Measuring export and usage to make household energy decisions

As a homeowner with solar panels (and no battery), I would like to look at a display that tells me when is a good time to put on an appliance so that I'm making the most of PV energy.

Example scenario: I see that I'm exporting 1KwH to the grid therefore it's a good time to put a wash on.

I have the Hildebrand IHD but unfortunately, it, nor the Bright app, can tell me if the solar panels are producing more than I'm using/exporting. I know some people see a negative number on the Bright app but I don't, I believe it's to do with my smart meter.

I'm looking into getting Home Assistant (HA) which involves

1) Buy a Rasberry Pi, power cable, keyboard and monitor

2) Install HA and get it to listen to my IHD/Smart Meter

3) Optional: Get HA to extract info from my Solis Inverter API

Am I going about this the right way? Is there an easier way? Buying a Raspberry Pi at the moment is a pain, and my coding skills aren't exactly honed which they need to be having looked around at setting up HA.

Later on, I'd like to investigate a switch-on/off-able capability to get a text/Alexa message informing me when I'm exporting 1KwH.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.

Thanks in advance

Mark

Question to answer, I have an iBoost+, can HA listen to its CT clamp as that monitors the export amount?

Comments

  • Maybe try turning the iBoost off entirely just to ensure that it's not redirecting EVERYTHING that you're generating - i.e. you'd never look like you were exporting anyway if that was the case.

    I can see export happening on both the IHD and in the Bright app - prior to getting these (and a SMETS2 meter) I could tell from the inverter's own app.

  • I will try that Ian just to be sure, but when PVs are generating 5Kwh and home use is less than 1Kwh there should be some export even with iBoost.

    Also I have looked at IHD and app when sunny and it only ever shows zero. Never a negative.

  • edited November 2022

    I've tried it with the iboost off and I see no negative values on either IHD or the Bright app.

    Some details here https://forum.glowmarkt.com/index.php?p=/discussion/comment/1136/#Comment_1136

    I have however got my office light to flash when export is above 0.5 Kwh using automation in Home Assistant using the" Smart Meter Electricity: Export energy changes" trigger.

Sign In or Register to comment.