4 wire electrical panel please help

[Manny1314]

Thanks to Sense Team Community Manager @JustinAtSense and Sense user @david7 for helping out and giving me hand in figuring out PG&E ordeal. I have upcoming appt with PG&E in NorCal for CT installation under the utility metering section. Hopefully I get a nice lineman who can allow me to hook up CTs on service mains. My bottom utility section was already didn’t have any lock, so I already pulled CT wires in there and have them ready for the shutoff day. I have CT extension cable ordered since it ran little short. Hopefully I will get it before PG&E guy’s arrival in two weeks.

I successfully installed sense except those main Utility current sensors seen in the photo. I can see accurate solar production already. Once I get my main CTs hooked up, will reset the data and will start from beginning.

Thanks Everyone involved. Finally a sense user and hoping to contribute a lot going forward.

[Manny1314]

@JustinAtSense @david7 - Finally, PG&E Guy came today but he didn’t let me put the CT’s on the Line (Source) Side of the Meter Panel section where there is only One Conductor per Phase - ideal location of the CT. (which I think still is fine - see below details and photos Before and After). I think these photos should help anyone who has parallel feed and wants to try hooking up the CTs on the Meter Section right before phases split out into 2 parallel conductors. (assuming Utility guys allow doing so).

I was able to clamp both the Main Current sensors (CTs) on both the split Phases right before they split into 1,2,3,4 wires (2 parallel) for my Center Feed Schneider Electric Panel SC2040M200C
ALL-IN-ONE RING TYPE OH/UG 200A SURFACE.

Under the meter section Right where the cables terminates to the Main BUS (as you can see in the photo Before Installation), there are some space for the Sense CTs to go. It was little Tricky to Clamp those in there since Opening of the CTs are not enough to go around both the cables however wiggling a little should help get through this hurdles. I tried right side one first and then left side leg CT since it was too crowded at right side cables.

Now this Metal terminals are always HOT (Live) regardless of whether Meter is taken out or not, so please be careful if you attempt to do it yourself. While clamping the CTs you will definitely touch the LIVE HOT metal Lugs (BUS) so DON’T attempt yourself, let the Utility Guy do it for you since they have rubber or Leather gloves and would not Shock them if they touch the Live part while wiggling the CT to get it around the cable.
I tried earlier before the PG&E guy came to help out and got sweet 120V shock (Line to Ground Fault) for a quick 1 second and got thrown away! Luckily I wasn’t got killed. I will never do anything like that ever again!

PG&E don’t have very sensitive Ground Fault protection so Nothing tripped at PG&E side. Remember when I got Shock, there was no Breaker protecting me against the ground fault current since I accidently touched the Live part under the Meter Section. I shouldn’t have attempted this but regretting it now.

Anyways, I asked PG&E guys to do it for me and he was able to wiggle CTs and got them through both the phases. After that, I checked if CTs are closed properly or not. They fit perfectly around both sides.

Actually these CTs sit exactly 90 Degree of both the cables thus I am assuming they are very accurately measuring the current passes through it. Vs CTs sitting at an angle other than 90 degree.

If anyone come to this page and have any questions, feel free to me reach me here or just reply to this post and I will be happy to assist in anyway I can.

Thanks Again Sense Team. I am happy to be able to install it successfully. CTs should be able to measure two parallel conductor currents accurately as long as they are the same Phase!

[JustinAtSense]

@Manny1314

I tried earlier before the PG&E guy came to help out and got sweet 120V shock (Line to Ground Fault) for a quick 1 second and got thrown away! Luckily I wasn’t got killed. I will never do anything like that ever again!

I’m glad to hear you’re okay, but I’ll use this as a reminder for anyone reading: your electrical panel can be extremely dangerous. A licensed electrician should install Sense to ensure installation is completed safely.

[Manny1314]

@JustinAtSense I am having issues: Can you please assist?
It is so weird.

1. While setting up Solar in a bright day light, it gets stuck at Waiting for OFF status. I waited a long for many attempts but it keep getting stuck and doesn’t move at all. Do you know what is wrong here? Not happy learning this after so many hurdles. Immediate help would be greatly appreciated. Also took Power cable off along with CT wires for 10 secs. Nothing worked.

2. Also, I had to do master reset it because suddenly in the morning It started showing Negative Power in one of the LEG. Not sure why, may be Solar setup was not completed, that’s why? Since power production was more than usage this negative power?

3. Why it doesn’t calibrate for solar? It has been producing 1000W still didn’t work.

Thanks

/

[kevin1]

Better to contact support@sense.com for help with setup.

[JustinAtSense]

Thanks, @kevin1.
It sounds like a few things could be occurring here @Manny1314. As Kevin mentioned, contacting Support is the best option.

[Manny1314]

Thanks. Yes, I reached out to Team and they were able to correct the + and - from their end.
It looks good now.
Thanks.
For a sec, I mixed up this platform with tech support!