how to wire up export meter?

[Ivan]

I've just purchased a second-hand Ampy meter, which I'm going to use as an Ofegen-approved 'whole generation meter' for claiming ROCs.

However, I'm not sure I've got it working correctly. On the front it says 'read rate1 only' and the display flashes between three different readings - total, '1' and '2' - which I presume is for use with E7 electricity.

I've connected the generator output to the left hand two terminals, and the connection to the mains is the right hand two terminals. However, despite 400W of power going into the unit, the red light is constantly on....doesn't that indicate that power is being read? Have I conencted it up backwards?(doesn't seem to be the case, according to the wiring diagram inside the cover).  Do I need to connect up the R1 terminal to something?

[daftlad]

saw this pic and it looks like you are right.
http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3060.0
Is there actual current flow?
There should be current flow on either rate, so light should flash either way.
laters

[Ivan]

Well it looks like I got it the right way round.

There's definitely flow - I've temporarily routed it through a power meter so I can see what's going on - and it's passing between 100 and 400W as the goes in/out behind clouds. The red light is on steadily, though. From my Ampy export meter, and from discussion elsewhere on the forum, I'd concluded that if power flows through the meter, the red light will be extinguished, and will flash at a rate equivalent to the power flow.

[Ted]

It might be that with the dual rate E7 meter that the red light on indicates that you are in the E7 time period.  Do you have a button to press to cycle round the readings?  But at 400W it is going to take a couple of hours input before it registers anything.

Ideally you want to disable the E7 period to keep everything on one register but I'm not sure how to do that.

[Alan]

This is a good one.

http://universalmeterservices.co.uk/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20&products_id=68&zenid=9967f16b431e220e60e4cd08f9c3f08b

Just flashes between import / export every ten seconds. You can keep a check on what the inverter is using when its not grid connected.

[Ivan]

It's working now. I think it was just a time delay and I hadn't been watching it long enough.

Ted, there's no button on it that I can see, but I guess solar PV is only going to be exported during daytime rate anyway. Since we built the extension to the house and the apex roof on the flat-roof garage, I've lost most of the wind that used to funnel through the gaps, so there's not much point in grid-feeding any wind.

[Ted]

Strange it has no button. If it is a 2 rate meter then there must be a way of displaying the 2 register values.  My main meter is an Ampy and it has a button, on the face, to swap between displaying the import and export values.

100W at 1000 imp/kWh = 100 flashes per hour so 1 every 36 seconds. If you time the flashes you should be able to get a rough approximation of the current.

[Justme]

Ideally you want to disable the E7 period to keep everything on one register but I'm not sure how to do that.

Or just read the Total rate display & not the day / night rate ones.

Justme

[Ivan]

My Ampy meter displays three different readings -presumably daytime rate kWh/ nighttime rate kWh / total kWh. It flashes alternately between them every 10seconds or so.

How does it know if it's daytime/nighttime? There is an extra wire connection (quite small, so presumably a signal wire) - is this used? (Actually there are two but one is blanked off).

[daftlad]

If it were a normal meter they would be the feed from the telyswitch/ timeswitch.
laters

[wookey]

I used to have that identical meter until it was swapped for an older one. (British gas could cope with a E7-capable meter being used on a normal tarrif but ebico/scottish can't so changed it). As you say it cycles round rate1 total, rate2 total, overall total. Yes red light flashes at consumption rate. My E7 clock is still there but was irrelevant. I wasn't sure how it knew when to count on the second rate.

[Ian]

These meters are designed to be idiot and fiddle proof. The E7 programming and clock are set through the optical programming port (the LED which does NOT light up in normal use).

When the meter does not see power flow greater than its "detection level" or "anti fraud" set levels, then the single LED will light permanently (assuming it is connected to a mains supply).

When the meter sees a BACK flow of power greater than its anti-fraud set level (relative to the way the metere is wired) - then the meter display will show "rEd" on the LCD display intermittently.

Ivan, I think your problem is that the power from your PV panels is below the forward flow meter detection point for most of the time. Whilst the meter will integrate the total power flow and increment the LCD display values, it will not flash the LED below its set level and this LED will remain permanently lit. Only once the power flow is above its set level will the LED flash.

You should be aware that although the meter is actually OFGEM approved, all meters are also
 "certificated". Each meter has a certificate validity period. Some meters are certificated for 10 years and some for longer. 10 years is usual. Once the meter has exceeded its certificate life it is no longer OFGEM approved. There are a lot of cheap "near end of life" meters available on E-Bay and the like.

I hope this helps.
Regards,
Ian

[guydewdney]

How does one determine what the certification is?

I have three identical (to Ivan's) meters, from the same bloke.

[Ivan]

There's a date on the front of the meter. Not sure quite what this date refers to (manufacture date? Certificate date?). However, the date on the 'surplus' meter I bought is a good several years younger than my current export meter. I guess my export meter could be a recalibrated older meter, but can't work out where the calibration is. My import meter has been in the property for at least 20years, and hasn't had any recalibration during that period.

[Alan]

As meters are changed they are routinely submitted for accuracy determination and they establish criteria for service life by the deviation in accuracy. If it is seen to change by more than 2% then the service life for that make, type and production batch of meter is reduced accordingly. The arrangement is enshrined in Law, the Statutory Instrument (SI) that enacts the EU Measuring Instrument Directive. The date shown is the batch date.

My Ecomomy 10 meter installed here was replaced within 4 years.

Regards

Alan