Yes however that breaker was disabled for this billing cycle as I know it to be around 2 kWh anytime the cooling fluid drops below 100 F. Not ideal when you live in Georgia where that’s entirely unnecessary. So I’ve flipped it off being warm enough not to have issues. The ATS has two breakers: Battery Charger, Heater. I turned both off to try to get a grip on the cause of high bills.
Assuming this is a entire home ATS
Wonder if something malfunctioned within the ATS and keeping field energized ….or a diode failed by short circuiting.
A short-circuited diode would keep current on the exciter field winding and this short circuit issue would show all the usage at service meter (short plus usage) but then the sense meter would only show the usage since the CTs are reading the leads on your 2 panels only. The generator would still work as well. Maybe a hand held clamp meter would help.
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An interesting idea. I will test it! I have an inductive multi-meter. Luckily the Generator folks are coming out tomorrow so I’ll be able to investigate this.
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I’m a little suspicious of those “Solar” CTs nevertheless.
I’ve got Solar CTs running as DCMs (actually 2 sets of solar CTs on different monitors) and they aren’t that skinny. If they are indeed Sense provided as you say I’m wondering (as I’d pondered above) if they are a different build. Can you take closer pictures? Maybe remove them, take pictures and then reseat them?
If you want to check the “calibration” in theory you could clamp the Solar CTs on the same wires as the Main CTs and monitor things in real time. Will screw with your totals but a brief test isn’t going to throw things off too much.
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Oh the skinny ones? those aren’t solar those were the standard nonsolar version they gave me. They have a sense logo on them. They are the ones that have a lock to close them. Here’s some pictures of them I have from a couple days ago.
In one of the images I hadn’t yet closed it so ignore that…it is closed at this time.
Ah, so correct me if I’m wrong but from your very first image you have the middle port (“Solar”) CTs around the wires in the panel in which the Sense monitor is wired?
The Main CTs (skinny) are on the other panel.
AFAIK that shouldn’t make a difference but actually I’m not sure how the different CT calibrations work and what that would mean in this case? [it’s a non-standard install]
Folks? @JustinAtSense @kevin1 @ccook
The skinny CT(s) are in the sense main port and the solar are in the middle port. I have the sense in the right panel with the skinny CT(s) and the solar leads over to left panel is plugged in the middle port. So I don’t think it’s an issue but I should make sure I don’t have the ports switched. Let me know if it could be an issue for calibration and I’ll double check.
I would have to turn to @JustinAtSense because I don’t know what the current Flex, Solar and Main CTs look like. I do know that the main port CTs are calibrated differently.
ps: My CTs, main, solar and flex, all look the same (size/shape) except the solar and flex both have the sun on them.
This all sounds good, based on set-up. The skinnier CT’s are the same calibrated CT’s that are meant for the mains, they’re just a slightly different version that’s compatible with busbars and/or tighter fits in panels. It shouldn’t make a difference.
@WizardofCoz do you have a Support ticket open? I’ll push it along to a support lead if so. I’d like for them to take a look to ensure my rationale is correct 
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I don’t have one open at the moment but I’m happy to open one! I don’t think it’s the sense per se but there is a real discrepancy for sure.
Did you get a chance to put your inductive meter on your generator leads? Or stack your CT’s on the same leads/ wires for a few minutes to compare within the app as Ixu suggested?
If you both sets of CT’s on the same leads/ same panel….for a total of 28%-30% difference in the total usage I would you to see something like 350w in one and 1000w in the other since we’re looking at maybe 1/2 your service being read wrong to compile 30% total.
Checked the generator and there’s no issue there. Generator guy was actually out yesterday and we stepped through it but no I haven’t yet stacked them to see if that’s where the difference is. I will do that today.
They do indeed match. GA power will be out Tuesday to look at the meter.
It was actually the meter and they will be coming out next week to change it out.
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