On the updated Solar screen, you will now see a real-time animation showing how much solar you’re producing as well as how much you’re sending to and from the grid in real time. We’ve also added improved historic solar stats to the Usage card on this page, including: total production, total usage, amount sent to grid, amount pulled from grid, and percentage of consumption covered by solar — all with corresponding costs, if available. In both sections, you can see your percent “powered by solar." This is an important metric that indicates how much of your usage has actually been covered by your solar production, rather than just being sent to the grid. Insights like these help you see how much you’re earning via utility buyback programs or if your efficiency can be improved by shifting costly loads to your hours of highest production.
In the new Solar Settings screen, accessible via the gear icon in the top-right corner of the Solar screen, you’ll now be able to provide your solar sell back rate. This will be used to calculate the dollar value of the energy you send back to the grid. We’ve also introduced a new section in Solar Settings called ‘System Specs’, where you can add details about your solar setup like number of panels and wattage ratings. This is designed to be in compliance with California’s upcoming Title 24 legislation.
On the Web App, we’ve added a new Solar tab, which features the same real-time animation and Usage details described above. Sell back rate and ‘System Specs’ will also be available on the Web App.
As always, let us know what you think in the comments.
Note that this was just pushed to the respective app stores. It may take a bit of time to show on iOS and Android, but Web will be accessible right away at https://home.sense.com.
Nice job! Can’t wait to update the IOS app to see the changes.
Checked the App store today and version 29.3 is available as a download. Still waiting to see version 30 showing up to download.
Looking at the web app now (no iOS update available for me yet), I have “Electricity Cost”==Off for my account, though I see “$0” amounts erroneously/uselessly on the “Solar” tab for the following metrics:
both "Production" energy metrics
both "Usage" energy metrics
The new “To grid” and “From grid” metrics correctly don’t have a useless “$0” tagged to them.
Note, the “Electricity Cost” feature will be useful only when you guys finally support more elaborate tariff options for specifying electricity costs. Here’s for hoping this long requested feature will be announced shortly in a “What’s new in v31 and Web App v12” update!!!
Took a look at the web app and I love it! Interesting to see that 62% of my solar production is going to the grid and my home is actually only 22% powered by Solar. Granted the net metering at the end of the month is about 56% for the year but the break down is really interesting! Nice work!
@james_reilley
I’m going to shoot you a PM to get some more info on what you’re seeing.
@waterboysh
As @kevin1 points to, this is easily accessible via the Power Meter
@ptmoore
You’re hitting on one of the big goals behind this release: providing awareness that can drive change (and some money savings!). At the end of the day, most will likely see savings from solar, but that can always be more optimized via some load shifting.
In that regard, I hope you guys are working hard on EV icons (user-selectable colors please) and battery icons … with the associated energy flow icons. I can visualize those fitting in to the fab new solar display paradigm.
Load shifting is a little hard for me to do and with the net metering laws in Kansas not really valuable. The EV has a big impact most days and that is going to be hard to shift. On the plus side I do apparently power a big chunk of my neighbors homes during the day!
Clearly we just need to get all of our employers to install solar-powered EV chargers. Then the car doesn’t need to drive back home to charge; it just charges from the solar chargers at work.
Not always the easiest thing to do when the power box is over the meter graph. This is the web interface via Chrome on a MacBook Pro. This was taken at full screen on a 27" monitor.
It would be nice to have all solar related things on the Solar tab. Future enhancement…
It can be argued I believe that using the graph for power reading is still only giving you a half-second integrated peak power.
I may stand corrected, but the intent of Title 24: 7.2.3.4e seems to imply instantaneous peak power (is there any other kind?) … so this is something that is only available through direct processing on the Sense device itself. There are also some user interface implications (in Title 24): that the number be easily accessible since it would seem that the idea is to be able to hold installers and manufacturers to account.
I guess the argument would be that all peak power readings are integrated in some fashion and a 1/2s sample is going to be well within the margins of error of a true instantaneous reading.
A daily log of peak solar power would be usable elsewhere … to check panel soiling/snow; degradation; other failures.
This update is awesome! I provided Sense feedback in May asking for most of these new features and it’s so satisfying to now have the data. Both the app and web worked right away. THANKS!
PS. Agree that it would be great to program different electrical rates based on time of day (we have a cheap rate 11p-7a but higher rate 7a-11p).
Love the new solar data, been a long time coming and now finally here. Looks awesome. Thanks for the hard work. For me it comes, literally, one day late because I just did a heavy up from a 200 amp service to a 400 amp service to support a conversion from natural gas to geothermal so my “to grid” numbers won’t be accurate. After using Sense for the past 2 years or so, I’m having SERIOUS withdrawal because I don’t have visibility into how much power this new system will be drawing. Aggregation of multiple Senses (Sensi?)…soon…please!
@ixu, @ken2
Given the Title 24 intent (below), I believe that any consistent measure - peak instantaneous, peak 1/2 second, or even peak hour would accomplish the goal. What’s more, is that the Sense power meter, Solar Usage graphs, and export are probably far more useful in spotting performance issues.
“monitor the performance of their PV system, to identify, report, and correct performance issues with the panels, inverters, shading, or other issues that may adversely impact the performance of the PV system”
As far as I can tell, this update broke my most used feature of the web app. I used to go to the Trends page, at monthly level, to get usage and generation values for month to date. Today, those numbers are no longer on the Trends page. How do I get month to date usage and solar generation without the numbers on the monthly Trends report?
Quick question regarding the new solar screen. Yesterday I produced 23.8 kWh and my usage was 23.6kwh. I would consider this day to be 100% powered by solar but the app is showing 18%. Am I looking at this the wrong way? Seems like a calculation error to me. Tried to attach a pic but wasn’t allowed.
