Grid Tied Solar PV Power System

I think the solar system would need to tie in "downstream" of the meter.

You are right.

Both the supplies can not work in parallel unless their out puts are synchronised.

A GA for the explanation.

The Itron C1S is such a double counting meter. This device came easy to tamper with, if upside down, the original base version counted backwards, that is why it has been "upgraded as a stealing- cheating" substandard.

Food for Court houses?

Now all the solar providers pay also the full price for their generated energy on top.

If there is a bureau of standards, this should be forbidden as unlawful.

Or is one foot also 24 inches or even more?

In Australia, a digital meter usually has two programs inside. One program accumulates when grid input exceeds solar, the second when solar input exceeds grid. The 2 readings are charged differently, the first at normal grid rates (for which you pay), the second at the special rate (for which, in principle, you get a credit). The second rate is taxable, because you have earned money from the utility. The two readings do not tell you how much solar you have generated. You need to refer to the inverter for this information.

As with you, the inverter is tied to the grid, and switches off when the grid goes down. There are two switches on the solar link, one DC (solar panel output) and one AC (inverter output). To isolate solar, switch off AC first, then DC. Never switch off DC switch when solar is generating.

Grid tied inverters do not like the AC to be switched off first. They are generating a load to drop of in the grid all the time. (some like every 1/10,000nd of a second) When switching off the AC first, this energy has to be absorbed by the inverter itself. This can pose a serious problem for the AC side MOSFETS. My advice: read the inverter manual before deciding what to switch off first. When the DC is switched off first, this energy package cannot build up and thus, hasn't to be released with switching.

Your solar system must be tied in to your electrical feed on the house side of the meter.

A standard electrical meter is a "detented" meter (one way). This meter must be replaced with a bi-directional meter. Your power company should be able to supply this.

Hey guys, is this normal operating mode on this site, to re-state almost verbatim what others have already contributed?

Yep. There seems to be a common issue of some people being too important to be bothered with reading others posts first.

Heck some dont bother themselves with even reading what the OP actualy wrote either.

This guy does a lot of work here.

Hi Logan,

Think about this site as a round table discussion.

Sometimes several people with the same opinion garner more weight than otherwise.

Your saying "A standard electrical meter is a "detented" meter (one way)" makes sense, but wish if you have any supportive techical information for better understanding.

"There is nothing as a STANDARD electrical meter". The oldies with the typical voltage and current coil(s) and the spinning wheel, whether with digits or clockworks normally spin forward and backwards. There is no such as a one way valve like the water supply wants you to put in the line.

The later generation " smart meters" do measure also through coils or CT's (sometimes built inside the meter)

You can simplify the working principle as packets counters. A packet is a load filling up in time till a (full) value has been reached to go one digit up or down. They have sometimes a display with a LED that flashes or a little block in LCD display that represents a partial load. EKM counts 800 pulses per kWh Itron has 3 square blocks and when the fourth has been reached the digit changes.

Smart meters add, but also subtract the digits, representing the loads passed.

The current flow is simple: from the higher voltage from the inverter towards a lower voltage where a load is active. I do some metering at different places.

I can see what all the inverters generate before I send it in my private part of the grid. The smart meter just after the Power company's meter does not really register the production and the usage separately. When I have a lot of loads on, the current doesn't even flow back through the smart meter but will be used first where needed.

Here is a main point:

When your production (solar) is lower than what you use on a permanent basis, the meter won't even react on what you produce, as long as you keep your load higher.

My inverters do not inform me about the yield, that's why I EKM meter it. The info in one of the post - check the inverter results - is correct. But for reasons explained, a smart meter from the company will not indicate the correct production numbers.

What is referred to as a 'one way' meter is one that simply has a ratcheting mechanism attached to the spinning disk so that it can not physically spin backward if power is being pushed back onto the utility lines.

Its just a mechanical meter thats rigged to never count backward if a person is doing any co-gen actions exceeding their personal power consumption.

Most meters now will not allow you to do "Net Metering" where your bill is reduced by the amount you generate.

Depending on what state in the US, the policies and requirements can cause a potential Retail Electric Customer a lot of headaches and a lot of money.

Payback is iffy even assuming you can surmount these "Gotcha's".

Here's a link to a study done in Texas where you can see the details of the problem.

http://www.citizen.org/documents/Public%20Citizen%20Netmetering%20Report.pdf

It's rather discouraging considering the state of the power grid.

Good Luck!

reverse blocking is not possible in AC ,just you can go off grid OR synchronise the both

sources (grid & solar) but you will be in loss due to line rent and service charges (in case your meter can reverse to grid)........regards

Grid connect inverters will only output power if there is mains power present (design requirement for safety).

When Mains power is present the inverter synchronises to it automatically and only outputs 'in phase' power.

The property power meter is designed to measure power flow in into the property from the mains (when the PV/wind system is generating less power than is being consumed) and also to measure power flow out of the property to the mains (when the generated power exceeds the consumed power).

In my system these are accumulated separately and listed separately on my statement, I receive credit at the feed in tariff rate for the power fed into the grid and pay for power from the grid at the normal user rate for power used from the grid.

A lot of what you ask depends on your location. The meter may or may not be able to run backwards. To find out you need to ask your electricity provider.

Also it is better to have the connection on the house side of the meter if you are looking for savings. The most the electrical companies will pay you is the wholesale price per KW. So if on the grid side of the meter all you save is the wholesale cost of what you produced. If installed on the house side you will save some of the fees they tack on per KW hour used. As what you produced will lower the meter reading.

Now can you get a meter that will turn both ways. Back to your location and the utility company. In many places laws were made so utility companies had to buy it. But the how was left out.

The power company will bill you for what you consume after subtracting what your solar system produces. So, the meter is designed to register the net consumption of your house. If your solar cell system produces more than what you consume (during a long absence from your home, for example) the meter should be able to register the extra power you are delivering to the grid.

Generally you will sign a contract with the power company where the details of the transfer of electric power will be worked out.

Abe