Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Constant grid power consumption

Options
2»

Comments

  • Options
    #32
    connesha
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭connesha


    If I removed the battery, then it would be importing full load for for the full night (whereas its importing 30w continuously now) Or do you mean just disconnect for a while to see if the battery "resets itself"?

    There may be a few things going on, but the one that is easy to track is the nighttime constant import, so thats why I'm focusing on that mostly...



  • Options
    #33
    bullit_dodger
    Registered Users Posts: 2,430 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118833561#Comment_118833561

    If I removed the battery, then it would be importing full load for for the full night (whereas its importing 30w continuously now) Or do you mean just disconnect for a while to see if the battery "resets itself"?

    Correct - just trying to rule out some variables. You could even disconnect it for 1-2 hrs, or some period of time which you could clearly see if it's making (or not making) a difference. If you isolate the battery out of the equation and you see that the power drain goes away, then you've at narrowed down the field and you can discount CT clamps a fault etc and you know it's "something" to do with the battery. If the drain doesn't go away, then you know it's not the BMS doing some balancing etc

    Is it likely? Dunno. But it's cheap/easy to do, so I'd give it a lash :-)



  • Options
    #34
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,104 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    I wonder could this be due to poor power factor loads in your houses.

    I don't have a smart meter myself, but I from what I understand the smart meters have a Q and P quadrant indicator on them to indicate the power triangle.

    You could test this theory by switching off all the circuits in your house except for the inverter and another with a large purely resistive load. See then does the smart meter reading drop to near zero for that period.



  • Options
    #35
    connesha
    Registered Users Posts: 188 ✭✭connesha


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118836030#Comment_118836030

    Thanks. Will try this one of the nights



  • Options
    #36
    yannakis
    Registered Users Posts: 1,381 ✭✭✭yannakis


    Did you guys had any progress with this issue?


    I also see a constant Grid consumption and the only setting I found (and still testing) is the Backflow Power which provides a constant export wattage. Set mine to 400W last night an waiting to see if it will move the needle a bit. Exporting a bit wouldn't bug me down much, but importing this trickle gets my nerves.

    Here's an example from the other night. Battery was at ~80% when I last checked at 23:00 🙄

    2022-09-27 09.50.00.jpg




  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #37
    silver_sky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭silver_sky


    I've had a fair bit of issues with this and posted in the troubleshooting thread. I also have a Solis 6kW.

    What I was finding is that it was importing constantly once the generation stopped and would also export. Solis made some "attempts" to sort it but it was basically putting on another firmware and hoping for the best. I spoke to one senior guy there and he had a custom firmware and was able to adjust the import/export bias. Mine is now running on about 50W import apparently but still it jumps around a few hundred watts import and export. Ultimately there's only so much they can do and it's never going to be perfect.

    From what I've seen this is happening when the load is below 200W which mine mostly is late in the evening and during the night then it's all over the place. I'm not really sure what else can be done to sort it out.

    See this example below, look at the early morning midnight to around 7am. Also 9pm to midnight.

    Screenshot_20221001-230738_myenergi.jpg




  • Options
    #38
    SD_DRACULA
    Registered Users Posts: 2,226 ✭✭✭SD_DRACULA


    What FW are you on now @silver_sky I think after 3A002A got pushed a few days ago I see more import than before 😒

    Funny enough during the day only, maybe at night is fine as my base load is around 250w

    Today:

    image.png

    Before latest FW:

    image.png




  • Options
    #39
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,104 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690914#Comment_119690914

    What are you seeing in terms of your imported day units per your day/night meter? Assuming it is accurate, you'd have seen import of at least 45kWh a month, even on the old F/W.

    Admittedly I'm on 3A0029, but I only imported 8 day units during September.



  • Options
    #40
    silver_sky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭silver_sky


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690914#Comment_119690914

    I'm on A10032. I was on 3A0032 but that wasn't great as it had a constant discharge of about 300W. I asked to be put back onto an older firmware but they wouldn't, so these were my options.



  • Options
    #41
    SD_DRACULA
    Registered Users Posts: 2,226 ✭✭✭SD_DRACULA


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690942#Comment_119690942

    Definitely not seeing 45.

    So the day meter read 8 units at the start of August and currently reads 33.

    The shelly reported 14kwh day used for September and 13kwh for August which is almost correct.

    If I start to see 45kwh per month I won't be happy.

    Quite annoyed they updated the FW without checking with me, it seems like that's their default move if anyone complains about anything, all he had to do is push an update to the charge/discharge rates



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #42
    irishchris
    Registered Users Posts: 3,169 ✭✭✭irishchris


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691288#Comment_119691288

    Have you managed to test the 100A>70A>100A since this new firmware was installed?



  • Options
    #43
    SD_DRACULA
    Registered Users Posts: 2,226 ✭✭✭SD_DRACULA


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119697075#Comment_119697075

    Not yet, I need to test it with the car but it's full at the moment.



  • Options
    #44
    yannakis
    Registered Users Posts: 1,381 ✭✭✭yannakis


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688485#Comment_119688485

    FYI, Backflow Power isn't what I thought it was after all.. Constant grid consumption still an issue for me.



  • Options
    #45
    silver_sky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭silver_sky


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119705353#Comment_119705353

    What's your base load out of interest?

    I ask as I've been looking at mine recently and noticed that once the demand from the battery drops below 4A then it goes a bit wild with importing & exporting.



