Low cost AC power monitor for residential PV support

The rate at which new, residential on-grid PV systems are being installed increases every year. Yet, most include virtually no metering, customer education or other support for the system owners. The California Energy Commission´s Renewable Energy Program Evaluation, October 2000, stated that consumers need a basic level of system performance measurement in order to verify whether their system is operating properly. This echoes a recurring observation that has been made by researchers, at least, since 1990. Consumers can turn to after-market meters which exist, but these are often inaccurate and none supports remote display. Of equal concern is that manufacturers of most meters assume a basic knowledge of electrical power that homeowners do not possess. To help meet this longstanding need, an inexpensive, accurate, AC power monitor has been developed for installation by an untrained homeowner. This monitor incorporates a power line carrier remote display that can be located anywhere in the home. The monitor and associated training materials have been designed to teach consumers to accurately assess PV system performance and recognize system failures. It is hoped that the unit´s low cost and potential consumer value demonstrate its commercial viability.