Yeah Ive already got a script running on it with an LCD display on my breaker panel showing my consumption and production as well as logging. This was one of the main reasons I wanted correct readings.
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I am having the same issue, I have to use configuration A since there isn’t enough room to use configuration B. So during the day my device consumption is 0 and during the night it is working correctly. Basically the mains are being used for device consumption, when the device consumption should be mains plus solar. Would be nice to know how to identify this issue to tech support since it has been over a day and the first contact was just switching polarity on the mains. Another option would be to have an option in settings that would allow this configuration to be turned on and off so I could fix, like I can switch polarity by reversing the sensors.
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With the amount of variations in potential solar configurations, the best insight you can pass along to Support (along with your ticket) is a breakdown of how your solar feeds into your panel so they can make the proper adjustment on our end.
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My issue was fixed today by support. Great to have actuate numbers again. Thanks.
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Hi, everybody! I’ve contacted support twice since installing my solar sensor two days ago but haven’t gotten it quite fixed yet…
First, they enabled solar for me since it was failing to detect inverter shut down. I have micro inverters fed into an enphase combiner then into service panel. I confirmed that toggling the solar breaker cut all power with a voltage detector.
Anyways, now it’s doing the bizarre addition of solar and consumption for the consumption number I guess. The consumption seems to move in line with solar (see attached pic).
I have the main CTs with label facing power company. I’ve tried with solar CTs facing both directions but currently toward solar. Is it just a waiting game or.do they need to do more button pushing on their end?!
Screenshot_20210806-112516_Sense|243x500
Edit: they fixed me up shortly after I wrote this post. Many thanks to Umme and the sense team!
Panel porn will help. There’s only one way your CTs should go.
Either way you probably have the same problem that I and many others did and have to get them to do some software maths to correct it.
I got an extension cord today and finally installed my solar sensors. It started out messed up, but support fixed it instantly after filling out their web form. Unfortunately it’s now gone south again only a couple of hours later; my main sensors have flipped phase for some reason. Why can’t I just fix this in the app on my own?
I like that you chose a clown. Grump grump grump. What’s to be done here, seriously?
I also spoke too soon… The graphs looked OK yesterday when tech support did their thing but now only solar looks correct and usage is flat lining at zero.
The formula for usage seems dead simple so I’m confused how it’s so often messed up. Given that power FROM utility is POSITIVE, and TO utility is NEGATIVE, and solar is always POSITIVE, then the formula is:
L1 + L2 + S1 + S2
Examples
(-400)+(-1900)+2400+2500 = 2600
500+(-1000)+2000+2000 = 3500
600+600+0+0 = 1200 (duh)
There are of course some constraints on the numbers that represent impossible situations but won’t have to worry about those happening in the real world (or could flag as an error with the sensors). I’m tempted to just graph this myself lol! Someone said something about an API?
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Keep working with support. They will solve it for you.
The math isn’t quite that simple because positive and negative can be relative to the location of the CT’s and production/consumption numbers.
In many homes, the solar tap is in your main panel. So the power comes “in” at the bottom of your panel and runs up and out through the main CT’s. So assuming you are over producing solar,
it would be Positive flow through the Solar CT’s and Negative flow through the main CT’s.
If you are consuming more power than you are generating, then both Solar and Main CT’s would have positive values.
Now what happens if your Solar CT’s are “above” your main CT’s.
All power via your main CT’s will always be positive.
All power out of your Solar CT’s will always be positive.
So everything is always positive, but consumption “from grid” vs “From solar” will depend on solar production and the ensuing math.
Now, add in that some people install their CT’s incorrectly, or inconsistently. Sense can correct for all of these things, but it sometimes takes time to do it itself, or needs assistance rom support ti give it a nudge. And I’ve seen from others on these forums, sometimes depending on where you are in the signals check process, it will be correct. Then wrong. Then correct again as Sense works its ways through all the possible configurations.
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Seems like exactly why they should let me do it myself. Maybe it’s because I understand electricity, but this doesn’t seem like rocket science.
