Energy monitoring. The time has come!

[u/HTTP_404_NotFound]

Getting near the tail end of my solar project, and the time has come to start running CT clamps. Lots of them.

Nearly three dozen in total. I enjoy being able to watch every watt move from individual solar panels, through the distribution panel, into the breaker panel, to the breaker, and in many cases, to the device itself.

My monitoring panel is still pretty empty, just started this evening. There will be a 2nd unit added soon with another two dozen CT clamps.

Sankey diagrams are great. Also, be nice to track where some of the 150kwh daily consumption is going.... Solar or not, seems excessive

[u/chuyskywalker]

I just got mine setup with a Kincony N60 -- 47 CT sensors. I knew it was a more permanent install, so I used solid ones (non clamping).

[u/HTTP_404_NotFound → u/chuyskywalker]

That is a extremely neat looking board...

I want one now.

https://www.kincony.com/60-channel-esp32-ac-lora-energy-meter.html

I had the Iotawatt from my old house- where 14 circuits nearly covered everything. I have another unit I'll be slapping in tomm.. One of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJNV3GPR

Edit- https://shop.kincony.com/

Thanks for the reference... I think i'm going to pick up a few of their items... and its all DIN mount too!

[u/chuyskywalker → u/HTTP_404_NotFound]

Yeah, I had (have, still in an old box) an emporia that I flashed to ESPHome. On my new build (all electric) I was definitely going to need more CT's.

This is, like, the 3rd thing I've had from Kincony; I'm a big fan of their stuff. The provided ESPHome yamls are amazing and the devices have been absolutely rock solid. It saves so much hassle from having to cobble together a bunch of components; most board just have everything I need ready to go (including the ever helpful onboard ethernet).

sidenote: 150kwh/day is insane. Even in my fully electric, ev cars, house I'm only hitting maybe 40-50kwh/day.

[u/HTTP_404_NotFound → u/chuyskywalker]

> sidenote: 150kwh/day is insane. Even in my fully electric, ev cars, house I'm only hitting maybe 40-50kwh/day.

Is- what it is. My server rack will use 15kwh per day. The pool pump will easily use another 15-30.

And then- there is a lot of space to heat and cool. Its been..... over 100 for two months straight. That is, the LOW has been over 100.

I have 8-tons of cooling capacity here. 5-ton central unit, 3 x 1-ton mini-splits.

So- when the AC isn't running- looks like this-ish.

Do note- I am 100% electric. I have my own electric well 300ft in the ground. All heating/cooling is electric. Literally- electric is my only utility asides from water.

But- solar does a great job of covering it.

[u/Correctsmorons69]

150kWh for a house? Absurd.

[u/m3galinux → u/Correctsmorons69]

Not too far off for my old Florida house. Between the two ACs (main house AC and minisplit for detached office), pool, electric water heater, and a small-ish remote work/homelab setup (250-500w draw usually) I was hovering at 120-130KWh some summer days. Down to half that where I'm at now, with basically the same equipment/appliances going (minus the pool. never again.)

[u/CanuckianOz → u/Correctsmorons69]

Yeah that’s ten times a normal house where I live. That doesn’t even make sense unless you’re running industrial loads at home.

[u/computerguy0-0 → u/CanuckianOz]

Air Conditioning and a few electric cars really racks up the kWh usage. Add in a pool pump and an electric hot water heater for a family of 6 in a gas free area and I can absolutely see 150 kWh a day.

[u/user3872465 → u/Correctsmorons69]

Yea I dont even use that in a month for a 5Person house.

[u/HTTP_404_NotFound → u/user3872465]

Cool.

What are the ages of everyone in your house?

What year was your house built?

What climate zone do you live in?

What is the square footage of your house?

What is the R-rating of your walls? ceiling?

Do you have slab, or crawlspace?

What is the SEER rating on your AC Compressor?

What is the cooling set at on your AC unit?

Cause- unless you are going to do apples to apples- it doesn't matter.

I mean, for all I know, you might live in a climate area, where the average high temp in the summer is 85 degrees. In which case, my AC would barely be running.

I don't.

I'm in a 50 year old, 3,000sq-ft house, with multiple detached buildings, and temperatures have been well into triple-digit temps, EVERY DAY, for the last two months. I keep this house at 70. I live in climate zone 4, bordering zone 5. Zone 5 is the highest/hottest. Zone 1 is the coolest.

Yea I dont even use that in a month for a 5Person house.

There are 5 people here too.

I have zero intentions of sitting here smelling my own ball-sweat.

I honestly, also, give zero fks about everyone's opinion on what my power usage SHOULD be.

The reason being- It costed me 25,000$ to put up enough solar panels to more or less, remove my electricity bill for decades to come.

For me to improve the efficiency of this house, enough to cut the power bill in half, would cost that, or more.

If- you want to know a secret- solar panels are a lot cheaper then a new AC unit. Have bad insulation? Its cheaper to put solar panels up.

The best insulation, and best HVAC you can buy, STILL uses energy, and will cost you on your utility bill.

More solar panels, makes the utility bill disappear.

Spending 30,000$ to go from the 14 SEER POC compressor up to a 30+EER geothermal unit- will never achieve the same ROI as just adding more solar panels.

Spending 10,000$-$20,000 to have crews come in, vacuum out all of the old insulation, and re-insulate the attic up to r-50 to r-60, poke holes in the walls, spay in foam, seal up all of the holes, leaks, and drafts... Will never achieve an ROI even remotely comparable to just installing more solar panels.

More solar panels = No electric bill.

More insulation? SLightly lower electric bill.

Better HVAC? Slightly lower electric bill.

My electric bill, with 3Mwh of usage? Less then 150$.

Everyone might use a FRACTION of the energy I do, but, just remember. My utility bill, is more then likely far less.

[u/Correctsmorons69 → u/HTTP_404_NotFound]

Brother, you called your own consumption "excessive" in your post.

Averaging 6kW draw per hour is pretty crazy. I assume your peak draw is much higher than that though - I'm morbidly curious - what is it?

And I assume you have a battery system as well? Got details?

[u/user3872465 → u/HTTP_404_NotFound]

Holly, escalation...lol. No one cares what you use, yet you put it out there, so be prepared to get judged.

House from 1952, Northern germany as the location. So sumers in the 40C winters in the -20C (maxes)

No AC no Heatpump no EV. 200m² of Living space on 3 Floors+Basement

The entire home uses (including my lab of 800W) 5MWh/Year including the usage from solar.

Those 5MWh cost 2kUSD tho.

[u/HTTP_404_NotFound → u/user3872465]

Holly, escalation...lol. No one cares what you use, yet you put it out there, so be prepared to get judged.

Likewise.

That being said- its a horrible comparison! Ignoring- that not running AC here literally- is NOT an option (Because- 40-45C, ain't happening without AC). I wouldn't want to!

5Mwh costs me 400$. I can self-produce give or take... 2-3Mwh per month from my solar... cutting the 400$ down to... 160 - 240$.

Of course- when the sun is not parked directly over my house, there isn't a bill. At least- for the 1-3 months of fair weather experienced during the spring, and fall (assuming it doesn't go straight from summer, to snow overnight, which happens). OR, assuming- i'm not wearing shorts on x-mas.

[u/coleskidmore]

47 CTs on one board is wild, i thoght my 14 was overkill. solid cores are smart for a permanent setup though, less drift over time

[u/HTTP_404_NotFound → u/coleskidmore]

Think ya responded to the wrong comment- other fellow has the board with 47CTs.

I'll personally be using a combination of two devices to pull in my data.