What ho you mean by controlling a second load. Is it say an immersion heater and/or a cooker depending on generation capacity.
there is an RSS feed somewhere on the left.

ref logging and power consumption

Not at the moment and don’t think anyone, except some quite expensive units, can. Although you could read our (low powered) LEDs and use that data if you built the right electronics to interface it. We recommend the Eco Eye Smart PV meter that can do this as a free standing unit for a reasonable price. (And they do not pay me to recommend it, about time though I asked for it!) It is the only low priced meter we have found that can correctly measure the waveform that a phase controlled diverter gives out. I have one of these on my house and a more expensive web linked one (the one that generates the graphs on our website/spec sheet).

I entirely agree that power consumption needs to be considered as some people have marvellous energy saving gadgets and then bolt so much monitoring gear to it, such as an always on PC, that it rather defeats the object. So add power consumption to the list of my questions.

I worry about my web based monitor, whose 2 Powerline Ethernet adapters are over thirsty, but we need it for development work. These adapters actually only need to be on briefly once a day so we need to buy some low consumption timeswitches for them. Anyone know the typical consumption of mechanical and electronic timeswitches as this is not often stated?

Our old mate JSH has made a similar unit that gets around the problems of flickering.
http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/node/2429

And he openly shares how it is made

Posted By: ImmersionNot at the moment and don’t think anyone, except some quite expensive units, can. Although you could read our (low powered) LEDs and use that data if you built the right electronics to interface it.

If you mean that your LEDs indicate energy flow in a similar way to a standard meter (e.g. 1 blink per Wh) that would be fine for me at least (I already use blink counting on our TGM & the DNO meter).

I entirely agree that power consumption needs to be considered as some people have marvellous energy saving gadgets and then bolt so much monitoring gear to it, such as an always on PC, that it rather defeats the object.

Indeed. We've managed to reduce usage to the point where the next obvious target is the logging gear! It's already on ultra low energy PCs but as it's running 24/7 it all adds up & I think there is scope for further rationalisation.

1 blink per aprox 4Wh of grid power. If you can calibrate your monitor to take out the aprox part then it will be accurate. Or there is an internal trimmer that could be used. Another light dims with load power level so that is harder to read electronically.

I found an electronic timer that says 8VA on its ratings label. Need to measure its W though as that is what one pays for.

PS Having trouble in editing quotes when replying to remove extraneous info. Does not seem to work like other similar Forums. What is the secret?

Posted By: Immersion1 blink per aprox 4Wh of grid power. If you can calibrate your monitor to take out the aprox part then it will be accurate.

I could cope with that. Thanks for you response.

Is there a PM system in place ? on this forum have concluded that there is not; would that be correct? .

I offered to demonstrate Edward Chase's controller to anyone interested and suggested that they sent me a PM. I suspect this is not possible so pma1840 at gmaildot com would do the job sorry if this or that caused confusion.

cheers Patrick

Thanks Skye wright

So I could have whispered to you and you would have only found if you had looked at the post .

which you would have been unlikely to do since you would have seen yours was the last post on this thread ..

I had an attempt a day or so ago but was unable to work things out dare say a bit more practice and it will all come second nature .

Having posted this I will have another attempt to whisper to you as well, if you will forgive me
(the smiley is there as it seemed to allow me into the input box)
cheers Patrrick

Immersion, can you describe the meaning of controlling a second load please, couldn't see answer to SteamyTea's question earlier? What determines where output is sent? It seems ideally we would have multiple different rated immersion elements in the tank, do you agree this is best and if so how do you recommend the Immersun units is wired in such cases?

Posted By: Phil.Chaddah-DukeIt seems ideally we would have multiple different rated immersion elements in the tank, do you agree this is best

I'm not Immersion, but with one of these proportional controllers I don't think there would be much benefit in different rated elements. "Second loads" are usually another load that power is switched to once the primary load has been satisfied (e.g. thermostat has kicked in). Maybe another tank, or maybe something else like a storage heater?

Mind you, if you had one of the tanks that have an element at the top and another at the bottom (probably both 3kW?) there might be something to be said for having the top as primary load and the bottom as secondary?

I was concerned after reading Ed's comments "PV to Immersion Heater Problems":
http://edavies.me.uk/2012/11/pv-dhw/
Is this not an issue then, it seems like an issue on the element side rather than the controller, sorry if being thick?

Posted By: SteamyTea
I would use the lower one and use all your PV generation that the rest of us are subsidising

With our "funny tariff", in our household all the heating is on totally separate circuits, so from March to September (at least) it's often the case that at the time of the afternoon DHW charge we are exporting from the non-heating circuits and the exported energy is getting no further than the Henley block where the heating & non-heating systems join just as the overhead supply enters/leaves the house before it turns around & comes back in through the heating meter, i.e. we are buying off SSE back the energy we've just sold them via the export meter!

We do have a twin element tank. At present the lower element is on the radio switch (3 charge periods through the day) & the upper element is "on demand" (but in ~20 years has only even been used on an occasion when the bottom element failed). If we did ever decided to go for a "diverter" for DHW, we'd probably put it on the bottom element & move the "3 times a day" radio controlled supply to the top element, so that even if the sun didn't shine we'd at least have a quarter to a third of a tank of full temp water. However unless diverters get much cheaper & even easier to install we aren't very likely to bother as our DHW requirements are very low. We'd be more likely to find a use for a diverter feeding a couple of small storage heaters in the colder parts of the house in the "shoulder" months, but even then a couple of small "through the wall" air-air heat pumps on to the "on demand" aspect of our heating circuits might make better sense (i.e. decent COP plus heating tariff, available even on a dull day, no need to second guess tomorrow's weather, & not "working the system" as some might see the whole "diversion" thing).

Yes, that's part of the point of those controllers - they can put 200 W or 500 W or 1 kW into a 2 kW or 3 kW or whatever element.

Further to my previous post, I have been in discussions with the supplier of the I2 unit. After quite detailed discussions as to how best to achieve what I want, they will tailor their unit to meet my specific requirements viz.

Variable load to divert excess generation to power a dedicated heater circuit with two oil filled radiators, 2 – 2.5kw.

(non load) Relay function to be used to activate remote immersion feature on my Nibe EAHP when export threshold (variable load plus any additional export) is greater than whatever fixed level is set (2 – 2.6kw). When export threshold drops below the (2-2.6kw) level that has been set, the relay will deactivate thus turning off immersion. Timer on the relay, again adjustable. Timer is to prevent relay switching on/off too quickly and flicker. After being switched on (and subject to minimum ‘on’ timer period of x minutes), and provided that export remains greater than threshold level, immersion will stay on. If export drops below threshold level relay would switch off (subject of course to minimum ‘on’ timer period of x minutes). Relay would remain off for a timed period of x minutes before allowing the I2 to switch relay back on ( regardless of export threshold level).

Variable control to divert any additional excess generation that is available once relay has been switched on.

Due to the limitations of the Nibe EAHP and the immersion coil fitted thereto, I cannot without being quite invasive into the Nibe wiring, use variable load direct to the immersion which would have been the preferred option.

The greatest benefit of course will be in the shoulder months, as the heaters will not be on in the summer.

The next question is how best to deliver this extra heat. My thought had been two oil filled radiators positioned at different ends of the house, wired to their own circuit routed through the I2 for variable control. The alternative I have been thinking about is to substitute one of the radiators with an inline 1.2kw duct heater - something like this

http://www.i-sells.co.uk/125mm-in-line-duct-heater-1200-watt

Anyone have experience of using such a heater (whether linked to excess PV generation or not)?