Wireless Utility Meter

solarix
solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Is anyone aware of any wireless utility meters?
I have a battle going with my local utility over a solar installation at a customer's house that has a dog. The utility is flipping out as they are currently using instrumented meters on these applications which require their meter readers to touch their reader device to the meter in order to interrogate it. Unbelievable! Isn't there a remote or wireless version that I can suggest to them?
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  • n3qik
    n3qik Solar Expert Posts: 741 ✭✭
    #2
    Re: Wireless Utility Meter

    Here in PA, we have meters with built-in cell communications. If the PECO is not setup for this or any other wireless communication then the customer will need to have the dog on a chain or the yard fenced in.
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  • t00ls
    t00ls Solar Expert Posts: 250 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Wireless Utility Meter

    in south central kentucky..the local utility has put in TWACS meters....they can read the meter at the office....we have one meter reader in allen county...thats not his only job...as he only has 1-5 meters to physically read ...as I said...the rest get read at the office...even my new solar generation digital meters from landis gyr have TWACS built in
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  • unisentient
    unisentient Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭
    #4
    Re: Wireless Utility Meter

    We have this (micro) wave trend here in canada too!
    Arent some folks on this list aware of the creeping effect of this uninvited , imposed technology application, into our homes like wifi neighbors, thru our childrens' brains? ...pulsing as often as their designs dictate.
    Does anyone know the output and frequency of some of these systems?
    I have heard of far less intrusive systems, but probably for reasons of profit they are not universally accepted?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #5
    Re: Wireless Utility Meter

    It is a difficult issue...

    Wave length tends to go shorter (higher frequency) with newer designs and usages--basically, the low frequency was already allocated by the FCC (marine, commercial radio, fire, police, railroad, etc.) and only the higher frequencies are "free" for new uses (cell phones, cordless phones, wifi, etc.). As the frequency goes up, it effects smaller and smaller "things".

    Also, the higher frequencies can carry more data--nice for digital communications.

    At this point, we stick Blue Tooth and Cell/cordless phones right against our heads and live under power lines. Older color TV's needed to be lead shielded against Xrays.

    And there are questions about cosmic ray damage as the solar system moves up and down through the galactic plane--and possible extinction events from "nearby" stars going Nova.

    It is what damages us, but probably also caused/drove evolutionary change too...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • plexed
    plexed Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭
    #6
    Re: Wireless Utility Meter

    Back to the meter question. I am having a PV system installed, grid-attached. I'd like some sort of meter that I can get access to over a wireless IP connection, for my own data collection and monitoring. The installer recommended the system that Fronius puts together, but that has a bunch of data logging cards with its own data bus and and external PC just to get power generation stats - seems like it's way too complicated.

    All I want is for the utility meter to make its data available over a wi-fi connection. Is there such a thing?
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  • n3qik
    n3qik Solar Expert Posts: 741 ✭✭
    #7
    Re: Wireless Utility Meter

    Look at this:
    http://www.theenergydetective.com/store/teds/ted1000.html

    I have the 1001 and am looking at the upgrading to the 5000-SG
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