@bennymack @charmeran - I’m sorry to hear about the set-up issues.
Support should be getting back to you today and I’d recommend continuing working with them, as it will be your quickest route to getting everything squared away. As @ben mentioned, there are a few possible issues that can occur with set-up and Support can usually assist on our end.
Support did reply to me today asking for information they already had. We’ll see if anything comes of it; they must have gone home for the day already, since I haven’t heard anything since my reply just before 2 PM PDT.
Ok; I think it’s right now. A couple more hours of data will help me believe it, though. 
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I am new to Sense, mine isn’t up and running yet. Already having technical difficulties.
I actually bought this device because I am going solar in the near future. I’m not overly concerned as to what it using what for powered, more interested in a summary of what I produce, what I consume and when my break even with my solar investment actually takes place. I was assuming Sense does all this out of the box, its that a correct assumption?
I see that Solaredge has a device that does this as well. Can have it added to my system for around $600. Wondering if I should just pay the premium before pulling my hair out with a sperate device like the Sense unit. Stability is first and foremost, I don’t mind paying a premium for that. Is there a reason you are using the Sense versus a consumption device that is already comparable with your solar system?
I’m going to put myself out there and state 3 things as a user of Sense w Solar for 4 years.
- Sense has been far more stable and useful for monitoring solar vs total usage than the SolarEdge reporting and bridge that came with my SolarEdge inverter. Of course, my inverter doesn’t have CTs for the mains she the Sense display / data is better for 4 reasons - 1) much more real time, 2) compares Solar vs Total usage, 3) includes solar pricing info and TOU $, 4) more flexible in reporting and data access.
- My Sense setup experience was generally good - I have setup my 2 units 5 times and only twice have I had issues, both during solar “calibration”. support@sense.com has fixed quickly both times.
- I have also found Sense to line up more accurately with my net production and utility meter vs. the SolarEdge monitoring. The SolarEdge metering generally is 3-5% higher than Sense, making for greater differences in net metering.
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Thanks for sharing
So when I have have my solar hooked up through Sense, will I be able to see Usage and Production all on one screen under “Trends”?
Yes, you definitely will.
We recently updated our web page for Solar and I think it does a really great job overviewing the benefits (in case you’re curious). You can check it out here:
https://sense.com/solar
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I have had exactly the same issue as well as the inability to setup solar since it seems to be unable to detect when the inverter is turned off. I have had Sense for several years and was able to both monitor utility power and also power consumption on a generator sub panel by faking it out as solar.
Now I actually have solar and find it impossible to get it to work. It even got to the point where customer support gave up. Ironically, my setup is very straightforward. One pair of probes monitors utility leads which includes power + solar. The other is solar. This is exactly one of the installations shown in their diagram. To accurately show power consumption from solar generation it needs to do a bit of math and subtract out the solar.
It is frustrating. I will say that customer support is pleasant and attempts to be helpful, but the fact that you can’t do anything without engaging with customer support is absurdly frustrating.
My opinion is that the software is awful. The idea that a product that is supposed to use machine learning to identify appliances is incapable of accurately determining connectivity is beyond ironic.
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Setting up solar, it regularly gets stuck trying to determine that solar is off. Being able to distinguish between a 1000W and 6 or 7W can’t be that hard. Somebody in SW screwed up. The few times I have been able to get past the setup phase I had to do something kludgy like unplug the solar probes. If nothing else, use machine learning to measure solar around midnight. I’ll bet it will be close to zero.
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Inability try different configurations as well as disabling a setting such as solar without going through customer support is ridiculous. Build those options into the app. I don’t want to interact with support when clicking on a button on my app is much faster. I have literally had conversations with support that last weeks and it still doesn’t work.
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Inability to reset the configuration and try again without loosing all your data. Should be a simple option in the menu, restart install, without wiping the account and loosing all the data.
Bottom line, please hire some decent embedded software engineers and fix this mess.
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