Wiser Power Measurement 'Virtual Channel' config for Dual Solar

Hi All,
While working on a client problem I found something that others may find useful. Thanks to Newman for his input which culminated in a 'Eureka moment' and idea being turned into a useful tool for Wiser installs.

I wanted to display two solar inverter outputs as a single solar output. Many clients have two smaller arrays and three inbound phases with the Wiser only able to track and record 4 history measurement channels. I started by doing this with inbuilt systemIOs presented as text string (see my other post for the text displayed Solar Total http://www.cbusforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7083&highlight=wiser+solar&page=3), but then I wanted the history and the great graphs to be correct for the client.

What I was trying to do was create a Solar Total 'Virtual Channel' for the Power Meter Widget to follow that summed TWO solar channels into single solar output meter so this could form one channel of the Wiser's maximum of four monitored and history recorded power meter channels .
So I virtualised the Solar Power Meter configuration.

In Measurement Application Manager
see attached jpgs 1 & 2.
Create a 'Virtual' measurement channel (in this case unit 242) and set it as controllable. This allows the Wiser to write to the measurement channel.
Also you will find that the Power Meter Manager gets populated. See jpg 3.


Logic Module
under 'Modules' section - logic module called 'Solar Total'

once (Second = 55) then // IMPORTANT - don't run this code every cycle - once a minute is ample
begin
s_power1 := GetRealIBSystemIO("Measurement App Real Value", 254, 201, 1);
s_power2 := GetRealIBSystemIO("Measurement App Real Value", 254, 201, 2);
s_powertot := s_power1 + s_power2;
SetRealIBSystemIO("Measurement App Real Value", 254, 242, 3, s_powertot);
end;


of course, under 'Global Variables' section define
s_power1 : real;
s_power2 : real;
s_powertot : real;


In Widget Manager

See jpg 4. You just use the 'Virtual' channel, being 242 using the name from Measurement Application Manager / Power Meter Manager.

So you will end up getting a Wiser meter displaying the sum of the two physical solar channels using the 'virtual' measurement channel unit 242. Unit 242 channel 3 is not on a 5504CMU, it is just acting as a virtual analogue power meter.

After transferring to the Wiser, History and graphs seem to be updating properly (though I haven't yet had time to do exhaustive testing to ensure this as I have been too busy with end of year installs etc. But the graph is an amalgamation of the kWh of the two physical channels and looks right.


In my mind, an even more interesting use of this 'virtual' channel method is that it could be used creatively to put together any mix of different real channels into one graphed total. eg RackTotal : = rack1+rack2+rack3-poolsub-videosystem; etc. then display the RackTotal virtual unit.

What's more, you could even use the method to display and log information (almost anything numerical) other than just Power Meter information. Maybe the Clipsal dev guys could even slightly modify the Power Management graphing widget to not just display '$','CO2' and 'kW' but to display for example 0C-(Degrees Celsuis), Kts (knots for wind speed etc) or % for moisture etc

Happy New Year, Have Fun and Enjoy,

Brad

 

Well done. It looks like a good solution.

 

Hi,

We also have an a solar array and 2 CMU's for the monitoring of mains incoming and solar incoming. As I understand from the forums the Wigets within wiser at this point can only show the values of 1 CMU (4 Channels) and we need to display 3 channels on each:-

3 channels for Mains 3 phases (CMU 1) Channel 4 spare
3 channels for Solar 3 phases (CMU 2) Channel 4 spare

This is not a big issue as we also have a CTS which can show all the values.

The problem we have is when the solar array produces greater than the mains we will always get a positive value on the mains CMU making the monitoring void.

My thinking was to use switch between our Gas heating system to electric system once we are producing enough solar to cope (which happens very often as the array is 12Kw and our needs are around 2Kw)

The obvious problem is the CT's will not show a negative value on the mains when solar = greater than mains it always positive regardless of importing 1kw or exporting 1kw. I assume that if you can some how deduct solar from mains value then your heading in the right direction as 12kw from the 2kw needed would show a total value of -8kw which would be the export value.

So my question is does this sound right or am i underthinking the process?

Cheers Guys

 

To get negative readings when putting power back into the grid, see this excellent post.

 

Well stone me... I had looked at this before and mulled it over and looked again and again.The only way I could get it straight in my head was to go and do it on a working site... It works a dream.

Thanks for the post and diagram...Top man

 

Hi Chris,

It might be worthwhile to consider additionally using the text based method noted in my first post.

You could then set up a 'Monitoring' function group setup that displays in text the kWh of each of the 3 mains phases, and the 3 solar phases ie all six. Whilst not recording the data, it would:

1. Give you confidence your method of combining the phase and solar phase is working properly.

2. Tell you if one of your solar arrays is below the others like getting dirty / degraded / inverter failure etc.

3. You could also then use the outputs of the 6 channels of text logic to display 'Total Solar Output' and 'Total Grid Use' by combining the channels.

All the best,

Brad

 

Works with C-Touch and new eDLTs to!

Hi,

Just wanted to let you know that I successfully used the virtual channel from my C-Touch to new eDLTs for the purpose of total power used. (3 phases).