08-28-2015, 04:13 AM
If I were to try one of these micro-inverters, I'd also want some way of metering (monitoring) the AC output, so I could verify that it's working as desired. Something like the Kill-A-Watt meter, which you'd insert between the inverter and wall outlet, so you could measure watts being fed into the AC line.
I'm not certain that the Kill-A-Watt can be used in this way, as it might only be able to measure watts OUT of the outlet, but here's a video of someone using a similar meter to monitor output of a microinverter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNHZLEi6gvA
If you're comfortable working with AC wiring, you could cobble together a monitor of your own using something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-80-260V-LCD-D...1e9eec0a35
I only mention all this because it might be hard to get an idea of how much the PV panels /inverter combo are helping your utility bill based solely on the bill, given the variability sunlight and daily power usage.
I'm not certain that the Kill-A-Watt can be used in this way, as it might only be able to measure watts OUT of the outlet, but here's a video of someone using a similar meter to monitor output of a microinverter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNHZLEi6gvA
If you're comfortable working with AC wiring, you could cobble together a monitor of your own using something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-80-260V-LCD-D...1e9eec0a35
I only mention all this because it might be hard to get an idea of how much the PV panels /inverter combo are helping your utility bill based solely on the bill, given the variability sunlight and daily power usage.