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Monitoring electricity usage at the meter

(17 posts) (9 voices)

Started 2 years ago by ghostgum
Latest reply from cw nsw

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ghostgum
Member

alfresco24 wrote regarding electricity meters
"You may be able to connect to it either wirelessly (ZigBee port), wireline data-over-mains, or wired (to pulse outputs).

The very latest Smart Meters used in Australia will have a ZigBee port (if you're in VIC) but you need your utility to 'enable' the wireless connection securely.
Then you can get an energy display and use it in the home to see energy use in real time."

Has anyone had experience with getting a connection to the pulse outputs from a meter, or the ZigBee Smart Energy data?

It appears that at least one of the smart meters to be used in the United Energy area (PRI Sprint 200) has pulse outputs, but these open-collector outputs are probably behind the meter seals.

The PRI meters also have ZigBee Smart Energy Profile on the Silverspring Networks module, but my reading of the ZigBee specification says that you will need an installation code. This will be unique to the meter, so I'm guessing it is either behind the meter seals, or you need to get it from your electricity distributor.

Whether the distributor is willing to give you access to the pulse or ZigBee interfaces is likely to be the problem.

If I can get access to either of these, I'll hook it up to my low power computer and log both the net electricity flow and the solar generation, allowing me to work out the house load.

Posted Tuesday 30 Mar 2010 @ 2:44:31 am from IP #
alfresco24
Member

You're in Melbourne right?
Pulse outputs are standard on virtually all digital/electronic meters and yes most of the time the pair of OC outputs are behind the sealed panel, and if so you'll have to get the meter people (distributor) to open it for you - they have no legal reason to decline.
In the case of ZigBee, unlikely since there are so few (<20k) deployed till now, yes the code key has to be supplied by the meter manager/distributor, and you then select bubble up mode to most simply listen to the meter in near real time.
There are also some other communicating meters deployed in trial quantities, with proprietary protocols, but you wont encounter any of those.

As far as I know there are no two element ZigBee meters rolled out yet, so for a solar installation you will still have two meters.

Posted Tuesday 30 Mar 2010 @ 12:38:11 pm from IP #
ghostgum
Member

Yes, I'm in Melbourne.

The meters to be used by United Energy in Melbourne appear to be the PRI Sprint 200 (3 phase) and PRI i-Credit 500 (single phase). The PRI Sprint 200 is a 4 quadrant meter, and is capable of measuring import and export energy. A single meter is sufficient a house with PV solar. PowerCor have a PDF explaining how to read a smart meter on this page
https://www.powercor.com.au/Smart_Meters/Meter_Functions/

I expect the PRI i-Credit 500 to be similar.

To get access to the OC outputs, what sort of wiring is going to be acceptable to the distributor? Unshielded twisted pair wires? My meter hasn't been replaced yet, so if I'm lucky I might get the OC connections made when they replace the meter.

Posted Tuesday 30 Mar 2010 @ 10:31:22 pm from IP #
alfresco24
Member

The screw terminals for pulse outputs are usually sized for a good grip on 1sqmm wire, and maybe down to 0.4/0.5 folded.
I suggest you instal a large gauge UTP in your meter box with a nice big label on the end saying 'to smart meter pulse outputs' and arrange the connection at changeover time.
The Building Codes of Australia and state electrical codes determine wiring sizes for regulated wiring. I don't know the appropriate requirement for meter pulse output connection wiring obliged for use by licenced installers.
You could argue that a 1sqmm wire is a 'norm' in monitoring circuits, and a UTP pair sheathed in a 5mm OD cable is fine for your low voltage (sub 50V) application.
Remember to use a few permanent cable labels along the run length to help those that follow you know what the heck that stange bit of wire does.

Posted Tuesday 20 Apr 2010 @ 5:02:23 am from IP #
Sojin_Muneshi
Member

.
It would be wise to make contact with your distributor before rushing off installing wiring into your meter panel as much of the above information is incorrect.

"Pulse outputs are standard on virtually all digital/electronic meters"

This is NOT correct, and the vast majority of existing electronic meters in Victoria do NOT have pulsing outputs.

"It appears that at least one of the smart meters to be used in the United Energy area (PRI Sprint 200) has pulse outputs"

While the manufacturers design plans them to be optional, no such pulsing meter has been built or delivered at this point, and may not actually be ever ordered by United Energy as the Victorian Smart Meter specification intends for customers to use the zigbee wireless interface, pulsing outputs are not listed in the Victorian specification.

I recommend you focus on access via the zigbee port.

