Current Cost Support Forum

I'm using my.currentcost.com to monitor my solar PV generation and upload to pvoutput.org. It's night time and solar pv has ceased. My Envi is reading 0 watts, yet my.current cost.com dashboard is showing 6 watts "Baseline Power".

Where is that coming from? See http://my.currentcost.com/device/63636 for current situation.


Files attached showing screenshot (Power = 6W) and shot of my Envi (Power = 0W)

Thanks for any help

John

It clearly is not an offset applied by the system somewhere because sometimes it's 6watts, other time 12w.

I'd like the chart to show what my Envi is easuring please.

John

Hi John,
The "usual" reason for an inverter to show power at night is current draw. Since the Current Clamp can't tell direction it is being interpreted as generation. Coupled with power factor errors, an insignificant current can show large power values. You can confirm this by turning you inverter off (i.e. isolate from grid) for a few hours at night and see what is recorded.

For example my inverter shows 75-85 watts at night but specification says it should be 0.15W (implies powerfactor of 0.2%). Different to your situation, the value shows on the EnviR. Turning off the isolating switch drops it to zero.

How to fix it?

• I assume you know that on PVoutput.org you can write a Ruleto set the value to 0?
• For my.currentcost.com the only option is editing the data after it is loaded to cosm.com using cosm's API. This can be done, but in your case I see little benefit for the effort involved.

_________________
Seeker
"The Truth is out there!"

John[/quote]
Hi John,
The "usual" reason for an inverter to show power at night is current draw. Since the Current Clamp can't tell direction it is being interpreted as generation. Coupled with power
How to fix it?

• I assume you know that on PVoutput.org you can write a Ruleto set the value to 0?
• For my.currentcost.com the only option is editing the data after it is loaded to cosm.com using cosm's API. This can be done, but in your case I see little benefit for the effort involved.

[/quote]

As explained by 'seeker' this '0' value is a pain tho' its usually quite a small value cf the total solar or house power for the day - depends on the type of inverter used. What's really needed is a way for your software to zero it - I do this in my s/w, live_sol, by a statement like

if solar < threshold then solar =0

& you can then set threshold to be say 60w or whatever is best for your inverter. I'm surprised than not all s/w has this capability but maybe eventually they'll implement it if we keep mentioning it! John

John[/quote]
Hi John,
The "usual" reason for an inverter to show power at night is current draw. Since the Current Clamp can't tell direction it is being interpreted as generation. Coupled with power
How to fix it?

• I assume you know that on PVoutput.org you can write a Ruleto set the value to 0?
• For my.currentcost.com the only option is editing the data after it is loaded to cosm.com using cosm's API. This can be done, but in your case I see little benefit for the effort involved.

[/quote]

As explained by 'seeker' this '0' value is a pain tho' its usually quite a small value cf the total solar or house power for the day - depends on the type of inverter used. What's really needed is a way for your software to zero it - I do this in my s/w, live_sol, by a statement like

if solar < threshold then solar =0

& you can then set threshold to be say 60w or whatever is best for your inverter. I'm surprised than not all s/w has this capability but maybe eventually they'll implement it if we keep mentioning it! John

Thanks for your replies. I still don't understand why my Envi shows 0 watts, yet the CC dashboard shows >0 (right now it's showing 5W.). Why does the dashboard show a different value to the Envi? That can't be due to current draw surely....?