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Home > Archive > Home Automation > January 2006 > Does a home power meter-base exist which uses BlueTooth?
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| Author |
Does a home power meter-base exist which uses BlueTooth?
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| Jack Edin 2005-12-29, 10:21 am |
| Hello again,
I was thinking about replacing my home's meter base.
If I got a fancy enough one, I could monitor it in real time.
All of the ones I've ever seen have a serial port.
Not convenient to run wires out to my meter, to begin with. The serial
isn't perfect for long runs, but I can make due...
I don't have a PC near the meter...
But if I could get a wireless meter base, using BlueTooth or perhaps
802.11b with encryption...
Then I'd be happy.
These things are EXPENSIVE. May as well get what I can use.
Running wires ain't cheap... And this way I can move the PC within the
house, without having to change any meter-base's wire's endpoint...
So anybody know of anything?
Dave Houston?
Thankx, in advance...
Jack
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| ChainSmoker 2006-01-03, 11:21 pm |
| RF Dude wrote:
> Generally, you won't change the meter base. Add a current bridge to the
> main load panel, or an external means of reading the disk turning on your
> meter. Here are a couple of examples:
>
> http://www.theenergydetective.com/
>
> http://www.bluelineinnovations.com/
>
> Good Luck.
>
Have you by chance tried either one of these? Your thoughts on the using
with a home automation system....
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| Jack Edin 2006-01-04, 5:21 pm |
| Thanks for the tip...
I've visited both companies websites.
I've filled-out the need more info forms on both.
That was two days ago.
I've received a reply from TED. And
Good news... TED is on sale!!
Bad news is TED won't have a computer interface till summer...
Good news, maybe, is they're looking at Zigby for their wireless.
Blueline's product is already wireless, but just for the display - as
far as I know.
They have yet to reply to my questions...
Yesterday I asked an engineer at the local power company for advise. I
also asked him to look at TED, and he said "Certainly, the price is
right, if it works."
The power company uses electronic meters in some homes. When I inquired
about those he went on to say, (on this subject):
"It depends on the purpose of monitoring. The PGE meter collects the
consumption without regard to instantaneous usages, since there are no
demand charges in residential. Individual end-use monitoring is used to
check the usage of a specific load. Seeing the total meter
instantaneous kW is an accumulation of everything that is on in the
house at that instant. Since you are billed by consumption, it's kW
times time, so it's all those instantaneous kW's and all those
instantaneous times."
He gave me the number of their residential metering expert, but I have
yet to find the time to call...
I also received TED's manual. I need to look at the current
transformer's hookup instructions to see how I feel about hooking this
up myself.
Jack
> RF Dude wrote:
>
>
> Have you by chance tried either one of these? Your thoughts on the using
> with a home automation system....
| |
| Dave Houston 2006-01-04, 6:21 pm |
| The Blueline method is one that has been used in DIY setups for a few years
(although not wirelessly). It has the advantage of reading the power
company's meter disc revolutions so it will agree with their readings. It
also has the advantage that it does not require an electrician to install.
The other one requires an electrician to install it. Without additional
technical details I would be leery of its accuracy.
In either case I would want a serial interface so I could access the data
from my HA system.
Jack Edin <nospam@logicunlimited.com> wrote:
[color=darkred]
>Thanks for the tip...
>
>I've visited both companies websites.
>
>I've filled-out the need more info forms on both.
>
>That was two days ago.
>
>I've received a reply from TED. And
>Good news... TED is on sale!!
>Bad news is TED won't have a computer interface till summer...
>Good news, maybe, is they're looking at Zigby for their wireless.
>
>Blueline's product is already wireless, but just for the display - as
>far as I know.
>They have yet to reply to my questions...
>
>Yesterday I asked an engineer at the local power company for advise. I
>also asked him to look at TED, and he said "Certainly, the price is
>right, if it works."
>
>The power company uses electronic meters in some homes. When I inquired
>about those he went on to say, (on this subject):
>
>"It depends on the purpose of monitoring. The PGE meter collects the
>consumption without regard to instantaneous usages, since there are no
>demand charges in residential. Individual end-use monitoring is used to
>check the usage of a specific load. Seeing the total meter
>instantaneous kW is an accumulation of everything that is on in the
>house at that instant. Since you are billed by consumption, it's kW
>times time, so it's all those instantaneous kW's and all those
>instantaneous times."
>
>He gave me the number of their residential metering expert, but I have
>yet to find the time to call...
>
>I also received TED's manual. I need to look at the current
>transformer's hookup instructions to see how I feel about hooking this
>up myself.
>
>Jack
>
>
| |
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| Jack,
I use the one from theenergydetective.com
It was easy to install, I'm a DIYer. 1 clamps around each phase and hook up
to a breaker. Install the Display box on the same side as the breaker. I
installed it on the other phase and it didn't work correctly. Easy enough
but an electrican shouldn't cost that much for this.
I'm also waiting for the computer interface.
--
---------------------------------------
Brian Dye
brian@tech-home.com
http://tech-home.com
---------------------------------------
"Jack Edin" <nospam@logicunlimited.com> wrote in message
news:IPWdnUdv97TVpyHenZ2dnUVZ_sWdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Thanks for the tip...
