Energy metering is an important element of any electrical installation, as it provides an accurate reference of your energy consumption. You might think energy metering only applies to your gas and electric consumption, but it also applies if you have a solar system installed, in particular a solar PV inverter. Keep reading to learn what energy metering is.
What is Energy Metering?
Energy metering is an electrical device that measures the amount of electrical power being used in a property. It provides important insight in the energy usage of either your whole electrical installation in your property, a flat or sub-board or individual devices or equipment being used. Such devices include solar inverters, heat pumps, pool heaters and tenanted properties for example.
The readings from your import meter (typically a smart meter), are used by your energy supplier for billing purposes and they normally log both imported and exported energy. However, it is important to note that many older import meter types don’t log exported energy and will need to be replaced by your supplier to allow for access to export tariffs.
If you have a solar PV inverter that has been installed by an MCS accredited installer, your system should include a generation meter which monitors the total generation from your renewable energy system. Historical systems installed before the 1st of April 2019, may have access to the FIT (Feed in Tariff). The generation meter readings on this type of system are submitted to the FIT provider for payment within the terms of the installation’s FIT scheme. If your solar inverter is a hybrid (connected to both solar and batteries), a NET meter is utilised.
What kind of Energy Metering do Contact Solar use?
At Contact Solar, we offer a wide variety of solar hybrid inverters, which use a NET generation meter, and this is a type of solar energy meter. The standard NET generation meter we use is an Emlite ECA2.nv.
The role of the Emlite ECA2.nv meter is to log and display the overall NET generation figure. This represents the energy generation of your solar system since it was installed. The NET generation meter provides three readings on its built-in display:
- EXP: Inverter AC Output (Energy Source: Solar and Batteries)
- IMP: Inverter AC Input (Energy Source: Grid for battery charging or inverter standby)
- NET: EXP – IMP (Total NET Generation Figure = NET System Production)
Currently, the NET generation meter is not normally used as a billing item and the reading is simply for your records as the system owner.
Contact us to learn more about energy metering
We hope we’ve given you a better insight into what energy metering is, but if you find you still have questions about your solar energy meter, or you’d like to learn more about energy metering, don’t hesitate to contact our specialists today. Alternatively, take a look at our range of solar hybrid inverters here.
