Home Power Monitoring

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Home Power Monitoring

Jase2985

13457 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#214115 28-Apr-2017 11:54

Ive read a few of the older threads on here about this but i would like to see more current information/advice on this

Basically we are looking to build in the next few years and would like to start monitoring our energy usage so that we know now much we are using and when, and also to see if solar, and or solar + battery's are going to make economical sense for us

I would like a system that is accessible from the local enviroment, ie i can get the data locally, i don't necessarily need "cloud" storage for the data, but if the option is there then thats also a +.

I have had a quick look at Owl, and efergy, and also OpenEnergyMonitor. but im still a little confused as to what i should be getting.

Just needs to be simple to use and get the information from.

1 | 2

387 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1771822 28-Apr-2017 12:34

If you are only after what your whole household is using in a given hour, your power company should have this information. Have you tried logging on to their portal? Alternatively you could switch to a power company that does.

Sounddude

I fix stuff!
1928 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

2degrees

Lifetime subscriber

#1771833 28-Apr-2017 12:49

I use a product called nuerio http://neur.io/

Supports both the cloud and has API's to pull the data off locally.

Works well for my needs and can support solar.

Disrespective

1925 posts

Uber Geek

#1771869 28-Apr-2017 13:21

Sounddude:

I use a product called nuerio http://neur.io/

Supports both the cloud and has API's to pull the data off locally.

Works well for my needs and can support solar.

Do you find the appliance detection decent?

Amosnz

567 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1771883 28-Apr-2017 13:47

I have an efergy that I setup years ago, in terms of whole house power usage it gives a far greater visibility than a power company website. It's cloud based but you can run reports to download the data from specified time periods. I recently did a comparison between my current provider and Flick for a couple of months in 2016, the efergy was able to give me all the usage data I needed.

When I first got mine I used the clamp around individual circuits and flicked things on and off to see the usage of individual devices (the clamps then got moved to the main circuit for long term usage).

Speedtest

Jase2985

13457 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#1771979 28-Apr-2017 15:36

ghettomaster:

If you are only after what your whole household is using in a given hour, your power company should have this information. Have you tried logging on to their portal? Alternatively you could switch to a power company that does.

Yep i do know that and i can get accurate reading down to the day level but i would like something more accurate, and hourly is still not accurate enough. Plus im not changing power companies as im getting about as good a deal as you can.

@Amosnz do you know the model number of it?

Amosnz

567 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1771991 28-Apr-2017 15:55

I went for the Efergy Hub Kit http://efergy.com/nz/products/energy-gateways/engage-hub-kit#.WQK7bMYlFaQ but paid a bit extra and swapped the transmitter for the DIN rail mounted one (cant find the link to that now). Makes the switchboard a bit neater.

Speedtest

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772767 30-Apr-2017 11:18

I put in a Flukso several years ago which at the time was the best I could identify in terms of working as advertised, flexibility, functionality, etc. I haven't looked recently but it's still working as advertised after several years and is being actively developed and supported.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

richms

28168 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772769 30-Apr-2017 11:33

Amosnz:

I went for the Efergy Hub Kit http://efergy.com/nz/products/energy-gateways/engage-hub-kit#.WQK7bMYlFaQ but paid a bit extra and swapped the transmitter for the DIN rail mounted one (cant find the link to that now). Makes the switchboard a bit neater.

I just hope whatever components they use in it are better than the ego they make. My 2 are both dead now, signs are dead caps - power light just dimly flashes. It used to come on eventually if I left it but now just flash away for weeks if left plugged in. Cant open them because they use a stupid screw to close it and I dont have a triangle bit that fits.

Richard rich.ms

ANglEAUT

2320 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772806 30-Apr-2017 12:26

richms:

Amosnz: I went for the Efergy Hub Kit...

I just hope whatever components they use in it are better than the ego they make....

The Efergy unit is the only one with a display unit that I can wall mount for the whole family to see. If I'm the only one with the app on my phone or access to the web dashboard, then I can't drive behaviour change to decrease our usage. For me, that display unit is an important part of the equation to get something like this.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

timmmay

20574 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772808 30-Apr-2017 12:51

You can get small inline meters that go in the fusebox. Putting one on each circuit could work, but may not be precise enough.

With Flick I get half hourly reporting.

If you look at threads I started, on similar topics, people have other suggestions. I never actually implemented any, because it seemed like too much hassle for the potential return.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772809 30-Apr-2017 12:58

A lot of those use current clamps, which aren't nearly as precise as pulse-counting meters. Also if you've got a DIN-rail power board the meters are a lot less intrusive to install.

Jase2985

13457 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#1772812 30-Apr-2017 13:24

timmmay:

If you look at threads I started, on similar topics, people have other suggestions. I never actually implemented any, because it seemed like too much hassle for the potential return.

that was one of 3-4 that i did read. For a small outlay of a couple of hundred $$, to me its worth it to know what my base load is and also when use power in the house.

I want to be a informed as i can when/if it comes to getting a solar system. We are looking to build in a couple of years so seems like the best time to start.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772814 30-Apr-2017 13:27

It was worth it for me too, it both told me that my idea of what was using power where wasn't very accurate, and pointed out that the cowboys who wired up this place had hooked things up in completely unexpected ways, e.g. wiring the heat pump into the same circuit as the fridge, and all sorts of other peculiarities.

timmmay

20574 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1772827 30-Apr-2017 13:42

Jase2985:

timmmay:

If you look at threads I started, on similar topics, people have other suggestions. I never actually implemented any, because it seemed like too much hassle for the potential return.

that was one of 3-4 that i did read. For a small outlay of a couple of hundred $$, to me its worth it to know what my base load is and also when use power in the house.

I want to be a informed as i can when/if it comes to getting a solar system. We are looking to build in a couple of years so seems like the best time to start.

Could half hourly be enough? I can tell from that when hot water is heating (because it's on a timer), when heating comes on (on a timer), and because I know that I can take a guess at everything else. It's not perfect, but it's free.

Jase2985

13457 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#1772834 30-Apr-2017 13:51

im not looking to change power companies at the moment because given the deal we are currently on i don't think we would end up saving anything by doing so.

hence wanting something to better monitor the power

1 | 2