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; do not assume that a brand name or protocol establishes compatibility.
Where independent electrical measurement is needed, review the ZEM family and datasheet. Select the configuration and current transformers for the actual installation. A monitoring meter is not automatically a substitute for a meter specified in a tariff, contract or grid-service programme.
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 does not require an external platform. A portfolio, optimisation or grid-service provider can be connected when those functions are needed.
Browse manufacturer context in the technology directory, read the battery storage guide and VPP guide, or plan a renewable-energy monitoring project. Those profiles and guides help scope the work; the equipment-specific integration still needs verification.