Hi All

 

Is there something that I need to do to stop the Tshwane prepaid meter from counting down units when pushing back to the grid. I do get this icon for reverse indication on the meter.

Hexing HXE110-P

 

 

Thank you in advance.

Edited January 12, 20223 yr by m0skva

What do you mean by "counting down units"? Is your balance being reduced with the amount that you are exporting?

If so, then you need to set the inverter to "Zero Export" in order to not send units into the grid and you may need to set a trickle feed in order for the inverter to constantly pull a small amount of electricity from the grid (usually around 50w).

43 minutes ago, EugeneS said:

What do you mean by "counting down units"? Is your balance being reduced with the amount that you are exporting?

If so, then you need to set the inverter to "Zero Export" in order to not send units into the grid and you may need to set a trickle feed in order for the inverter to constantly pull a small amount of electricity from the grid (usually around 50w).

HI EugeneS

Yes, the balance on the prepaid meter keeps on reducing. The installer of the prepaid meter from Tshwane told me that I will be able to push back in to the grid, so Exporting to grid. All the excess power that I generate from the solar I want to push back in to the grid.

 

The Zero export function is working, but that is not what I want to do.

What the installer of the meter meant is that the meter will not go into tamper mode and disconnect. You will still have to pay for any exports. In short, you cannot export and should set your inverter accordingly.

14 hours ago, P1000 said:

What the installer of the meter meant is that the meter will not go into tamper mode and disconnect. You will still have to pay for any exports. In short, you cannot export and should set your inverter accordingly.

Hi P1000

I specifically asked the installer if I could push back in to the grid and he said yes.

Just now, m0skva said:

Hi P1000

I specifically asked the installer if I could push back in to the grid and he said yes.

Yes. You can push back to the grid; but it will cost you.

28 minutes ago, m0skva said:

Hi P1000

I specifically asked the installer if I could push back in to the grid and he said yes.

And he answered truthfully but incompletely. In any municipality where feeding back is allowed, you must at least have a special two way meter, configured to allow the feedback. 

Also, in most cases it is not worth your while. Tshwane allow it, sure, but it will probably mean the aforementioned meter, probably at your cost, and a change to a reseller's tariff. Check the tariffs. COJ allow reselling but it simply isn't worth it for most homeowners (if you have business premises with lots of space for panels then maybe) so I set my system to not export.

However it exports a little every day. I presume this is to try to reset the usual small movement on the meter, but it doesn't work - which may again be down to the meter. But we are talking a few rand a month here, and the cure, for me, is to go on to the reseller's package which will mean about R700 a month in flat fees, a new meter at my expense, and a buy back tariff of... I can't remember, but a good distance south of R1 per kw/h exported. So I take that small loss every month.

Summary
1) Get a copy of the tariffs and do the sums and see if there is a net benefit to you reselling.
2) In the meantime set your inverter to not export.

8 minutes ago, Bobster said:

And he answered truthfully but incompletely. In any municipality where feeding back is allowed, you must at least have a special two way meter, configured to allow the feedback. 

Also, in most cases it is not worth your while. Tshwane allow it, sure, but it will probably mean the aforementioned meter, probably at your cost, and a change to a reseller's tariff. Check the tariffs. COJ allow reselling but it simply isn't worth it for most homeowners (if you have business premises with lots of space for panels then maybe) so I set my system to not export.

However it exports a little every day. I presume this is to try to reset the usual small movement on the meter, but it doesn't work - which may again be down to the meter. But we are talking a few rand a month here, and the cure, for me, is to go on to the reseller's package which will mean about R700 a month in flat fees, a new meter at my expense, and a buy back tariff of... I can't remember, but a good distance south of R1 per kw/h exported. So I take that small loss every month.

Summary
1) Get a copy of the tariffs and do the sums and see if there is a net benefit to you reselling.
2) In the meantime set your inverter to not export.

Thank you Bobster

 

So it is not the case as with the old post paid meters where the meter will actually turn back?

My inverter is set to no export, I only had it in export mode to see what the prepaid meter did.

1 hour ago, m0skva said:

Thank you Bobster

 

So it is not the case as with the old post paid meters where the meter will actually turn back?

My inverter is set to no export, I only had it in export mode to see what the prepaid meter did.

It is the case that there is an extra level of complexity with pre-paid meters. Makes sense, they have to track consumption AND credit.

