The Greening of St Barnabas Chapel of Ease

[StBarnabas]

USb to serial converters are cheap and plentiful for getting serial into anything vaguely modern and thus serial-free. Here's one for 54p (!) that also works with Linux and Vista: http://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-RS232-Converter-Cable/dp/B00077DJIQ/ref=pd_cp_ce_1

It's not long ago I was paying over a tenner for these. 54p is just silly.

Wookey
thanks with postage it comes to about £4.00 but definitely worth that if it works. Presumably they incorporate some sort of charge pump to change between the USB abd RS232 voltage levels?

[EccentricAnomaly]

Presumably they incorporate some sort of charge pump tyo change between the USB abd RS232 voltage levels?

Yes, that's the normal way of generating RS232 voltages in lots of equipment, not just USB converters.  The MAX232 chip is the classic for this function though there are more modern versions available.

[sleepybubble]

SleepyB. With all the swarf and trampling around the roof the co-ax from the antenna to the TV is no more! So will need to come down.

Ah Good, it would bug me forever if you didnt sort that out, it just looks so wrong. I take it all is still working just fine and possible getting a bit boring now. Time to get your head around one wire stuff next. Unless of course you are off and away with a planning hiatus to get over the last project.

[StBarnabas]

Hi SleepyB
yes a bit more paperwork for NEDL etc for the PV build. Will post a diagram tomorrow. And sorting out nedl, GoodEnergy and ROCs with OFGEM....

I have an offer of a small test wind turbine - probably just dump the power into a heater over the winter -and monitor the current. Also your recommended weather station to mount after my land acquisition  deal goes through (Contracts might be exchanged tomorrow)!

You are right that I will be back with my digital hat on  sorting out OneWire/PICs etc. Plus will try to help Wyleu with his ambitious uber data SQL Django/Python logging setup given time...

[StBarnabas]

Here is a sketch of the StBC PV system for NEDL it is based closely on an MCS accredited diagram for another solar system. Comments welcome..

[Ted]

I would maybe just have included the make, model and serial no of the meter.  Small point though.

[StBarnabas]

Ted
I have a cheap Ampy meter (<£10) as suggested by Ivan and Guy. I now understand that it was cheap because it only has OFGEM approval for 10 years after manufacture/testing and the meter is now 10 years old. I'm not sure how much this matters. Maybe I should replace it by a new meter?
Sean

[Ted]

Nomenclature is everything with this.

Approval and certification are two different things.

All that OFGEM require is that you use a meter from the approved list, they will need to know the make and model. http://www.nmo.bis.gov.uk/fileuploads/Utilities/Schedule_4_-_7th_July_2009.pdf

New and repaired meters that are specifically used for mains supply by a licensed electricity company are required by law to be certified and that lasts a defined period - usually from 10 to 20 years.

OFGEM don't require that you use a certified meter when measuring total renewables generation for ROCs.

[StBarnabas]

Hi Ted
thanks my meter is an Ampy Reporter 5162D. This is a variant of the Ampy 5162 I suspect which is on the approved list and certified for 15 years. Should I simply put Ampy 5162 on the paperwork?
Sean

[Ted]

Yes, the D is just a sub-variant which I think indicates it has the Inductive Loop option.

[StBarnabas]

Hi all
I had hoped to post some actual PV data here but am having problems getting data out of my Platinum 3100S. It may be that I need some extra kit to read out to a PC. Most of the info I can find is in German which is very rusty. Possibly there is someone else here with a Platinum inverter?
Billi could you do me a favour and post on one of the German PV forums?

Sean

[billi]

Sean their are two English downloads here  http://www.diehlako.de/index.php?id=2533&L=0

I can ask on the German Forum  , but Diehl/Platinum have a service hotline and i assume they  talk English as well (well hopefully better then me   )

Service hotline
The Diehl-Controls service hotline is accessible as follows:
Tel +49 (0) 700 33 66 99 22
Fax +49 (0) 700 33 66 99 77
E-mail service.platinum@diehlako.com

All the best Billi

[StBarnabas]

Hi Billi
yes I am aware of the Platinum PV monitor but at c EUR 300 (EUR 314.50 from solarshop Europe for example) I was rather hoping to be able to connect my PC directly to the Platinum 3100S inverter! C £300 seems a lot, but possibly fairly typical of how companies operate they probably know I have no other option! If push comes to shove I will grit my teeth and buy one, but I would prefere to put £300 towards a wind turbine (I was drooling over a Danish Gaia 133 earlier which won't come cheap).
Sean

[Eleanor]

Sean, the Gaia does look good, if a little industrial, and certainly wouldn't come cheap, something like £40K + VAT and excluding the big hole I think. I imagine you would probably need understanding, or no neighbours with a rotor diameter of 13m 

[billi]

sean  

that crazy with the 300 Euro  

Hopefully i know more later

All i have for the Moment ( use google translate) is a site in Dutch and a discussion about the Inverter and Monitoring it  in German , but there is a way around it as far as i understand  

All the Best Billi

http://www.zonstraal.be/wiki/Solarcontrol

http://www.photovoltaikforum.com/ptopic26737.html


and here a French site translated

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fphotovoltaique.pureforum.net%2Fonduleurs-f5%2Frecuperation-de-donnees-sur-onduleurs-diehl-platinum-t2723.htm&sl=fr&tl=en&history_state0=