I have been operating my PV system for 18 months with no trouble whatsoever. I have a 8.2 kW Fronius PV inverter and a Victron Quattro 48/5000/70-2x100 Inverter / Charger operating with version 3,42 of Cerbo GX.
I like to keep track of my system’s operation and I use spreadsheets updated daily to analyse performance.
I am a little disapointed that the VRM portal will not totalise the power sent to the grid. Obviously VRM totalises the power received from the grid and integrates all of the positive power import values to generate a dily total - great I use this figure. However much of the day my system is exporting power to the grid (the grid figure is negative) however the VRM portal does not integrate this export figure ans I have to resort to querying the Fronius output to get a magnitude for my power export. It would be really good if VRM Portal could report the export power alongside the import power.
I export about 1/4 of my solar. Some is used for critical loads and most used to offset house loads. Can you not see this data or this is not useful? It’s in the solar pulldown menu.
Owen,
I don’t get that.
Here are a few screenshots taken within seconds of each other that show you what I can see.
Screenshot 1. Overall display showing a feed of 1091 watts to the grid. I believe that this display is incorrect as the grid is fed directly from the Fronius PV inverter so the connection between the PV inverter should be on the left of the VRM
Screenshot 2 Despite there being a substantial amount of power sent to the grid, it is reported as o.o kWh here
Screenshot 3 ’selecting CONSUMPTION’ for display - Grid and Solar import shown. I believe that the Solar figure is composed of direct use and grid export but it is not shown here.
Screenshot 4 This is from the Fronius PV inverter display which shows that today’s export is 18.52 kWh so far. The Gray areas for previous dates are all export.
Screenshot 5 - The VRM solar page which shows direct use and battery charging. The Solar figures do not match up with those from the Fronius.
Boy am I getting confused.
HELP!
Regards
Roderick Peel
rod.peel@gmail.com
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Mob: +591 77066567
I think the data is wrong because you have the inverter connected to the grid and not AC coupled with the multiplus. If I am correct can you remove it from the VRM and see what it looks like. I use a shelly for accurate grid consumption this is what the data looks like I have 2x 5kw grid tied inverters. You might be able to build a custom dashboard in node red to get the data you want from the grid meter.
Thank you Owen,
As I have been running successfully with this configuration for around 18 months I am loathe to change it. The Fronius PV Inverter gives me nearly all of the data that I want and I am sure that the Grid AC is coupled directly to it. The only thing that the Fronius does not give me is any battery information. Fortunately that is available on the VRM Portal.
I will however bring up the subject with my designer and installer. I have every reason to believe that my system was unique in Bolivia when first installed.
Selling electricity to the local power company has (literally) decimated my monthly bills.
Thanks again for your insights.
Regards
Roderick Peel
rod.peel@gmail.com
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Mob: +591 77066567
Something is not correct with the VRM setup and data collection that is for sure. There are no exports shown and you are consuming everything which can’t be true.
Hi again Owen,
If you look at the VRM output it does say that I am consuming everything, however, if you look at the Fronius Production output I get a production figure (total PV power) which is then split into a consumed directly figure and an exported to the grid figure. There is also a Consumption page which gives me a n energy from the grid figure and a consumed directly figure (which is identical to the consumed directly from the Production page). It’s all very confusing although the Fronius export to grid totals match my Statements from my power company fairly well.
Before I started exporting power all seemed simple and I managed my spreadsheets and visuals with (I thought) no problem. It just seems now that the VRM total consumption figure includes the export to the grid as a positive number.