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Old 11-07-09, 06:13 PM   #1
Xringer
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Default Itron Centron Watt-Hour Meter, Read real-time use, yourself

I found this info here:
Reading your Itron Centron C1SR Digital Electric Meter - The Watt emulator



Underneath the right-hand LCD digit, there are three little squares.
(To the right of kWh)


"Here is the pattern. First the left goes on, then the middle goes on,
then the right goes on, then the left goes off, then the middle goes off,
then the right goes off. Kind of like a digital wheel being emulated, cute.
Well, that full cycle is 6 watt-hours or to make it simpler,
every time one of those dots changes it is 1 watt-hour.
Now you can do simple tests of turning on something (like a hot tub,
hair drying, drier, tv, light bulb, etc) and count the number of dots
you see or if it is going fast the number of cycles (multiple by 6 the result)
and you have the energy usage of watt-hours of that appliance during a fixed period."


~~~
Anyways, I took out my stopwatch and set it to beep after 60 seconds.
At the beginning of a cycle, I hit the Start button and counted the cycles (or dot changes)
until I hear the beep.

By knowing the number of watt-hours in one minute, I multiplied my count
by 60 to get the watt-hours in one hour. If I counted 24 LCD changes,
24x60=1440Wh, or 1.44 kWh.. In my case, 28.8 cents an hour..

Cheers,
Rich

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Old 01-22-11, 03:45 PM   #2
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I recently got solar panels and I have the above meter. The digital dial is moving to the left during the day when the sun is out at a rate of about four revolutions per minute. The numbers on the reading are still going up. Shouldn't the numbers on the reading be going down?
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Old 01-22-11, 05:55 PM   #3
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Default Net-metering

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmyth View Post
I recently got solar panels and I have the above meter. The digital dial is moving to the left during the day when the sun is out at a rate of about four revolutions per minute. The numbers on the reading are still going up. Shouldn't the numbers on the reading be going down?

In the standard issue meter, this isn't a Net-Meter. It works like a Kill-A-Watt meter.
Current in either direction makes the reading go up.

You will have to pay for any power you put on the grid..

Like this guy.. Grid tied system but utility will charge no matter direction of energy flow - Solar Electric Power Discussion Forum by Northern Arizona Wind & Sun

You will have to call your power company and ask them to install a Net-Meter.
I'm not sure, but there might be a Net-metering up-grade for your model.

They will likely just install a fancy new meter.
U.S. Farmers BioEnergy, LLC

Like this one maybe..


I read posts from one guy who convinced his power co. to install one
of the old antique mechanical meters with the wheel that will actually spin backwards.
Before that, he was paying to put power on the local grid..

Good Luck,
Rich
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Old 01-23-11, 03:48 PM   #4
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Default Good to Know

Thanks for this thorough reply. I'll follow up to see what I can do about changing the meter. Unbelievable that it would read the same no matter which way the meter is spinning. We would end up paying for energy our solar is producing!
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Old 01-23-11, 04:23 PM   #5
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Around here, the installer gets the city inspector's permit(s) and gets approval from
the power company before any work is done. And, a request for a net-meter should
have already been done. It should have been installed when the system was put online.

If your system is a DIY, with no permits, then its a little late to be calling the power company.

I was told by a power company guy, that it's a felony crime in Florida to run an unapproved GTI, or back-feed a generator onto the gird.
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Old 01-23-11, 06:48 PM   #6
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It is all permitted and approved by the power company, so I'll talk with my installer to find out the status. The solar has its own meter so maybe there is a procedure when the read the meter that takes that into account.
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Old 01-23-11, 09:40 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmyth View Post
It is all permitted and approved by the power company, so I'll talk with my installer to find out the status. The solar has its own meter so maybe there is a procedure when the read the meter that takes that into account.
I have seen pictures of dual meter setups on the web..

If the meter off the power line is a charge-both-ways,
I assume the meter reader has to read both meters and subtract out the solar's kWh number.

That would seem to allow them to keep using the standard meters
and still use the automated drive-by radio system to read them both.?.
Maybe the PV power would be subtracted out of the bill on the company's billing computer.

Sound logical?
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Old 01-24-11, 10:33 AM   #8
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Default Logical

Seems logical as long as it's all worked out mathematically. Our electrical provider went almost a whole year without reading our meter, just estimating, and when I ran into him one day and asked him what kind of a read he got he seemed unable to read a meter, even though it was clear as day. So, I don't know how much confidence I have in them.

It seems, off the top of my mind, that it would be a little more complicated than subtracting the solar power from the meter, because the meter is actually going up when it should be going down.

As soon as I talk with the installer of the solar power I'll know more I guess.
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Old 01-24-11, 02:15 PM   #9
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Here you go..

How it Works | Technicians For Sustainability: Tucson Solar System Installers: Solar Hot Water, Rainwater Harvesting, and Solar Electrical Power

http://www.tep.com/Green/GreenWatts/...etMetering.pdf
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Old 05-23-11, 06:22 PM   #10
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Looked at a doc about my meter..

http://www.atlanticmeter.com/Sales/C...R_Spec_Sht.pdf

I found this part rather interesting. Especially the last item.

"specifications Tamper Detection
The Itron patented method of tamper detection identifies:
> Power Removal Tamper — Increments a counter each time the meter is removed from a live socket.
> Meter Inversion Tamper — Increments a counter each time the meter senses reverse power flow.
This indication is communicated in the RF transmission."


This means, if a customer, with this type of meter, were to hook up an illegal grid-tied inverter!

Or, maybe not.. If that illegal GTI was only making 1kw, while the house was burning 2kw..?..

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