In the early part of this year we were seeing $14.00 monthly electric bills. Last few months we've seen over $200 and over $100. I just checked the main power feeds (L1 & L2). Both were about 20 amps each. Since everything except the AC is 120VAC and the AC is not running at the time of these readings, does that seem like an unreasonable amperage? If I'm calculating this right; 120VAC x 20A = 2400W per line. TV's are off. Just clocks and here and there some 5VDC chargers plugged in. A light or two and a fan.

I have solar and a NET meter. It's supposed to run backwards. I'm uploading a video to YouTube and will link it once it's ready. Brief, just showing a couple readings on the meter that I don't understand.

 

 

Appears wrong. Or is the 20 Amperes reading backfeeding into the grid ?
What is the energy delivered report on the inverter display ? 10 - 20 - 30 KWh daily ? Consider asking an energy meter replacement and the installer to confirm the old and new read both ways. Is there a healthy circuit breaker for the inverter ? Is the firemen 'quick disconnect' operative ?

Street pole mains--------------Main breaker--------------inverter breaker--------------quick disconnect-------------inverter

What is the "received/generated" KWh report on the electric utility bill ? Compare with older bills when things were 'normal'

 

I monitor internal power usage, generation and calculate my usage cost as a reality check on my bill.

 

I wish I could read the house consumption. The way wiring is, I read the energy delivered by the utility to the house and the solar energy I inject back to the grid. But do not know how much of my solar generation is used in the house.

House consumption = solar generation - solar injection excess back to the grid + electric utility incoming energy. I think...

My last billing (I have electric central heating) :

 

Without a legend to identify the traces of the plot it does not explain anything.

 

I track some of the individual energy users. Most of the untracked energy peaks are cooking, clothes/dish washing and drying.

 

The chart that shows power from and to the utility implies that the solar system can handle the whole load most of the time. The consumption chart shows a totally electric house.

 

Or is the 20 Amperes reading backfeeding into the grid ?

I neglected to consider that possibility. Good point. Thanks.
View attachment 356562
View attachment 356563

 

I thought that was what the plot in post #5 showed, but it does not match what Iwould expect a solar array to produce.

 

Post #5 is a photo of my invoice from the electric utility. The months I supply and the months I consume electric energy. Did you expect more ? I have no more southern roof

 

Most of the untracked energy peaks are cooking, clothes/dish washing and drying.

Of late my wife has been cooking a lot of pies. Electric oven, induction cooktop.

We love the induction. Only the pan heats up. Of course there's some heat produced by the electronics but nothing like a radiant cooktop that has to heat the pot by conduction. Meanwhile there's a lot of heat escaping from the element. Similar thing is true with gas. Those two raise the temperature in the kitchen, which means the AC has to run even longer to pump that heat outside.

I wonder if the AC would be more efficient if I were to spray mist water on the condenser core. The compressor is controlled by 24VAC; why not include a 24VAC lawn sprinkler valve to open a water line to fine misters around the condenser. (off topic - I know).

 

Hi.
Yes, efficiency improves. Misters should work better, but a faucet set to dripping falling from an elevated hose hitting a hard surface does sprinkle good if no other equipment on hand. Discarded washing machines are good donors of mains AC electrovalves. Water meters do not register dripping if you want to pay for that.
An extracting fan over the stove helps a lot in summer to alleviate the air conditioner work.

 

Have gone around the house unplugging everything that doesn't need to be plugged in. The entertainment center in the family room, which seldom gets used, has a surge protected set of outlets with a switch. Turned that off. Come to think of it just this moment, there's a second refrigerator in the basement that doesn't need to be plugged in either. Just some cold drinks in it that we never get to. So - - - there are other things that can be removed from the service.
[edit] that freezer is full of fish. Don't want to see THAT go bad. So won't be unplugging that for now.

 

What I meant was that I would expect the contribution from a solar array to rise and fall with sunrise and sunset. I was not referencing the amount of power delivered. Our electrical utility rates vary with the time of day. ALSO, we do not utilize electrical resistance heating except for in the coffee maker.

 

That is what plots are in post #9

 

One more very possible problem would be that your electric meter is not set up to acknowledge power flow into the grid. Consider that for most households that is not possible, and thus the firmware in the electric meter is simply not able to deal with it. If the utility is not able to accept power input, you might be OUT OF LUCK!!
If your utility is either unable or unwilling to arrange for the energy buyback to be operating, your only option is a scheme to transfer loads from the provider to your solar power system.

 

One more very possible problem would be that your electric meter is not set up to acknowledge power flow into the grid.

It's a NET meter. It acknowledges power flowing back to the grid. In other words, it runs forward and backward.

We've done some research. We paid basically the same amount last year. Funny, when the wife encounters something she's unsure of - she concludes that someone hacked us. I'm always alleviating her concerns about being hacked. A website is unaccessible, "We've been hacked." Our internet is down? "We've been hacked." Sometimes it's just Safari needs to be quit and relaunched. I've noticed lately Safari has been a little fidgety.

Back to the electrical issue: Since our bills are basically the same as last year the conclusion is that we're not using more than normal. Perhaps it's time to add some solar panels to the roof. I WILL be looking into that.

 

Certainly a program "needing to be re-launched" indicates that something is not right. It would not be the first time that an outside hacking attempt has caused a problem. Even a non-successful attack can cause a bit of damage by triggering a defense mechanism within the program. And the automated hack-bots are often very persistent.
The standard advice is to check your firewall to see if it needs an update.

 

It's a NET meter. It acknowledges power flowing back to the grid. In other words, it runs forward and backward.

We've done some research. We paid basically the same amount last year. Funny, when the wife encounters something she's unsure of - she concludes that someone hacked us. I'm always alleviating her concerns about being hacked. A website is unaccessible, "We've been hacked." Our internet is down? "We've been hacked." Sometimes it's just Safari needs to be quit and relaunched. I've noticed lately Safari has been a little fidgety.

Back to the electrical issue: Since our bills are basically the same as last year the conclusion is that we're not using more than normal. Perhaps it's time to add some solar panels to the roof. I WILL be looking into that.

When I installed solar panels, I got several quotes from local installers. All of them quoted for a system that would only provide 70-80% of my usage through the year. I ended up buying and installing my own system and I pretty much nailed it at about 1-2% over. As my usage changed, and the panels aged, (and, I believe, the weather became cloudier) I'm generating slightly less than what I use each year. The power company used to refund me for the excess and it's never been more that $100. The last two years, I've paid $20-30 more one or two months out of the year.

I do know that my power company doesn't like customers generating too much excess power. I think they cap it at 120% of usage yearly.