>
> I've visited both companies websites.
>
> I've filled-out the need more info forms on both.
>
> That was two days ago.
>
> I've received a reply from TED. And
> Good news... TED is on sale!!
> Bad news is TED won't have a computer interface till summer...
> Good news, maybe, is they're looking at Zigby for their wireless.
>
> Blueline's product is already wireless, but just for the display - as far
> as I know.
> They have yet to reply to my questions...
>
> Yesterday I asked an engineer at the local power company for advise. I
> also asked him to look at TED, and he said "Certainly, the price is right,
> if it works."
>
> The power company uses electronic meters in some homes. When I inquired
> about those he went on to say, (on this subject):
>
> "It depends on the purpose of monitoring. The PGE meter collects the
> consumption without regard to instantaneous usages, since there are no
> demand charges in residential. Individual end-use monitoring is used to
> check the usage of a specific load. Seeing the total meter instantaneous
> kW is an accumulation of everything that is on in the house at that
> instant. Since you are billed by consumption, it's kW times time, so it's
> all those instantaneous kW's and all those instantaneous times."
>
> He gave me the number of their residential metering expert, but I have yet
> to find the time to call...
>
> I also received TED's manual. I need to look at the current transformer's
> hookup instructions to see how I feel about hooking this up myself.
>
> Jack
>
>
>
| |
| Beachcomber 2006-01-22, 8:21 am |
| On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 08:56:42 GMT, "Brian" <brian@tech-home.com> wrote:
>Jack,
>
>I use the one from theenergydetective.com
>
>It was easy to install, I'm a DIYer. 1 clamps around each phase and hook up
>to a breaker. Install the Display box on the same side as the breaker. I
>installed it on the other phase and it didn't work correctly. Easy enough
>but an electrican shouldn't cost that much for this.
>
>I'm also waiting for the computer interface.
>--
This is a nice product to have, but given that you already know your
monthly and daily power consumption (the figures on your electric
bill), I question how much value in knowing the hourly and precise
to-the-minute cost of energy could their be (for most consumers)?
Also for appliances, you can get a good estimate of the cost per
hour's use simply from the wattage rating of the appliance, divide by
1000 and multiply by what your electric company charges per kWh.
Just how much discretion or lifestyle change is going to result in
significant energy change for most households? OK, you can dial down
the thermostat or take fewer baths if you have an electric hot water
heater, but the fridge is still going cycle on and off every hour of
the month... Assume you've already maxed out the savings in switching
your lighting to compact fluourescents, etc.
Beachcomber
| |
| Robert Green 2006-01-22, 10:21 am |
| "Beachcomber" <not_real@xxx.yyy> wrote in message
<stuff snipped>
> Just how much discretion or lifestyle change is going to result in
> significant energy change for most households?
IIRC, there was someone got a real-time kilowatt meter set up who posted a
while back here in CHA. He said that once his kids were involved in
reaching certain target levels of consumption (i.e. - a minibike if they
saved X$) they became absolute energy misers, turning off lights
religiously. YMMV.
--
Bobby G.
| |
| Jack Edin 2006-01-23, 12:21 am |
| My reason for wanting this isn't to conserve energy. Heaven's no...!
It is because X10 stuff is unreliable.
When you tell an X10 device to turn on, or off... did it? How can you
know for sure...??
It is open-loop, no feedback, hope it worked...
This is to help close the loop...
Ideally if the computer that told the X10 device to turn ON, for
example, watches the instantaneous power usage - it should see a change.
If it doesn't it can send the command again...
It can also be programmed to know the load. Right?
THEN it can warn when a bulb has burned out, etc.
Wouldn't that be cool?
Jack
Robert Green wrote:
> "Beachcomber" <not_real@xxx.yyy> wrote in message
>
> <stuff snipped>
>
>
>
> IIRC, there was someone got a real-time kilowatt meter set up who posted a
> while back here in CHA. He said that once his kids were involved in
> reaching certain target levels of consumption (i.e. - a minibike if they
> saved X$) they became absolute energy misers, turning off lights
> religiously. YMMV.
>
> --
> Bobby G.
| |
| ingenieroariel@gmail.com 2006-01-23, 12:21 pm |
| Jack, how cheap are these meter readers?
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| Scott Knight 2006-01-29, 6:21 pm |
| on 1/22/2006 11:12 PM Jack Edin carved the following into a picnic table:
> It is because X10 stuff is unreliable.
>
> When you tell an X10 device to turn on, or off... did it? How can you
> know for sure...??
>
> It is open-loop, no feedback, hope it worked...
>
> This is to help close the loop...
Or, you could just convert your system over to a newer technology, like
Insteon. Not quite closed loop, but _much_ more reliable with ACK/NACK
responses (with retries on NACK) and message repeating by all devices.
BTW, I think this monitoring thing is a pretty neat idea from the
standpoint of being a data junkie. Just seems an overly complex
solution to your problem when better ones already exist.
--
Scott Knight
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