homejones Posted December 10, 2014 Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Is there a device that is compatible with the ISY that works similar to the Smappee (energy consumption monitor)? http://www.smappee.com/us/ Interested in having device-level energy consumption data without having to install receptacles/sensors at all my appliances. Thank you! Edited December 10, 2014 by homejones
Teken Posted December 10, 2014 Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Is there a device that is compatible with the ISY that works similar to the Smappee (energy consumption monitor)? http://www.smappee.com/us/ Interested in having device-level energy consumption data without having to install receptacles/sensors at all my appliances. Thank you! A proven energy monitoring device is made by Brultech which is made in Canada. They offers two separate devices one is the ECM-1240 which can monitor 7 circuits. The other is the Green Eye Monitor (GEM) which can monitor 32 discrete circuits, 8 1 wire temperature sensors, 4 pulse channels to monitor gas or water. Both can be configured to measure NET metering for those using solar, wind, micro hydro. More information can be found at their respective site located here: http://www.brultech.com/ I have a on going installation thread which has tracked my efforts and journey using the above product located here: http://www.brultech.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=929 I had seen the smappee advert a number of years ago but found what they indicated to be dubious to say the least. They are saying with only one set of CT's they are able to determine what loads are on / off etc. I can tell you that would be quite the feat in engineering if that were true. Essentially they are using the power of software to track, monitor, and define a load. That sound very simple in the software realm but when applied to a real world electrical system that is impossible to do with any level of accuracy. In the years I have reviewed this product I have yet to see any real spec's on this unit. That in it self should worry those who are interested in knowing the real hard data points. I can tell you factually that nothing you buy (consumer grade) that plugs into a outlet will provide you the same level of accuracy, consistency, and reliability of capturing the energy readings in your home. Than a dedicated energy monitor that actually uses CT's clamped to each live circuit in your service panel. None . . . Edited December 10, 2014 by Teken
homejones Posted December 10, 2014 Author Posted December 10, 2014 It installs at the panel using clamps. Check out the video to see.... From what I read, the software uses deduction logic to determine which loads have been turned on. For example, turn off all loads in the house then turn on loads one by one and name those in the app. See review here: http://alphaefficiency.com/smappee-review/
Teken Posted December 10, 2014 Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) It installs at the panel using clamps. Check out the video to see.... From what I read, the software uses deduction logic to determine which loads have been turned on. For example, turn off all loads in the house then turn on loads one by one and name those in the app. See review here: http://alphaefficiency.com/smappee-review/ Yes, I have seen and read that article in the past and it gave a very detailed over view of what it could do and the limitations of such. If someone just wants something to measure and give them a general idea the product works. But, after the novelty wears off and the end user has matured in *wanting* more accurate, granular, and open API interaction. There is none . . . There is no method to expand on the development of the system or to request new features be considered or added. This is a nice toy for the average user but doesn't come even close to the GEM. People would argue hey it only costs $XX.XX when compared to the GEM or any other serious data logger. My reply is always this: Do you want accurate, consistent, reliable, and forward thinking development which is always ongoing? Or do you want something that's in the house just for the novelty which honestly will fall to the way side with in six months. This device will never be seen in any commercial or professional application, ever. You have to ask yourself why that is and how come more people don't use it as such? The Brultech GEM is used in all facets of commercial single phase and three phase. Going off the top of my head as I recall this device has no method to enter any meaningful rates. It can enter whole numbers that's it, not very helpful to most people. It has no method to drill down and see more granular data or hold more than a a few weeks of data and what is there is not very granular. As I recall the solar NET bubble thing always was present which made no sense if you didn't use it?? With the combination of the Dash Box and the GEM / ECM. The Dash Box can use up to 5 decimals for your rate so if its like mine: $0.07356. It can use and track those who have flat rate, ToU, variable rates. The system can show you the percentage of each load when compared to the mains which helps you identify how that loads plays in the overall costs to you. Both the DB / GEM are 3rd party friendly and have open API and does interface with the ISY. The system can be connected via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Zigbee, RS-232. The end user can record (default) 2 years of granular minute data, and 12 years of hourly data. The system can be expanded to store more information by upgrading the micro SD card. I have mine set up to record 4 years of minute data, which equates to more than 20 plus years of hourly data. I can capture, monitor, replay any second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year of the following: Watts, Current, KWH, Voltage, VA, Temps, Pulse. I have multiple choices of graphs, charts, tiles, to render all of the above data. I can take any of the monitored channels and compare them to others. The system has multiple views to drill into the circuits along with having the ability to actually place a icon to represent the homes circuit. The system can alert the end user if the system is off line and when its back. It has the ability to send the same energy, temp, water, gas, solar, information to any third party hosting site like SEG. The key thing about the Dash Box (DB) is that it interfaces with the ISY. This allows me to create programs to react to my homes electrical, temperature, pulse, states. All of the above can not be done with the device listed above. It was never intended to be 3rd party friendly or be open to the power users like you and I. Its marketed to the dumb, lazy, and those who believe it will bring them some real information, it doesn't. Having said all of this: It does not take away the accomplishment of their software that is able to at least *think* and guess what loads are present and assign them a name / association. That is in itself impressive as hell! Edited December 11, 2014 by Teken
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