real time electricity generation

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antiscab
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real time electricity generation

Post by antiscab »

Hi Guys,

in my travels I came across a few interesting sources of real time electricity generation:

NEM Australian Generation

European electricity map

I remember there being another Australian one, but can't seem to find it again.
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Post by Rusdy »

Yup, there used to be awesome one from imowa including detailed dissection from different generators (you can drill down to which Muja power station, Colgar wind farm, etc).

But that has been taken down now. I've managed to save some screenshots for example here: Click Here
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Richo
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Post by Richo »

I can understand the big farms providing solar generation figures.
But for the masses of resi PV systems with no possible feedback I don't know how that solar figure could be correct.
Then there is the solar generation vs solar consumption.

I would think that the "live" figure would be underestimated.

I'm surprised that WA used that much coal.
So the short answer is NO but the long answer is YES.
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antiscab
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Post by antiscab »

The residential generation would be calculated from registered system sizes, orientations and measured solar intensity. Might be under estimated depending upon how many unregistered systems may be connected
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Johny
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Post by Johny »

Pretty easy in Victoria as a Smartmeter is required for PV systems. I can see my usage/generation online recorded in 30 minute increments.
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Richo
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Post by Richo »

Yes a smart meter is reqd required in WA too.
But the smart meters in WA are crap.
The only thing smart about them is the ability to change the tariff.

I inquired to synergy/western power but it seem there is no infrastructure that allowed them to do monitor or even read the meter remotely.

I used to have a wireless current sensor in the meter box that provided live tracking.
So the short answer is NO but the long answer is YES.
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whimpurinter
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Post by whimpurinter »

Hi,
No smart meters in Queensland that I know of.
Anyone see a report about the status of "smart meters" as a means for outsiders to determine much information about the house.
It was explained that certain power usage increment measurements could be used to determine which electrical units were active in the house, moving on to if someone was in the house currently or out and about. This would affect security. Also, I believe, a suggestion that somewhere along the line, the smart meter might be used to hack into the "smart" refrigerator, television, toaster whatever. Other than burning the toast or changing the channel to fox news, the idea is to turn on the snooping abiltity of the current smart tv and that sort of thing.

I idited it.
Last edited by whimpurinter on Wed, 03 May 2017, 19:20, edited 1 time in total.
poprock
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Post by poprock »

In a rather heated discussion with an Energy Australia callback person she callously said that they don't have to read the meter to bill me. They guestimated my meter reading because the gate was locked. It would cost me $50 to have someone carry out a physical reading. When I less than politely requested a physical reading, quoting the Energy Australia padlock number, she made the statement about not having to read the meter.The fee was waived, a small victory. Reading these posts, is it possible that they can remotely read my smart meter and the meter reader is a placebo to quell fears about further invasions of privacy ?   Image
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Post by Johny »

bladecar wrote:Anyone see a report about the status of "smart meters" as a means for outsiders to determine much information about the house.
I can't see a crim going to so much trouble to interpret power usage when they can just observe the house for s couple of days to determine residence.
The "smart" fridge, aircon etc. haven't been rolled out yet (which was to be the great benefit in smartmetering).
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MDK
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Post by MDK »

Richo wrote: I inquired to synergy/western power but it seem there is no infrastructure that allowed them to do monitor or even read the meter remotely.


A small number of homes had even smarter "smart meters" installed via the Solar City Program - Western Power is able to read these remotely, and they also provide an in-home display that gives you live data via Zigbee.

It's also possible to connect third-party Zigbee devices to them like the Rainforest Eagle but the challenge is finding someone at Western Power that knows how to "pair" a new device to your meter.
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Richo
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Post by Richo »

Small being the operative word.
There were some remote areas that had this setup too.
They never really seemed to get the system out of the trial phase.
So the short answer is NO but the long answer is YES.
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Richo
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Post by Richo »

poprock wrote:They guestimated my meter reading because the gate was locked.

