Renewable energy equipment

Monitoring renewable energy on site

Draw the energy boundaries first

At a site with solar, a battery and building loads, the inverter's generation figure and the grid meter's export figure describe different things. Mark the measurement points on the site's electrical layout before comparing totals.

Decide which questions you want to answer: how generation changes through the day, what the site imports, when the battery charges, or which loads account for consumption. Those questions determine the measurements and time periods needed.

Combine existing telemetry with independent measurements

A supported interface to an inverter or controller may expose useful operating data. Confirm the model, firmware, accessible measurements, units and permissions for the specific product, since products that share a brand or protocol can differ.

Where independent electrical measurement is needed, review the electricity monitoring range and its datasheet. Select the configuration and current transformers for the actual installation. Where a tariff, contract or grid-service programme specifies a meter, check its rules before using a monitoring meter in its place.

The Gateway brings supported equipment and EpiSensor monitoring into the local Edge system.

Compare like with like

Align timestamps and intervals, and agree import/export and battery charge/discharge sign conventions. Identify whether energy values are accumulated meter totals or quantities over an interval.

A self-consumption calculation needs a clear definition of its boundary. Storage, auxiliary loads and measurement losses can change the interpretation; a simple generation-minus-export calculation should not be applied indiscriminately to every topology.

Use the Edge Data workspace to compare generation, battery power and site demand. Label calculated readings so their inputs and meaning remain understandable.

Decide whether control is part of the project

Edge can support configured local automation and equipment integrations. Whether a particular inverter or controller accepts the required command depends on its interface and the installed integration.

Agree permitted actions, operating limits, acknowledgement and local overrides with the equipment owner. Test the physical response and loss-of-connection behaviour. Do not treat a monitoring connection as evidence that control has also been qualified.

Choose the wider service separately

Local monitoring works on its own. Connect a portfolio, optimisation or grid-service provider when you need those functions.

Browse manufacturers in the technology directory and read the battery storage guide and VPP guide to scope the work, then verify the integration for the specific equipment.