  • Options
    #46
    yannakis
    Registered Users Posts: 1,381 ✭✭✭yannakis


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119707038#Comment_119707038

    My base load is pretty low, 250-300W. Link to an image I attached to an earlier post: https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/OXZ172MCMT1F/2022-09-27-09-50-00.jpg

    What gets me is that if the battery is not full, I constantly import 200-400W even if the load is higher than the base. The only time this is overhead is wiped is when the battery is full.. Here's another view from yesterday which was a pretty dull day. Battery reached 100% around 12:15 but didn't stay full for long.

    Side-note: I know myenergi isn't gospel, but it's way closer to reality than Solis. Solis shows zero import for yesterday! Bord Gais (smart meter data) show 4.9 kWh.

    2022-10-10 17.12.07.jpg




  • Options
    #47
    silver_sky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭silver_sky


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119726879#Comment_119726879

    I notice similarities with mine overnight. It's almost like there's a high pass filter where readings below a certain value are ignored. Like yours power is provided from the battery only when its above that threshold, or if there's generation with excess (battery full, or charge level ramped down).

    I'm trying to gather more data on it at the moment actually. What I did was to set the inverter to pull from the grid last night from 12 to 6am to gather the actual base load (or as close to). Then tonight I'll let it run as "normal" and in a day or two I'll get the smart meter data and see the actual import. As you say, myenergi is closer than Solis but the meter is the gospel at the end of the day.



  • Options
    #48
    yannakis
    Registered Users Posts: 1,381 ✭✭✭yannakis


    @silver_sky the way I think about it is that the inverter's meter is under-reporting by ~200W. Hence the constant "shadow".

    Is there a way to fine-tune that meter I wonder?



  • Options
    #49
    yannakis
    Registered Users Posts: 1,381 ✭✭✭yannakis


    So yesterday my installer changed the meter (the one sitting in the consumer unit), and voila. In the screengrab below you can see the difference before and after is ridiculous.

    Now I can eventually drain my 4.8kWh Dyness completely:)


    https://i.imgur.com/Aea6VTb.jpg




  • Options
    #50
    Manion
    Registered Users Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭Manion


    Hi,

    I seem to have the opposite issue, a constant export of about 60-70 watts. From the inverter perspective the export is zero but a shelly EM I've out at the meter box is telling a different story. The solis is connected to an Eastron SDM120CTM http://www.eastrongroup.com/product_detail.php?id=115. I've checked the backflow power and it's set to 0 watts. Any suggestion? Could this just be an accuracy thing?



  • Options
    #51
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,778 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120018230#Comment_120018230

    Do you have a standard day night meter?

    The light that flashes stays constant when I'm exporting



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #52
    silver_sky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭silver_sky


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119941417#Comment_119941417

    Who identified that it was the meter? my installer said that they will replace parts if Solis provide but I guess I would need Solis to admit that there are issues.


    So i mentioned above that I would check and see how it went running only from the grid vs the inverter+battery. The inverter+battery providing the power overnight had 30% less import vs just running from the grid. The loads were not excessive and well within capabilities of the inverter+battery and state of charge.

    I also had another interesting example that I provided to Solis. 19th October was a bad storm and I had 0kWh generation. Nothing.

    I knew it would be bad so charged up the battery in the early hours on the cheap rate.


    MyEnergi - based on this I exported 1.3kWh despite not having generation. You can see the yellow all day and night. I checked vs the ESBN data for import and export and it's close enough. 5.9kWh import & 1kWh export.

    image.png


    Solis - you can notice the little peaks of export all day long.

    image.png




  • Options
    #53
    yannakis
    Registered Users Posts: 1,381 ✭✭✭yannakis


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020225#Comment_120020225

    I identified it. If I didn't have access to more than one platform to monitor it, I'd basically be in the dark.

    My installer's first responses were the usual it's your charger/it's your baseload/whatever BS. So I challenged him with endless questions and comparisons between myenergi/solis/ESBN data he had no ideas how to fix it. So they had to come out for something else, and I suggested to change the meter and see if that fixes it. Luckily they agreed, swapped it out, and it's working well since. Hope you get it sorted too, mate.

    Here's an example post-meter-change. I was away on a particular day and intentionally didn't charge the battery at night (forecast showed enough production to cover the entire day + evening). 0.3kWh imported / 0.5kWh exported:

    esbn9dec.png
    Screenshot_20221221_150712_myenergi.jpg
    Screenshot_20221221_150804_SolisCloud.jpg




  • Options
    #54
    1jcdub
    Registered Users Posts: 953 ✭✭✭1jcdub


    I've a Solis hybrid inverter and the last 5 days is been operating as normal. But if I looks at the stats for the previous 5 days is showing the consumption and generation as identical figures. If I look at the figures on the present day everything is normal. If I check the same days figures the following day the consumption and generation figures are identical to reach other again. See below.

    I've tried turning off the inverter and the mains power isolator beside it for a few minutes before powering it back on again. But it hasn't resolved it. I received an app update on the 14th Feb. But this wouldn't effect the online information on the laptop.

    Any ideas how to resolve this? It should I contact Solis?

    Screenshot_20230219-212516.png




  • Options
    #55
    1jcdub
    Registered Users Posts: 953 ✭✭✭1jcdub


    Resetting the inverter resolved the problem



Advertisement