ratcheting cyclometers [RE-wrenches]

[Doug Pratt]

No Kirk, this would NOT work with ratcheted meters! The meter must be
free to turn in *both* directions...because it will, depending on which
way the majority of the juice is flowing at any moment.

(side note: it has recently come to my attention that many meters,
particularly older standard clockwork meters like many of us have been
buying rebuilt, do not register accurately when running backwards. The
designers never envisioned these meters would run any direction but
forward. I had an intertie customer in Healdsburg who recently got two
months worth of free electricity credit and a new meter from his
utility. I don't have details, and we'll probably hear more about this,
but for now...heads up guys! Don't always trust those older meters.)
 
Regards,
Doug Pratt



Hi Doug,

Are you saying that this should work with both a "standard" (non-detent)
and
a ratcheted (detent) meter, or just a ratcheted version? I presume its
only
the ratcheted version.

And if there is a power failure and no sun, the battery kwh to the
critical
loads will be measured on the meter, inflating pure solar KWH measured,
correct?

Kirk

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kelly Keilwitz [mailto:kelly at whidbeysunwind.com]
>
> <snip>
> But, is it possible to distinguish between grid feed and PV feed to
the
> subpanel? <snip>
>
>
> Simple. Using a standard 240v utility meter, wire the 120v leg from
the
> SW output to the subpanel so that power passing to the subpanel spins
> the meter forward. Wire the other 120v leg so that power passing from
> the main panel to the SW input spins the meter backwards.
>
> If the SW is simply passing utility power straight thru to the
subpanel,
> you'll have no meter action. The two currents cancel each other out.
If
> the SW is pushing solar power to the subpanel, the meter spins
forward.
> If the SW is pushing solar power to the subpanel *and* the utility,
the
> meter spins forward faster.
>
> This ought to still work just fine with a ratcheted meter so that
night
> time battery charging isn't deducted.
>
> *Caution*, I must admit I haven't DONE this, but I can't see any
problem
> with it. We run meters forward and backward like this all the time. If
> I'm missing something obvious, I'm sure we'll all hear about it. :-)
>
> Cheers,
> Doug Pratt
>

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