Dear All,
I have noticed this topic a lot in the past on various web discussions and I wondered if anyone can help with an update of their experiences . I am now the proud owner of a givenergy solar system with 2 batteries and a hybrid inverter and 10 panels totalling 19kw/h of potential storage
Living in a small croft on a Scottish island which is totally electric apart from some solid fuel, we use a lot of electricity So Solar panels and batteries to generate and purchase cheaper electricity at off peak times seemed the answer.
Our problem is that I have 2 mpan registered meters and the solar system is clamped on the lower use meter which is typically using 4 kw/h per day as opposed to the radio controlled meter of 18 kw/h ( supposedly now obsolete) but Ovo seem reluctant/ unable to remove my radio controlled meter despite two visits. Do you know if the system can work off two clamps and 2 meters and calculate two different loadings totalling them up . My issue is that as I get more sunlight the current system is going to say that it is at capacity dealing with a 4kw/h load and export the rest, not knowing that I still have a lot of consumption on the meter with our heating on.
Also does anyone know if another supplier, other than ovo, who seem to be good on words and not on actions, will actually take on 2 mpans and strip out one and fit an economy seven or other smart meter giving me the choice of different tarrifs . Currently I only have the option of a single tarrif, which defeats part of the merit of batteries. Any thoughts or help from anyone would be appreciated.
Help required with Ovo and 2 mpan meters
Arranite Have to admit I have never heard of anyone with two MPAN meters, and especially when you say one is reading lower than the other.
If you have a single supply and 2 meters on it then they should be reading about the same, give or take. If one is reading 18 and the other 4 then it suggests one is wildly wrong and you need to get your supplier to change it.
Alternative thoughts on two meters:
- You have two different supplies into your property, different fuse boxes, etc hence two sets of consumption and two meters
or - The incoming supply feeds more than one property, so there’s a “master meter” for the supply and then a “sub-meter” for your spur off it. Or potentially the sub-meter is for the other property and you are billed on net-meter readings, i.e. master minus sub
Answering your question, the GivEnergy system needs a CT clamp to measure incoming supply and decide whether to charge or discharge the battery. They can’t work with two clamps.
Arranite not knowing that I still have a lot of consumption on the meter with our heating on
This makes me think you have option 1, two supplies to the property, one with heating on it, and one with everything else on it.
It sounds like your installer connected the inverter to the ‘non heating’ circuits and put the CT clamp on that supply line. You can get the inverter connection moved to the other supply line but assuming they are two separate supplies you can’t wire the inverter across both of them together.
What you could do is get an electrician to move the circuits that are on the 4kW meter onto the 18kW meter. Or vice versa. The second meter then becomes redundant and you can get it disconnected (and save the standing charge!)