How Does A Smart Meter Work With Solar Panels

Furthermore the same is valid for the export of solar energy back to the grid.

How does a smart meter work with solar panels.

Solar panels are designed to store energy and convert it so you can use it in your home. Although you may already have a current smart meter installed at your property it would still need to be changed or altered to accomodate for a bi directional digital meter. The main issues some people have reported when coping with a combination of solar panels and smart meters is that the meters connected to the solar panels are analogue meters or what we like to call dumb meters. Your electricity company reads the meter and calculates any surplus electricity fed back into the grid.

Bi directional meters have three display screens. The second shows power coming in from the grid and the third shows power going out from your solar into the grid. They allow the consumer to see exactly how much energy they are using from their solar installations and how much they are importing from the grid. If you choose to get a smart meter installed it will only be able to display the energy.

You produce excess energy it reduces the amount of energy measured on your bill by the same amount the meter spins backwards. With analogue meters the default is 1 1 net metering. Solar panel owners should have a pv generation meter that shows how much electricity their system is generating. Most importantly the new smart meters work with solar panels and other photovoltaic systems.

The microgeneration source connected to the export smart meter will provide accurate information to the energy supplier to provide an accurate bill based on how much energy you have imported and exported. If you re getting a smart meter installed make sure that your supplier is aware you have solar panels. One is a test screen where all lights are on. With smart meters utilities can measure and value your solar production any way the regulators let them.

Smart meters have been designed to be able to work with solar panels and other microgeneration. If you are on a net feed in tariff scheme your net meter measures your household s electricity and the electricity generated by your solar pv system together. Typically the screen notation with 001 shows power coming in and 002 shows power going out. A smart meter won t stop your solar panels working and generating electricity and it won t alter the amount of electricity you get to use.

With a smart meter installed a household will be able to tell its energy supplier exactly how many kilowatt hours kwh it s sending to the grid. The answer to this question depends up to a point on what you mean by interfere.