Knowledge is power. When it comes to PV systems, both commercial and residential, monitoring energy generation and consumption is even more so. That’s the reason why we provide our customers with access to real-time electricity monitoring for every solar panel installation. Read on to find out what solar power electricity monitoring is and what it can do for your household.
What Is A Solar Power Monitor And Why Do I Need One?
Simply put, a solar power monitor consists of a device that measures electricity, and a user interface. The former shouldn’t be confused with a digital metre, which only registers your electric consumption from the grid. A solar power monitor will measure both overall electricity consumed by your household, and electricity produced by your PV system. The most up to date electricity monitoring solutions are wireless: they are real-time, online reports of your system’s parameters and they are accessible from any device connected to the web.
Real-time electricity monitoring is an invaluable tool, essential to any solar energy generation system. Monitoring has several purposes. First, it will show you how much energy is being produced, and whether there are any issues or malfunctions that need addressing. Second, monitoring enables you to know precisely how much power you’re consuming at any given point; by switching your appliances on and off, you will also be able to see how much an individual device is using up. This procedure may help you decide to change your usage habits during the day—or to switch to a newer, more efficient appliance altogether. For instance, you might find that your 10-year-old air conditioner is using an extraordinary amount of energy and may well be worthwhile replacing. Overall, monitoring electricity in your household allows you to make smarter, better choices.
What’s The Best Monitor Technology On The Market
The best monitor technology is the one that will provide you with complete and real-time readings of your energy production and consumption. Our partner Enphase offers both thanks to their Enphase Envoy-S Metered solution. Enphase Envoy-S Metered consists of an unobtrusive Enphase Envoy-S device, installed as part of your PV system, and an online user interface, called Enlighten. Its operation is simple. The Envoy-S monitors your Enphase System production and home energy consumption, and sends a detailed report to the cloud via Wi-Fi, in real time. Homeowners can then access their reports from any web-connected device—computer, smartphone or tablet.
In addition to monitoring your production and usage, the Enphase solution also enables remote maintenance: from a simple connection error due to a modem upgrade, to a more serious issue that requires in-depth analysis, a support team is always monitoring the system’s parameters and is ready to help. For peace of mind, your account is username and password protected to safeguard it from any unauthorised access, so that only you and the support team can access it.
Enphase Envoy-S Metered is a user-friendly reporting system, and comprehensive video training is provided; of course, in case of doubts or questions, we are only a phone call away. This system is included in our solar panel installation package and is free to use for the lifetime of the PV system. We recommend installing the Enphase Envoy-S Metered ahead of time in order to collect consumption data and determine the number of AC Batteries you will require.
With regards to solar panel systems, especially ones that use a battery, it’s important to track how much energy has been generated and used, and when. Our strong recommendation here is to go with the Enphase Envoy-S Metered system. The Enphase Envoy-S Metered has been implemented all around the world across hundreds of thousands of sites. It allows at a glance monitoring of how much energy is being produced and consumed at any given time, empowering you to make better consumption decisions every day. Thinking of setting up a PV system on your property? Get in touch and we’ll give you professional advice to help you work out the best solution for you.
