After a few days reading all I can about Robin's PV diversion circuit, I thought I better join the forum. I have a 7 kW PV system wired up to a 5 kw SMA Sunny Boy inverter. I am currently uploading data to PVoutput.org at http://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?sid=26484 Data is being uploaded using a Raspberry PI with a Bluetooth dongle that is running SMAspot which you can find here https://code.google.com/p/sma-spot/
So in my search for an economical way to add consumption data, I found this blog http://goughlui.com/?p=5109 which described how to intercept RF data packets from my Efergy energy monitor usng a $25 Digital TV dongle.
It has taken me a month or so to get the code sorted but now it is working fine and in the last diay or so, I added a DS18B20 temperature sensor. I think it is getting a bit too much for the Pi to do reliably as there are a few missing entries today.
Anyway, my code can be found here http://www.vehiclemods.net.au/docs/EfergyRPI_PVO.c It needs a home and I have not had the time to fully document it but if you compile it on the Pi using the command in the source running it with the --help switch, it will tell you all of the syntax for the command line switches. Note the --file option (short form -f) lets you to feed a config file into it using the long parameters. Note that if a switch has no parameters to use it in the config file, set it to =1 to enable (eg. wait=1 is equivalent to --wait or -w). It really got a bit long to stay in one file at bout 950 lines but I was too lazy to learn hoe to break it up into smaller modules and compile it using GCC.
I think you could build this decoding into the open energy monitor project pretty easilly if you have one of these meters lying around.
I have ordered a heap of hardware to make a start on Robin's Mk2 monitor and when the changed my old analog meter for a smart meter that records import and export, the guy kindly gave me the old meter when I asked him for a final reading so I am going to build a test rig similar to Robin's over the next few days.
I am sure I will have heaps of questions so please as about the efergy meter project if you happen to have one lying around..
Newbie ready to make a MK2 diverter
Submitted by rodw on Mon, 03/03/2014 - 10:47Hi guys,
After a few days reading all I can about Robin's PV diversion circuit, I thought I better join the forum. I have a 7 kW PV system wired up to a 5 kw SMA Sunny Boy inverter. I am currently uploading data to PVoutput.org at http://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?sid=26484 Data is being uploaded using a Raspberry PI with a Bluetooth dongle that is running SMAspot which you can find here https://code.google.com/p/sma-spot/
So in my search for an economical way to add consumption data, I found this blog http://goughlui.com/?p=5109 which described how to intercept RF data packets from my Efergy energy monitor usng a $25 Digital TV dongle.
It has taken me a month or so to get the code sorted but now it is working fine and in the last diay or so, I added a DS18B20 temperature sensor. I think it is getting a bit too much for the Pi to do reliably as there are a few missing entries today.
Anyway, my code can be found here http://www.vehiclemods.net.au/docs/EfergyRPI_PVO.c It needs a home and I have not had the time to fully document it but if you compile it on the Pi using the command in the source running it with the --help switch, it will tell you all of the syntax for the command line switches. Note the --file option (short form -f) lets you to feed a config file into it using the long parameters. Note that if a switch has no parameters to use it in the config file, set it to =1 to enable (eg. wait=1 is equivalent to --wait or -w). It really got a bit long to stay in one file at bout 950 lines but I was too lazy to learn hoe to break it up into smaller modules and compile it using GCC.
I think you could build this decoding into the open energy monitor project pretty easilly if you have one of these meters lying around.
I have ordered a heap of hardware to make a start on Robin's Mk2 monitor and when the changed my old analog meter for a smart meter that records import and export, the guy kindly gave me the old meter when I asked him for a final reading so I am going to build a test rig similar to Robin's over the next few days.
I am sure I will have heaps of questions so please as about the efergy meter project if you happen to have one lying around..