"As far as I know there are no two element ZigBee meters rolled out yet, so for a solar installation you will still have two meters."

As I understand it United Energy are not intending to use two element smart meters? and in anycase PFIT requires one element metering.

regards

Sojin

Posted Saturday 22 May 2010 @ 11:56:55 am from IP #
susambas
Member

We have a Origin Energy labeled meter Model EM-1200 CO-GEN a Co Generation metering device that was installed after the Solar Panels where installed. Is there any way we could use or tap in to this meter to a PC?

Posted Sunday 13 Jun 2010 @ 9:25:34 am from IP #
Inspector
Member

Not likely. I have contacted TCA (EA's metering division) and they stated it is not permitted for customers to access any communications ports/terminals for the retailer billing meter as there is the chance they could be hacked/reprogrammed. This ais also the reason they are behind the sealable terminal covers.

I would expect all distributors to have a similar response.

Posted Monday 14 Jun 2010 @ 4:22:19 am from IP #
Anonymous
Unregistered

I was very lucky to be getting a Current Cost power meter. Unfortunately the electrical board in the townhouse we were living in didn’t really have room to fit the clamp meter and as it had 3 phase power and we only had one clamp we couldn’t really use it properly. I finally got around to installing it in the house we’re currently living in.
What is the software you are using to represent your data? Also what is the voltage you have in Australia and cost per kilowatt hour?

Posted Monday 14 Jun 2010 @ 4:40:07 am from IP #
ghostgum
Member

Inspector, would the distributor give the customer a connection to the S0 pulse outputs? There is no chance of reprogramming the meter through those.

Posted Monday 14 Jun 2010 @ 9:32:55 am from IP #
alfresco24
Member

Ghostgum, your Distributor/Meter Data Manager is not obliged to give you access to the pulse ouputs but equally there is nothing to prevent them from exercising goodwill to do it, for a fee.

The other thing you can do is to get a photodiode/phototransistor and place it over the blinking icon on the display to sense the blink interval, same as pulse output rate.
This requires personal technical knowledge, or slab of beer and a friend with some.

Posted Tuesday 15 Jun 2010 @ 7:47:55 am from IP #
ghostgum
Member

I have the skills to make a circuit for monitoring the flashing LED. But that only measures the imported watt hours. My meter does not have flashing LED for exported watt hours. It does have S0 outputs for both import and export.

Posted Tuesday 15 Jun 2010 @ 9:08:40 am from IP #
susambas
Member

To afresco24
I would be intersted in setting up a "photodiode/phototransistor and place it over the blinking icon on the display to sense the blink interval, same as pulse output rate" we have a EM-1200 CO-GEN, how does one find this great person with technical knowledge that will do it for a few slabs of beer? or cash I am in Melbourne.
susambas

Posted Wednesday 16 Jun 2010 @ 2:40:59 am from IP #
munter
Member

If you search on the whirlpool green forums I saw somebody sharing that they had come up with a DIY pulse monitoring system for electrical meters. I think it was in this thread:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1465844&p=3

See user untg's posts on that page. I don't know him for a bar of soap but most people work for beer...

Posted Wednesday 16 Jun 2010 @ 8:15:30 am from IP #
alfresco24
Member

Personally, I wouldnt bother fussing around with trying to get cooperation from distributors to get at the pulse outputs, and making bits of custom circuits that then need data cleansing and analytics - unless you have the time, patience and inclination.
Otherwise for the time being go and buy an Ecofront box and you'll be up and running with 8 channels of data on your PC in half a day.

Posted Wednesday 16 Jun 2010 @ 3:12:33 pm from IP #
peterpozzie
Member

I have an EN 1200 meter installed so we can get the premium feed in tariff. Does anyone know where I can obtain a manual to learn how to read the darn thing?

Posted Wednesday 27 Apr 2011 @ 3:38:43 am from IP #
ghostgum
Member

Is it an EM1200? Victorian distributors seem to be using
register 1 = date
register 2 = time
register 3 = import
register 13 = export.

There is a pulse output, but it is behind the seal so you won't be able to access it.

Make point of reading your meter on the scheduled meter reading date (see your bill), because your bill will not show the cumulative register readings.

Posted Wednesday 27 Apr 2011 @ 3:50:05 am from IP #
cw nsw
Member

http://www.essentialenergy.com.au/asset/cms/pdf/contestableWorks/CEOM8014_53.pdf

peter, if you mean the EM1200 meter, this link is the instruction manual.

Posted Wednesday 27 Apr 2011 @ 4:23:10 am from IP #

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