PEA found out meter is spinning backward

[eddysacc]

 

 

The PEA found out that my meter is spinning backward.

So they send some ordinary staff out to my place to check.

I let him inspect my property, and he finds the solar panels installed on the roof.

So he is saying that tomorrow some engineer will give you a call and check your place again. 

I'm asking if there is a problem. He is replying, "Don't worry.

This was one week ago, and nothing has happened so far.

Opinions, please. How will this play out, and should I do anything ?

I got a position consumption on the meter about 100 units every month.

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Crossy
Rather a lot of carriage returns removed :)

[Crossy]

Not a lot you can do now if they saw your meter going in reverse ???? 

 

The worst punishment I'm aware of is a slap on the wrists and the installation of a non-reverse meter.

 

Do keep us informed as to what actually occurs.

 

EDIT If your inverter can do "no-export" it might be wise to set it that way at least until whoever is coming actually comes.

[eddysacc]

Thanks Crossy for sharing your Wisdom in this.

 

In fact you were right. This is what I would say so far. (Did. Ot receive an updated Bill or anything yet)

 

So what did the PEA do?

They just send some ordinary guy to change the meter. And there is a digital meter installed now.

 

 

The Solar farm is still feeding the grid. Giving free units to the PEA now.

 

 

My idea is to visit the PEA office and ask politely for a Solar friendly meter to get some credit for the generated units.

Not having many expectations with that venture.

(- until a year ago the PEA did not provide this kind of meter here.

Yes time is going slowly here in the deep Esaan.)

 

 

Am I missing some important points here? any advice?

 

[Crossy]

31 minutes ago, eddysacc said:

Am I missing some important points here? any advice?

 

Possibly.

 

Did you use a registered installer? Is your inverter on the approved list?

Not sure if this is the absolute latest list: -

https://www.pea.co.th/Portals/0/PEAContent/eee/aee_div/reg_equip/PEA Inverter list 6-2565.pdf?ver=2022-07-21-181114-117

 

If either is "no" then getting a solar friendly meter probably isn't going to happen ????

 

But it sure as heck it can't hurt to ask. 

 

Otherwise, time to shift your lifestyle to use all your energy during the day, washing, ironing, charge the EV.

[Elkski]

Sad to hear this happened.  

[Muhendis]

1 hour ago, eddysacc said:

The Solar farm is still feeding the grid. Giving free units to the PEA now.

I am unclear on this.

Are you saying that you're adding units to your PEA incoming power?

If so then you are adding to your bill by however many units you are feeding in to the grid.

That being the case I would suggest you switch off your feed-in option ASAP.

[MJCM]

5 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

I am unclear on this.

Are you saying that you're adding units to your PEA incoming power?

If so then you are adding to your bill by however many units you are feeding in to the grid.

That being the case I would suggest you switch off your feed-in option ASAP.

Also it could be that you are paying for Feeding Electricity in the Grid. Just check your meter and if your BILL is higher (read: More Units) then STOP FEEDING into the GRID!

[spidermike007]

Expect an enormous refund. The check is in the mail! 

[JBChiangRai]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

Also it could be that you are paying for Feeding Electricity in the Grid. Just check your meter and if your BILL is higher (read: More Units) then STOP FEEDING into the GRID!

I think you need to check your meter  when you know you are exporting to the grid whether or not PEA are charging you to export, hopefully not.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, eddysacc said:

The Solar farm is still feeding the grid. Giving free units to the PEA now.

Just turn the grid off, or settings to  'no export' in you inverter.  Simple enough.

 

I do both ????

[Crossy]

7 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I think you need to check your meter  when you know you are exporting to the grid whether or not PEA are charging you to export, hopefully not.

 

Yes. Very good point, we have had reports that digital meters have been charging for exported energy as well as import!

[MJCM]

13 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

I think you need to check your meter  when you know you are exporting to the grid whether or not PEA are charging you to export, hopefully not.

@Crossy has posted that there are reports that (some??) NEW Electric Meters will charge for electricity feed into the grid.

 

Edit: I have no idea if you can see on those (when you check) if you are being charged for exported energy. You will (maybe) only find that out on your Monthly BILL

Edited March 6, 2023 by MJCM

[Crossy]

There have been a couple of rather vague reports of Thai digital meters charging for export, I've also seen it reported on other solar forums not just in Thailand.

 

I suggest checking if the meter is counting up when you know you are exporting! Just turn everything off around lunch time when the sun as at peak output. 

 

 

[MJCM]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I suggest checking if the meter is counting up when you know you are exporting! Just turn everything off around lunch time when the sun as at peak output. 

That is a good tip ????

 

For the OP,  we had PEA come by and take pictures of our solar panels. But this is now a month ago and nothing has changed. We still have the same old meter (that is spinning backwards) but at the time they visited the meter wasn't spinning backwards (maybe that is what saved us)

 

Have a look here:

 

[Muhendis]

I can imagine PEA getting pea'd off enough about this that, at some future date, they will ask the government to ban ALL solar installations unless approved by them.

