In case it's not fully obvious, the efergy is a cloud connected product, so while it allows it to work from anywhere, it means it's entirely dependent on your internet connection being up, and the company surviving long enough to keep their server working, and they can change the annual billing model at any time. This may be just fine trade off, but worth being actively conscious of.

(Basically this is the flip side of the SageGlass app's "local-only" mode of working)

 

 

EDIT to add the above applies to their 'engage' and 'efergy pro' devices. Looks like there's an "E2 Classic" that is local only, with option to download via USB. 

 

 

Edited October 9, 20197 yr by joth

Very long story which I won't bore you all with, but our Efergy Pro finally went live earlier this week. 

 

Initial observations are that the figures it displays do not accurately mirror those for a) generation as indicated by SolarEdge, nor b) grid consumption indicated by the smart meter. Hopefully this is something that can be fine-tuned to be more accurate but I'm awaiting a response from tech support so will report again as to whether this is resolved. 

 

In the meantime, what it is does appear to show is that we (so far at least) utilise far more of our PV generation than I imagined - at just over 96% 

 

 

Edited May 1, 20215 yr by NSS

Does the Efergy use a voltage probe or just a clip on current monitor?  Power is basically voltage * current. Some clip on meters measure the current and assume a value for the voltage. If that assumption is wrong you can get significant errors. 

7 hours ago, Temp said:

Power is basically voltage * current

* Power Factor

 

I have two types of meters, one uses clamp on sensors and the other uses an optical sensor that counts the flashes from the real meter.  The second one is much more accurate.

28 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

.... optical sensor that counts the flashes from the real meter.  

 

I suspect you have written about the set up before. Could you please help with a link? 

37 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

I suspect you have written about the set up before. Could you please help with a link

Not done a write up as such.

Basically a CurrentCost Envi with the optical sensors and transmitter. A RP1 Zero collects the data into a .csv file and I then put that data into a spreadsheet.

 

I bought a cheap energy meter, one that has a clip on current probe that connects wirelessly to the display.

 

Absolutely USELESS for anyone with solar PV.  It does not understand the concept of energy direction and seems to manage a strange feat of the energy it displays on the screen is the SUM of what is being used in the house plus what is being generated.

9 hours ago, Temp said:

Does the Efergy use a voltage probe or just a clip on current monitor?  Power is basically voltage * current. Some clip on meters measure the current and assume a value for the voltage. If that assumption is wrong you can get significant errors. 

It uses clamps, but the voltage can be selected in settings. Currently set at 245v as per the indicated voltage shown on the SE inverter.

37 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I bought a cheap energy meter, one that has a clip on current probe that connects wirelessly to the display.

 

Absolutely USELESS for anyone with solar PV.  It does not understand the concept of energy direction and seems to manage a strange feat of the energy it displays on the screen is the SUM of what is being used in the house plus what is being generated.

Does it have the option to use multiple amp clamps?

The CC devices can have 9 clamp ons and 1 optical.