28 minutes ago, plonkster said:

cos(theta) is the power factor, the "90% resistive" you speak of. I've also seen it referred to a cos(phi), using a different greek letter. It's exactly the same thing. The cosine of the phase angle IS the power factor :-)

An inverter that is feeding into the grid, especially one that is using a grid limiter, that is one that attempts to feed in exactly as much power as is used, creates a power vector that is equal but opposite to the power vector of the consumption. The result is that the combined phase angle is going to be perpendicular and you will get insanely low power factors when measured at the metering point.

I can't exactly remember what my point was about that though :-)

 

29 minutes ago, Launge said:

We have one geyser for upstairs which is run on eskom and one with evacuated tubes for downstairs. 

The one upstairs is never used and is always off at the db.

Geywise timer install also. 

Prior to having solar installed were we averaging 22kwh and both geysers were running off eskom back then. 

Now we're averaging 10kwh more while pretty much shutting off everything at night. Inverter shows a load of 18w to 20w when we shut down for the eve. 

So I the only thing I can think of is either something is wrong with this install, maybe we're feeding back into the grid or the meter must be faulty somehow. 

I want to make sure all is right in my side before I contact city of jhb. 

Also if there is someone knowledge ranburg side that can help please let me know. 

 

This is beyond frustrating at this point

And if you by pass the solar system to test only what happens?

As in shut down the inverter? 

Everything connected to the inverter like plugs and lights go off. Pool pump and upstairs geyser still work 

So just the upstairs geyser is connected to eskom. The other one is vac tubed with a geyser wise timer. 

 

Edited September 20, 20187 yr by Launge

20 minutes ago, Erastus said:

I thought this was not feeding into the grid

It's not entirely clear what it is doing :-)

I think with these inverters, if you set them to "Off-grid" they actually run grid disconnected, as in they actually open up their "backfeed" relay/transfer switch and run purely from the battery, and only fall back to the grid really quickly if conditions mandate it. If so, it makes my entire story off-topic and for interest only.

But lots of setups do claim to be "off-grid" when they really mean they are "grid neutral" because they use some kind of grid limiter device... and for those kinds of inverters, which are actually connected to the grid, this power factor anomaly is very real and it catches people off-guard, especially sparkies who have never seen a PF that low who clamps their clamp meter onto it and can't figure out why there is current :-)

Last min act of desperation. 

 

Anyone willing to stop by my place and check out the system. Ranburg side. Name your price. Message me if your interested 

Ignore the side conversations. You have an Axpert. It cannot feed back into the grid (the other debate is whether it could do so by accident, aka a safety discussion, not one of operation). So it is not your inverter causing this.

Either you are actually using more than you thought, there is something wrong with the meter, or the people reading the meter made a mistake, or there is a mistake at the billing dept. Or power theft.

The first thing to do is to take daily readings of your meter and keep it in a spreadsheet. I've been doing this for 5 years (for me it is easy, I get "home" from work, have coffee... then read the water and electricity meters, write it down, then help the kids with homework, then bath time... so it's pretty much at 6PM every day, it's just part of the routine).

This is by far the simplest thing to do.

Then if the reading appears to be too high, then one can look at installing something to measure it. I don't normally advise these Efergy clamp things, but you could use one of those. If it's at least within 20% or so of what the council meter says, then the council meter is likely accurate, and you have to hunt down the phantom loads that's costing you all that money. Or the thief... might be the same thing :-)

Thanks plonkster! 

All I really wanted to know. 

The one thing I've noticed is that I have a different meter from all my neighbour's which is strange to say the least. 

This eve I'm considering shutting the down the all the jumpers at the eskom box as soon as I take a reading. House should be completely running off the batteries. 

Then see if I have the same reading in the morning. 

2 hours ago, plonkster said:

Ignore the side conversations. You have an Axpert. It cannot feed back into the grid (the other debate is whether it could do so by accident, aka a safety discussion, not one of operation). So it is not your inverter causing this.

Either you are actually using more than you thought, there is something wrong with the meter, or the people reading the meter made a mistake, or there is a mistake at the billing dept. Or power theft.

The first thing to do is to take daily readings of your meter and keep it in a spreadsheet. I've been doing this for 5 years (for me it is easy, I get "home" from work, have coffee... then read the water and electricity meters, write it down, then help the kids with homework, then bath time... so it's pretty much at 6PM every day, it's just part of the routine).

This is by far the simplest thing to do.

Then if the reading appears to be too high, then one can look at installing something to measure it. I don't normally advise these Efergy clamp things, but you could use one of those. If it's at least within 20% or so of what the council meter says, then the council meter is likely accurate, and you have to hunt down the phantom loads that's costing you all that money. Or the thief... might be the same thing :-)

SO important. They lost 4 years meter readings. Told me my meter turned over and loaded my account it ended at R400K

3 hours ago, plonkster said:

The first thing to do is to take daily readings of your meter and keep it in a spreadsheet. I've been doing this for 5 years (for me it is easy, I get "home" from work, have coffee... then read the water and electricity meters, write it down, then help the kids with homework, then bath time... so it's pretty much at 6PM every day, it's just part of the routine).

I have been doing the same for the last 3+ months, take readings at 6PM and again at 6AM. I also get the midnight reading from the prepaid meter of the total usage from the previous midnight. PLUS I also compare this with my Efergy clamp (which seems to be about 4kW more per day)

7 hours ago, Erastus said:

Jup was thinking the same

That isolator is perfectly rated for nightime  use.

7 hours ago, Launge said:

Last min act of desperation. 

 

Anyone willing to stop by my place and check out the system. Ranburg side. Name your price. Message me if your interested 

I’m pretty sure you will be able to sort this out by yourself. It’s not rocket science.

let me know if you want to borrow an energy meter for a week or two

Jaws im getting there thanks to Chris and Erastus.

Id love to borrow the meter bud