Smart meter

thermax292
thermax292 Registered Users Posts: 23
My 6 KW system just had a smart meter installed. I walked around the house to look at it and noticed that while the unit was uploading power to the grid my meter was still advancing. I set up my camera and recorded it for 3 hours. The A/C was off and we did no cooking and our water is solar also. As you can see in this video the meter is advancing while I'm uploading. By the end of the day the meter advanced around 20 kws. My Zantrex produced 30.1 kw's. How can this be ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1oesYTqxyE

PS I have the full length videos to prove I didn't run any thing and the unit was uploading the whole time

Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter

    you better shut down your solar as you are getting billed for sending power to the utility. if they made this change knowing you had solar and if it is a legit and approved system then they should give you your proper credit for it and put in a separate meter that meters the outgoing solar you are generating to the grid if they have not already done so.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Smart meter

    Call your utility right away, they have the wrong meter installed.

    New, non solar gt meters always go forward to prevent billing fraud. For many utilities.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter

    If your system has legit inspection and approved by utility company they should have record of it. Since the smart meters are new, and grid tie solar feeding is relatively new, the first person you talk to may not know what to do, or worse, give you a hard time.

    They can RF program the meter over the air through their system so if you get the right person that knows what they are doing it should be able to be corrected within a few minutes.
  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter

    Smart meter can send all kinds of info about your electric useage to the power company. It is done by RF link.

    Beside providing them with your power use profile every 15 minutes to hour it also reports line voltage.

    For PV setup with grid tied feed, first it reports any unauthorized power push to grid. It also will tell the power company how much you are pushing to grid and when.

    One of the controversial features is the reporting of power factor to the utility. It is just a matter of time when they have data to convince the public service commission to allow them to charge residential customers for poor power factor loads. The system can be programmed to charge based on appearent power instead of true power measured. They will likely get a tariff surcharge for power factors poorer then about 0.8 or so. This is about the PF level for older air conditioners pushing the customers to upgrade to higher efficiency air conditioners.

    Most power companies don't have all the computer backbone software installed to do all these things yet, but will soon. In mid October, my utility, FPL, now reports hourly consumption that can be viewed by subscribers by logging into their web site.

    There are some lawsuits filed in several states trying to block their installation claiming invasion of privacy with the smart meters. Some suits are claiming health hazard due to RF radiation.
  • thermax292
    thermax292 Registered Users Posts: 23
    Re: Smart meter

    RCinFLA Solar Shogun:


    I'm an FPL customer as well, I've logged onto my account and can't find my daily usage info any-ware. I saw their demo and it shows graphs and other useful info but I can't find it. Can you direct me to find it?

    My installer is working on the problem now, but the guy at FPL is not available until after the holidays.



    Just some guy:

    are you saying the meter can only go forward, even when I'm uploading ? I wonder why the meter says Received and Delivered and respond to my turning on and off the burner on the stove?

    Thanks guys
  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter

    The smart meter at my place has 2 separate readings. reading A and reading b. They both move forward. One reading is how much you put into the grid. Other reading is what you actualy consume in your house. I still have a meter reader coming to read the meter. When they figure out your bill they they take the reading of how much you produced and subtract the meter reading of how much you consumed. They bank any excess for you in your account. If you use more than what you produced they subtract from your account. If you don,t have enough in your account to cover your usage you get billed for that amount. In my case my electric co. Charges $10.00 per month to be connected. I worryed about both readings increasing but had it explained to me when I called the billing department. And I only have 1 meter not 2 like some think. Could be different for different power companys but that is the way mine works. Penn Power, part of First Energy. :Dsolarvic:D
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Smart meter

    Vic is correct... Many of the digital meters can have several "registers" that will log based on programming.

    I have two registers, peak and off-peak. They go forward or backwards depending on time of day and amount of power used/generated.

    Others have amount of power consumed and a second amount of power generated.

    Sometimes, you can figure out what is happening by checking during the day and again at night. Or during the day, watch what is happening, then disconnet the GT for a few moments (probably 5 minute timeout) and see which register increments.

    You also need to understand your billing... You may, for example, pay $0.10 for power consumed, and get $0.05 per kWH for power generated... It all depends.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter

    Remember a " Net Meter " what you see is a net number. You could think your producing a lot, but be using it in your house. My smart meter has 4 different readings that flash on in a repeating sequence.

    1) Meter Reading started at 99999 when they installed the meter. it's now 97000 that means I have 3000 kwh banked. This one goes both ways, shows in and out.

    2) kwh used , This what I use of their electricity

    3) kwh received , This what they receive from me. ( this a NET number ) What I produce, minus what I use in the house.

    4) Max kw Produced , Mine was set at 8.2 ( the size of my system ) They can tell if I would add to the system without authorization.
  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter
    thermax292 wrote: »
    RCinFLA Solar Shogun:


    I'm an FPL customer as well, I've logged onto my account and can't find my daily usage info any-ware. I saw their demo and it shows graphs and other useful info but I can't find it. Can you direct me to find it?

    My installer is working on the problem now, but the guy at FPL is not available until after the holidays.



    Just some guy:

    are you saying the meter can only go forward, even when I'm uploading ? I wonder why the meter says Received and Delivered and respond to my turning on and off the burner on the stove?

    Thanks guys

    If you can see the monthly bars, click on them. It will go to daily. Click on daily bars and it will go to hourly. You can change the default $ used to kWH's used.' On mine, the hourly data began mid October when I presume they got their software installed. My smart meter was installed June 20th. If you click on month before October you only get monthly.

    The Smart meter has to be programmed to act as net meter. Default setting is 'gets you coming and going'. (charges you for pulling or pushing power).

    Apparently they have different RF transceiver module options depending on desire of particular power company. Some companies are putting in WiFi servers on light poles. Some are using GSM cellular modules on a cellular network.
  • Blackcherry04
    Blackcherry04 Solar Expert Posts: 2,490 ✭✭✭
    Re: Smart meter

    I agree with you if that number is something they use in their calculations. On mine it does change on the in received and used. That Total Number on the meter is not shown on my bill anywhere. The bill has " Member Used " and " Member Generated ". It's like mixing apples and oranges, I am on a co-op. The meter uses one set of terms and the electric company uses another.