Record whole house Amp usage

[CRenner]

I currently have a 200a main panel. If I have my house rewired to use my XW Pro, my max can not exceed 60a.
Before I go to the expense of rewiring, I want to know if it will work.

This winter my house is averaging 10kWh per day. But my horse barn uses another 10kWh per day (heated water buckets).

 

[1201]

What's the question?

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

Sounds like you want a device like an Emporia Vue or something similar. It can monitor whole home power usage using amp clamps (as well as individual circuits).

It's not going to give Fluke meter levels of resolution, but it should give you a general idea.

 

[CRenner]

I have an Emporia Vue, I want to record the highest value of amp usage so I can see if I exceed 60a.

 

[goodoleme]

Install a BCS and or a CLP with a wattnode.

 

[BentleyJ]

The Emporia can show Watts or Amps. When Amps is selected it will list L1 (A) & L2 (B) Amps separately.

 

[BentleyJ]

What I meant to say was, With the BCS, Peak Load Shave function is disabled as well as the AC2 for Gen input as this terminal is used for AC sensing.

 

[goodoleme]

maybe this will help,

 

[Supervstech]

List all electeical items in the house

 

[BKY2003]

Deleted
XW6848 would not the BCS grid catch the overage?

I was under the impression that the BCS would supplement the XW6848 over and above the 60amps. Like they would work together? Is this so? So, if you had one xw6848 would not the BCS grid catch the overage.

 

[rogerheflin]

List all electeical items in the house

List all large electrical items.

Things like electric heaters, electric hot water tanks, electric kettles, microwaves, clothes dryers, AC/Heat Pump, well pumps.

My house has a Large 5ton high-efficiency AC unit, and a clothes dryer. Running both of those I have to be careful what else I run as running both of those is close to 35-40A total, so that leaves me 8-13A remaining to hit the 48A max(80%) on a 60A circuit.

 

[goodoleme]

Why would you take a 200a service down to 48a? It does not matter what the loads are, that's the point. Like I said, before the BCS we used CLP, then CLP with wattnode then the BCS. With the price of the BCS around 1200esh its a no brainer, the wattnode is 400 alone.

 

[BentleyJ]

With the BCS the power flow is altered. The Inverter certainly could supplement loads and sell back excess solar, if any is available or not depending on the Wattnode set up. If a large load turns on then 100% of solar production is consumed and the grid would supplement the difference via the BCS. However, that is only when solar is available. The BCS configuration eliminates the possibility of using Peak Load Shave which is the feature that allows reducing grid usage while the inverter-batteries support loads any time day or night depending on how the timers are set.
Note: Even when PLS is available in a conventional, non BCS installation, the Schneider does not max out inverter output then supplement from the grid. Its due to the way the Load Shave Amps setting works.

 

[CRenner]

What I was thinking of doing, was a line side tap to the inverter, then to the main panel by an interlock.
This would be cheaper since I already have the XW Pro.

 

[BentleyJ]

That would work. Code would most likely require a breaker or disconnect on the line side tap to completely isolate the inverter AC1 Input.

 

[CRenner]

I just watched the video on the BCS unit.
Does the grid connect through it to the main panel and to the XW Pro at the same time?

 

[BKY2003]

https://www.solar-electric.com/lib/wind-sun/XW-Pro-BCS-Multi-Unit-Guide.pdf

It can be placed between the main panel and the grid or connected to a breaker in the main panel. The first would be better because the BCS would not be limited by the breaker size.

 

[BKY2003]

Schneider Electric 865-BCS-2200 Backup Control Switch

Schneider Electric 865-BCS-2200 Backup Control Switch For Whole Home or Partial Home Backup.

www.solar-electric.com

More info under product documents

 

[BKY2003]

Losing load shave for the BCS would be a big deal for someone that wants to use their batteries at night.

 

[CRenner]

So power would come from the grid to the BCS, then flow both to the main load panel and the XW pro.
Up to 60a would come from the XW and anything over that from the BCS?

Yes, losing load shaving might kill this.

 

[glandpuck]

This is just throwing it out there, but buried in our utility bill is a number which gives the maximum amount of watts consumed in 1 hour for the month. In our case, it is usually 13,000-14,000 after midnite when we charge electric vehicles and cool or heat the home for sleeping. So I know about 58 amps is my maximum draw. If our meter can do this from our utility, you may have this number hidden in your bill or be able to request it from your utility.

 

[CRenner]

Mine only does total for the month.

I focused only on amps but Emporia Vue will only give me watts. I'm sure I could convert it.
Every now and then I run off grid to exercise my batteries. I realized that my XW is feeding my load panel on a 30a breaker!
I have never run the dryer or AC on it but will try.

 

[BKY2003]

On my meter I have the symbol PD which is the highest amount of amps used that month. If you have that on your meter you could turn everything on and check the reading.

• What it means: "PD" indicates the highest amount of electricity your home or business used at any one time during the billing period.

 

[CRenner]

Is that on the physical meter outside your house?

 

[BKY2003]

Sorry it’s not amps it’s KW on mine. 7.77kw

The letters “PD” are visible when the Focus meter displays peak demand data. In this example, peak. demand is 6.87 kW.