I looked at openenergy a few years ago but at the time I found it a little complex and I had a partial solution in place. Both my loop energy device (electric and gas) and my geo solar monitor have ended their online service. So I will like to now replace this.
The residential property is not my home so I need be able to view the data online.
I have never used a RasberryPi, and only limited use of an Arduino but I think the system leans more to plug and play.
Solar.
I have a generation meter with pulse output (a red light flashes) this is what the geo sensor was connected to.
I’ve attached a drawing. I believe I will have to connect the sensors as in the Type 2 method as I have 2 consumer units attached to the Henley block
Would I be able to use the pulse output instead of or in conjunction with the CT2 clip?
I think this would be more accurate. To collect the meter readings. I have webcams pointed at both the generation meter and electric meter.
Gas meter.
I need to able to get the gas meter reading online.
The gas meter is located out side, an Actaris U6 meter and there is a reflective spot which is what the Loop energy used. Their system would tell me the gas meter reading (as I just put in the initial reading and it just added to that and was accurate, I would like to do the same with this system. But I do not see a sensor available on the store, can anyone recommend one?. Also which product would I need to connect this to? I think the emonTH is what I need.
I can not fit a webcam in the gas meter box so getting monthly meter readings online is my aim.
In general am I correct in thinking that if there is interference with the transmitter or a drop in the internet connection the emonTH or emonPi would store data locally or something to prevent gaps in readings/graphs on the online system?
Part list/other bits
emonPi Energy Monitor - Solar PV Bundle
with Optical utlity meter led pulse £166.57
EmonTH £37.56
2 AA batteries (maybe lithium)
Pulse sensor for gas meter
My laptop (no special software or cables?)
If there is anything I am missing from my list please let me know.
Indeed, the presence of two C.U’s does make it difficult to do a ‘Type 1’ installation (you could have two c.t’s and wire them in parallel), so it will be easier to use the ‘Type 2’ set-up.
Indeed you can. As the note on your drawing says, the c.t. will give you the instantaneous power reading, but it will also show the dark standby power consumed by the inverter, which the pulse counter will have no knowledge of. The pulse count (of energy) will enable you to accurately calibrate the c.t. - and you can if you wish, as part of the commissioning process, put the other c.t. on the P.V. infeed also and use the pulse count to accurately calibrate that too.
You’re right, there isn’t one. My Actaris U6 has a magnet inside the wheel with the reflective spot on it. You’ll need an old-style magnetic compass (a phone sensor can’t get close enough) to prove yours has too. If there is a magnet in there, then a magnetic reed switch can be wired straight into the emonTH with nothing else required - apart from a means of fastening the reed switch to the meter in the right place. There’s an obvious place underneath the register wheel designed to take a reed switch in a housing, there’s even a moulded post intended for a securing screw.
In general, you’re correct, but I suspect you have misunderstood some of the details. The emonTH stores nothing locally. It connects by a low power 433 MHz ISM band radio to the emonPi, and once the data is sent, it’s forgotten. It’s in the emonPi that you can (and probably should) store the data, as well as sending by Wi-Fi or cabled Ethernet to a router for onward transmission to emoncms.org. You can access your emoncms.org account from anywhere. If you’re a networking expert and can handle the risk of opening up your emonPi to the world and you have a static IP address, you could access the emonPi remotely. I don’t know very much about that side, others here can advise you on how to go about that.
In theory, that’s correct. An Ethernet jumper cable might be useful if you have trouble setting up (or particularly resetting) the Wi-Fi part of the emonPi.
For the price, we normally suggest you also buy a programmer. You should never need it with your proposed system, but if you do need to change anything in the emonTH, you will need one (it comes without a USB lead, which you’ll probably want if you don’t have one).
I have the same meter at the property, and purchased the same reed switch.
Do I just connect as follows for the emonTH
one wire to the GND terminal and the other wire to the terminal labelled D3 (top) or IRQ1/D3 Pulse Counting (bottom of the board).
I have my emon pi setup now for the last couple of days and the inputs and feeds are showing up on emoncms.org
So then I just put the batteries in, and the emonpi will autodetect the emonTH without any pairing process, and I will see something appear in my inputs