Instalations not connected to the grid will also be targeted because of potential loss of revenue.

[MJCM]

10 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

Instalations not connected to the grid will also be targeted because of potential loss of revenue.

How?

 

Edit: do you mean no export? So having a grid connection but your Solar is set to No Export?

Edited March 6, 2023 by MJCM

[Muhendis]

9 minutes ago, MJCM said:

How?

 

Edit: do you mean no export? So having a grid connection but your Solar is set to No Export?

Legislation.

 

If the consumer is using solar when they could be using the available grid power, the government aka PEA could get ratty about loss of income and legislate to ensure they get something out of it.

[MJCM]

7 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

Legislation.

 

If the consumer is using solar when they could be using the available grid power, the government aka PEA could get ratty about loss of income and legislate to ensure they get something out of it.

Doubt that is going to happen for example with all those companies installing Solar. For example the Toyota dealer near the Stadium is installing a .... load of Solar Panels at the moment.

 

Edit: And IMHO that would be a dumb move if the government goes that far, everywhere they are trying to go green but of course TiT

Edited March 6, 2023 by MJCM

[KhunLA]

32 minutes ago, MJCM said:

How?

 

Edit: do you mean no export? So having a grid connection but your Solar is set to No Export?

That's how our system is set up / no export.  Conx to grid, JIC solar system has an oops, or weather so krappy that won't produce enough, though doubtful will happen.

 

As an extra, I turn the breaker between grid and house power 'off'.  Last bill was -0- units/kWh used, as will most of the future bills.

[Muhendis]

31 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Doubt that is going to happen for example with all those companies installing Solar. For example the Toyota dealer near the Stadium is installing a .... load of Solar Panels at the moment.

 

Edit: And IMHO that would be a dumb move if the government goes that far, everywhere they are trying to go green but of course TiT

It will probably end up as a solar panel (measured in Watts) tax added on to the house tax.

 

This was once said about radio.

 

An intimate friend of Faraday once described to me how, when Faraday was endeavouring to explain to Gladstone and several others an important new discovery in science Gladstone’s only commentary was ‘but, after all, what use is it?” ‘Why, sir,’ replied Faraday, ‘there is every probability that you will soon be able to tax it!’”

[Crossy]

@eddysaccwhich inverter do you have?

[Crossy]

19 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

It will probably end up as a solar panel (measured in Watts) tax added on to the house tax.

 

The Good-ole US of A did actually try, the bill failed but ...

 

 

[eddysacc]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

@eddysaccwhich inverter do you have?

I have got a 6kw inverter.

This one.

 

 

[eddysacc]

Actually I think it's it is a fact that everyone has to admit that the energy consumption of the world is rising.

 

History shows that energy consumption is always rising.

And if there is a new energy source found,it never substituted another energy source. No, it adds up to the other sources that are in place.

 

It happend with wood>coal>oil>gas> uranium> etc pp

 

My point is, you never know what the big thinkers are up to. Especially not in Thailand.

 

But it's an undeniable fact that Thailand will need solar power in the future.

 

More so as the demonestic gas reserves in place have peaked already and its output is declining.

There is more and more demand for LNG bow which is very pricey.

 

(Thailand is heavily depended on fas for energy gernation)

[Crossy]

12 minutes ago, eddysacc said:

I have got a 6kw inverter.

This one.

 

OK, a quick look at the manual suggests that it doesn't have a current transformer (CT) that would allow you to automatically control the output to prevent exporting energy ???? 

 

This isn't really an issue unless you find out that your meter is clocking up when you are exporting. Time for a test as detailed above.

 

[eddysacc]

Actually there is a CT installed. So it's possible to turn off export to grid.

 

There are things I don't like about it. So I would only deactive export if that is really necessary.

 

1) the Inverter restarts often if there is not much consumption.

1 aircon and 2 fridges are running 24/7 and that is about 300 watts/hour. Which is not enough from preventing the inverter from.restarting frequently especially in early morning and late eveni hours.

I think it's not good for longevity of the inverter either.

 

2) this point is my observation. Take it as speculation as you like.

 

when power output is at a certain Level,it seems to take a while for the inverter to level.up.the needed output.

This means more import from the grid overall

 

 

 

[eddysacc]

Why are there are 2 different displayed number on the meter?

 

What does it mean?

 

 

[JBChiangRai]

18 minutes ago, eddysacc said:

Why are there are 2 different displayed number on the meter?

 

What does it mean?

 

 

One is Export (to PEA I guess), the other is Import, that meter has the ability to pay you for your export, IF you had approval

[JBChiangRai]

Just now, JBChiangRai said:

One is Export (to PEA I guess), the other is Import, that meter has the ability to pay you for your export, IF you had approval

Export and import could be the other way round

[sidgy]

Hoping we have not been caught out, meter has Always been read on the 5th of the month, so usually ensure we using more than producing but this week i found the bill in the postbox on late afternoon on the 4th !!!