Yeah Synergy have done this to me too.
Western Power send out these nice cards which you fill out and shove in the post - all paid.
Or you can login on-line and put the numbers there and throw the card away.
Once a year they want proof by either an arranged visit or e-mailing photo's.
Either way at some point the amount you pay evens out if they guesstimate.


poprock wrote:is it possible that they can remotely read my smart meter and the meter reader is a placebo to quell fears about further invasions of privacy ?

Ha ha that would be funny.

My water meter has a smart meter.
But they still have to be within like 50m to read it.
Normally they just park on my driveway for like 10secs and they're off.
Water corp has it right.

I feel sorry for that western power meter reader that walks the whole suburb after seeing what water corp do.
So the short answer is NO but the long answer is YES.
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rhills
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Post by rhills »

MDK wrote:...It's also possible to connect third-party Zigbee devices to them like the Rainforest Eagle but the challenge is finding someone at Western Power that knows how to "pair" a new device to your meter.
Does that mean you've found someone who can do the pairing? Can these be used with the "Smart Meters" we have in WA? The website only lists some Victorian power companies as options.

Cheers,
Rob Hills
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Adverse Effects
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Post by Adverse Effects »

Richo wrote:
poprock wrote:is it possible that they can remotely read my smart meter and the meter reader is a placebo to quell fears about further invasions of privacy ?

Ha ha that would be funny.


dont laugh about 8 months ago they came out and replaces my meter and my bill went up by about 23% (every bill so far) and they dont even need to come out and read the meter any more

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MDK
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Post by MDK »

rhills wrote:
Does that mean you've found someone who can do the pairing?

Cheers,


My Dad found someone (after many years of hassling both Western Power and Synergy) and had the Eagle working for a while, but it recently stopped working again.
rhills wrote:
Can these be used with the "Smart Meters" we have in WA?
Not all Smart Meters, only the ones that were installed at 8,700 premises in Midland, Forrestfield, Bassendean and Darlington in June 2010 as part of the Perth Solar City project, which was concluded two years later with the result that almost nobody at WP or Synergy knows much about it.
whimpurinter
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Post by whimpurinter »

Hi,

From being an early solar panel owner on the second top tariff income (by a cent) to now having to pay for the privilege of having a meter for the solar and increased charges, they have managed to neutralise our income (and we have solar hot water and no airconditioning).

Something positive is how many roofs have panels in Queensland now.

Ha ha, I love it.

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Richo
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Post by Richo »

Image

Wow that's one beefy antenna.
I can see why they dont come out.

My water bill went consistently up once they put in the smart meter.
Funny part was they sent me a snotty letter about my jump in water usage.
Guess the bit where the new meter reads more accurately than the 20 year old one never occurred to them.

I suspect the electric spinning disk to smart meter upgrade could have similar issues.
I believe you can have someone verify the readings/accuracy of the meter - at a cost of course.
So the short answer is NO but the long answer is YES.
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Adverse Effects
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Post by Adverse Effects »

Richo wrote:I suspect the electric spinning disk to smart meter upgrade could have similar issues.


i know someone that has worked with energex (and its previous names) for over 30 years, and asked him about the difference and could the old meters be out of calibration enough to cause the difference and i quote him
" as long as the old meter had not been tampered with it would not be more than 0.01% out of calibration and they dont go out of calibration on there own how ever the new ones can easly go out of calibration with no external tampering"

i carnt say who he/she is because if it got back to the wrong person they wouldnt have a job
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Post by nuggetgalore »

" as long as the old meter had not been tampered with it would not be more than 0.01% out of calibration and they dont go out of calibration on there own how ever the new ones can easly go out of calibration with no external tampering"

Before I got my solar system (VIC) I checked my power usage fairly accurately. When the "smart" meter was installed usage went up 10 -12%.
I then checked it with three types of power meters and found the new meter read correct (bummer). Yes spinning disc meters usually slow down with old age. Have heard from several of my acquaintances the same story , but none did the actual tests, just something to whinge about.
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