Monitor real time energy usage with Google

[taredog]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...here in Arizona it's APS (Arizona Public Service) but the "service" HERE is more accutately related to what Bulls provide to Cows.

Oh come on, they only ask for rate increases about twice a year. They love us!

And that ain't no bull.

Well said OTM.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by taredog

Apparently I've had a "smart meter" for about 12 years. No one from the electric company comes in to the yard to read the meter. I think they do it from a vehicle driving by. So how is this supposed to work? We buy a receiver from you or google?

You're on to something here. Apparently, most modern meters provides data when "PINGed". It has to be a wireless output of sorts. If someone can hack something like a "cent-a-meter" device, you've got it in real time. Develop an output of sorts for a computer log and you have the Google product without the need to purchase their product, service, or broadcast to the Net.

Any electronic gurus out there to develop your own?

RH77

[zjrog]

Hafta see if my local utility works with this...

[jkp1187]

Interesting idea, but I was thinking of getting something that isn't dependent on teh Internets.

Has anyone used one of the real-time home energy monitors - like these?

TED 1001 The Energy Detective | TerraPass: fight global warming, reduce your carbon footprint

Home Energy PowerCost Monitor - free shipping | TerraPass: fight global warming, reduce your carbon footprint

They seem to be a level above the basic Kill-A-Watt.

[dremd]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Interesting idea, but I was thinking of getting something that isn't dependent on teh Internets.

Has anyone used one of the real-time home energy monitors - like these?

TED 1001 The Energy Detective | TerraPass: fight global warming, reduce your carbon footprint

Home Energy PowerCost Monitor - free shipping | TerraPass: fight global warming, reduce your carbon footprint

They seem to be a level above the basic Kill-A-Watt.

Buddy of mine has a TED; works very well; any questions?

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by dremd

Buddy of mine has a TED; works very well; any questions?

Hard to hook up? Did he get any flack from meter readers for connecting something from the meter?

[dremd]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Hard to hook up? Did he get any flack from meter readers for connecting something from the meter?

Well; the CT's (pickups) are not split, so you do have to pass the feed lines through them. which in his case required pulling the meeter to do safely (would have to do live otherwise). We called the power company; cost $100 for them to allow you (licensed electrician) to pull the meter, or if the tag is cut they charge you a $100 electricity misuse fee; however the lady told us that if the tag looks ok then they don't care. We carefully took the tag apart, did our job, and re-installed the tag no problems. if you have a disconnect/ main breaker this might not be an issue . . ..

Cliffs, have to pass feed wires through a loop may require lots of trouble.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by dremd

Well; the CT's (pickups) are not split, so you do have to pass the feed lines through them. which in his case required pulling the meeter to do safely (would have to do live otherwise). We called the power company; cost $100 for them to allow you (licensed electrician) to pull the meter, or if the tag is cut they charge you a $100 electricity misuse fee; however the lady told us that if the tag looks ok then they don't care. We carefully took the tag apart, did our job, and re-installed the tag no problems. if you have a disconnect/ main breaker this might not be an issue . . ..

Cliffs, have to pass feed wires through a loop may require lots of trouble.

Hmm. Sounds a bit more involved than I was hoping. I mean, I'm only paying a flat $0.085/kWh and I don't think there's any major power losses going on, just wanted it because I like having numbers to enter into a spreadsheet. Don't want the final price tag to crack $200, that's for sure. Would take quite a while to recoup that.

I might go with the cheaper one I listed above, it says it is not necessary to have an electrician install it....

[NiHaoMike]

Wouldn't an open source meter based on Hall effect current sensors be more accurate than inductive pickups with nonlinear loads?