[RE-wrenches] Metering a whole house Outback system

Glenn Burt glenn.burt at glbcc.com
Mon Aug 20 17:27:42 PDT 2012


http://www.elkor.net/

 

I have purchased the kWh meter and remote display direct from Elkor in the
past.

 

-Glenn

 

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Dave Palumbo
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 4:07 PM
To: 'RE-wrenches'
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Metering a whole house Outback system

 

Dave,

 

Sounds like a great solution. We have an OB Radian net-metered PV with
battery back-up coming up this fall.  Where do we source an "Elkor" meter?

 

Thanks,

Dave

 

David Palumbo

Independent Power LLC 

462 Solar Way Drive

Hyde Park, VT 05655

www.independentpowerllc.com 

NABCEP Certified PV Installer

Vermont Solar Partner

24 Years Experience, (802) 888-7194 

 

 

 

From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of David Katz
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 3:48 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Metering a whole house Outback system

 

Hilton,
I am metering an Outback Radian in this situation.  I am using an Elkor
meter with a pair of current transformers, but you can use and meter with
CTs.  Just feed the two AC lines from the main panel through the CTs to the
AC in of the inverters, then run the wires coming from the inverters output,
going to the sub-panel back through the same CTs, keeping the L1 and L2 in
phase.  This way the utility power cancels and you only read the inverters
output.  You get the sum of what goes to the grid and what is used kb the
subpanel.  It also subtracts what is used to float the batteries.
I read my Elkor meter with a SolarLog monitor.
David Katz

Sent from my HTC smartphone on the Now Network from Sprint!

----- Reply message -----
From: "Hilton Dier III" <hiltondier at gmail.com>
To: "re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Metering a whole house Outback system
Date: Mon, Aug 20, 2012 9:15 am

 

Hello Wrenches,

Here's a metering conundrum for you.

I have a client with a dual stacked Outback 3648 inverter panel and a PV
array. He has been off-grid for years, but he is now going on-grid. He is
getting the Outbacks rebuilt at the factory to be grid tie compatible.

As per our local requirements, he needs a meter to read just the output of
the inverter. The problem is that he has the whole house on the inverters,
not just a vital loads panel. He wants to keep it that way. That gives him
two separate outputs, "AC Out" to the main breaker panel and "AC
In(teractive)" to the grid connection. If he just puts a meter on the AC In
line, he will lose track of the inverter output that goes to power the
house, and he'll get his output reduced by any grid-based charging he does.

There is a "green tag" method of wiring the meter to avoid this, but it is
designed for two single-leg 120VAC outputs and the stacked Outbacks are
putting out 240VAC on two legs.

Aside from dropping $600 on an e-Gauge, is there any way to get around this?

Many thanks,

Hilton

-- 
Hilton Dier III
Renewable Energy Design
Partner, Solar Gain LLC
453 East Hill Rd.
Middlesex, VT 05602
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