I always wonder when I hear these stories about meters running backwards. I think it's OK if you are still a net consumer, but imagine this situation
Opening reading 123456
Closing reading   123433

Any half way decent billing system would be built to cope with a scenario where a meter will eventually get to 999999 and then to 000000. What would such a system do with such figures?

Edited January 13, 20223 yr by Bobster

On 2022/01/13 at 9:09 AM, Bobster said:

It is the case that there is an extra level of complexity with pre-paid meters. Makes sense, they have to track consumption AND credit.

I always wonder when I hear these stories about meters running backwards. I think it's OK if you are still a net consumer, but imagine this situation
Opening reading 123456
Closing reading   123433

Any half way decent billing system would be built to cope with a scenario where a meter will eventually get to 999999 and then to 000000. What would such a system do with such figures?

It would just continue from 99999 to whatever the next reading is. Mine must have done it 4 times in 33 years. 

The Conlog prepaid in Tshwane is very bad news. Glad to hear the Hexing just like some Landis just record the actual export and then charge you for it as if consumed. 

Edited January 20, 20223 yr by Scorp007

20 hours ago, Scorp007 said:

It would just continue from 99999 to whatever the next reading is. Mine must have done it 4 times in 33 years.

Sure. But if it goes from 999956 to 000002 then that's no real problem. But do the same calculation using the figures that I provided and you will get a nasty surprise when you bill comes through the letter box.

8 hours ago, Bobster said:

Sure. But if it goes from 999956 to 000002 then that's no real problem. But do the same calculation using the figures that I provided and you will get a nasty surprise when you bill comes through the letter box.

The known risk if you have not registered your system and you are a net exporter. We know of many guys that might be using their grid tied systems this way. If one cannot pay the R2. 50 x 99 999kwh while it is being investigated the power could be switched off. 

Great to share an illegal system in public until inspections are done and then............ 

Exporting solar in Tshwane is not financially viable. The buy back rate is 11.4c/kWh while my prepaid purchases average out at R2.83/unit. Make sure you have a CT coil installed and set it to zero export as others have said.

1 hour ago, Scubadude said:

Exporting solar in Tshwane is not financially viable. The buy back rate is 11.4c/kWh while my prepaid purchases average out at R2.83/unit. Make sure you have a CT coil installed and set it to zero export as others have said.

@Scubadude

Thanks a lot for the info. Do you perhaps know what make and model of prepaid meters Tshwane are currently installing.

 

On 2022/01/22 at 7:10 AM, Scubadude said:

Exporting solar in Tshwane is not financially viable. The buy back rate is 11.4c/kWh while my prepaid purchases average out at R2.83/unit. Make sure you have a CT coil installed and set it to zero export as others have said.

I'm wondering if it's financially viable anywhere. I live in Jhb and I could export some power most days, but I'd have to change to the reseller's tariff, which means about R700 a month in flat fees, plus I'd have to pay over a grand for the required meter. At the rate they buy back at, I'd have to export a lot to effect an actual saving, so it's cheaper for me to just not export.

5 hours ago, Bobster said:

I'm wondering if it's financially viable anywhere. I live in Jhb and I could export some power most days, but I'd have to change to the reseller's tariff, which means about R700 a month in flat fees, plus I'd have to pay over a grand for the required meter. At the rate they buy back at, I'd have to export a lot to effect an actual saving, so it's cheaper for me to just not export.

Covered in another post on this forum, but Nelson Mandela Bay municipality (PE/Gqeberha, Uitenhage/Kariega, and Despatch) has quite a fair setup for exporting to the grid, and I believe it can be financially viable there, even if it might not work for all users. Until proven otherwise, I believe this is the ideal model that other municipalities should have followed for residential users.

What would be great is if they could actually provide a plan where you can never earn money, only reduce your 30 day window expense.  So in other words, they'll never owe you money, but if you have enough export, neither will you owe any money.  I think a LOT of people would be happy with that arrangement and they get free power.

But ofc our government only thinks about the loss of revenue so will never happen. (given there is now talks of increasing prices for any home with solar by 1000%)

A acceptable arrangement in one of the smaller town in the Western Cape is to allow export but with a bi-directional meter but you pay 6c per unit more for actual consumption. Acceptable in the sense that you don't have to go the CT clamp route so you export what you want.