Emporia Vue is an Interesting Companion to Solar and Powerwalls

[holeydonut]

I don't know. But I figured they know what they are talking about. There's a note on their some of their products that they don't work everywhere.

Emporia sells two primary products.

1) A monitor that you use in your own breaker panel to measure current happening in your house
2) A monitor that interacts wtih your power company's energy meter

I suspect your PoCo is telling you their tool won't work with their meter. But you should still be able to use the other product to monitor your home loads.

 

[sorka]

I don't know. But I figured they know what they are talking about. There's a note on their some of their products that they don't work everywhere.

Sure but it has nothing to do with your utility company. It does have to do with your service panel and how much room is in there and if you need the flex CTs to get around bus bars. The regular Vue CTs already have big square bus bar sized clamps but some bus bars are too close to the back and you don't get the clearance without their slightly more expensive flex CTs.

 

[sorka]

Emporia sells two primary products.

1) A monitor that you use in your own breaker panel to measure current happening in your house
2) A monitor that interacts wtih your power company's energy meter

I suspect your PoCo is telling you their tool won't work with their meter. But you should still be able to use the other product to monitor your home loads.

He already said he asked them about the Vue with 16 CTs, so it can't be that. But unless there's something very unusual about his service panel, the Vue will work just fine.

 

[Akikiki]

Soooo. I guess I should just ignore the advice of one of their representatives and do what you suggest? Buy it anyway? Sounds like a plan.

 

[NorCalSlrUser]

I don't know. But I figured they know what they are talking about. There's a note on their some of their products that they don't work everywhere.

They must have confused the Vue Utility Connect with the Vue2.
The first needs to talk over zigby with your SmartMeter.

Vue2 should work with anything.

 

[sorka]

Soooo. I guess I should just ignore the advice of one of their representatives and do what you suggest? Buy it anyway? Sounds like a plan.

In your case, I'd only buy one if you're willing to pay someone else to install it. For everyone else, they're probably fine doing their own install.

 

[holeydonut]

Soooo. I guess I should just ignore the advice of one of their representatives and do what you suggest? Buy it anyway? Sounds like a plan.

Personally, I think the PoCo rep you spoke with got confused with the two product offerings. Unless Hawaii has a completely wonky electric grid relative to the continental US, the Vue Gen 2 with the 16 CTs would work for you. And there's zero way for the PoCo to even know you have it installed since it's just a series of wires and a tech doodads in your house.

But here's the page saying that Emporia's smart meter doodad (not the Vue with the 16 CTs) won't work in Hawaii.
Is the Emporia Vue Utility Connect available in my state? | Emporia Energy

 

[sorka]

I don't know. But I figured they know what they are talking about. There's a note on their some of their products that they don't work everywhere.

Link other than their utility connect dongle which is NOT what you said you wanted to install?

 

[brkaus]

Wish they had smaller CTs. Even if it requires disconnecting the circuit. The device from Brultech has tiny CTs.

 

[israndy]

I want to get a second Vue Gen 2 with only 2 CTs to measure my AC subpanel ... but they weren't selling single CTs on their site until today.

What item are you referring to? The $69 Vue2 with the dual 200 amp CTs.

I went to look after you message but I couldn't find anything that would work to monitor sub panels w/o it showing as a separate location, so you couldn't monitor total usage or whatever. They sell the two or three CT package but if you want to use those sensors to track individual circuits it requires an adapter and changing the multiplier. I already have the house monitored via the Vue Connect talking to my Meter. I already have major circuits monitored with their Smart Plugs. But I want to monitor my oven and my EVSE.

 

[sorka]

What item are you referring to? The $69 Vue2 with the dual 200 amp CTs.

I went to look after you message but I couldn't find anything that would work to monitor sub panels w/o it showing as a separate location, so you couldn't monitor total usage or whatever. They sell the two or three CT package but if you want to use those sensors to track individual circuits it requires an adapter and changing the multiplier. I already have the house monitored via the Vue Connect talking to my Meter. I already have major circuits monitored with their Smart Plugs. But I want to monitor my oven and my EVSE.

The total usage will still show up in the Vue in the main service panel. What they are missing currently is linking the upstream and downstream vue together so that the downstream vue's usage shows up as a line item under "main" on the upstream vue. Without that software enhancement, you'd have to have CTs on tthe subpanel breaker in the main panel. They're also missing flattening so that downstream and upstream vues can show all circuits as flat with the main usage. When they do that, they'll also implement that feature that allows combining multiple sibling Vues.

Supposedly these features are on their road map but there are no promises. If the company increases it's footprint, revenue, and success, then these things will likely end up being implemented.

 

[holeydonut]

What item are you referring to? The $69 Vue2 with the dual 200 amp CTs.

I went to look after you message but I couldn't find anything that would work to monitor sub panels w/o it showing as a separate location, so you couldn't monitor total usage or whatever. They sell the two or three CT package but if you want to use those sensors to track individual circuits it requires an adapter and changing the multiplier. I already have the house monitored via the Vue Connect talking to my Meter. I already have major circuits monitored with their Smart Plugs. But I want to monitor my oven and my EVSE.

Whoops, yeah their product offerings are kind of weird.

The "16 sensor" product actually has 18 CTs. Two 200 A CTs for a normal dual-phase panel plus 16 50 A sensor CTs for what you're measuring. Gen 2 Emporia Vue with 16 Sensors

I want a second Vue for a sub-panel that only has my ACs. So I wanted to buy the monitor unit by itself (which still comes with the two 200 A CTs), but I added 2 50 A sensors for measuring current going the two AC condensers.

 

[Akikiki]

@sorka - I owe you an apology. I want to apologize. I apologize for doubting you. I should not have doubted your experience. you knew what you were talking about.
@holeydonut - I owe you an apology. I want to apologize. I apologize for doubting you. I should not have doubted your experience. you knew what you were talking about.
@NorCalSlrUser - I owe you an apology. I want to apologize. I apologize for doubting you. I should not have doubted your experience. you knew what you were talking about.

I dropped out of this thread because I believed it would not work here. I was wrong. You guys were right. Thanks.

All of you told me that the Emporia Energy Vue would work. I did not. After chatting with their reps online, he must have been confused. I ordered a 16 sensor and 8 sensor bundle. And got my friendly-neighborhood-electrician to send someone. He'd never seen it, but set about figuring it out. Didn't take long to understand. But main box had little room. He still cleaned up a sloppy wiring and installed it in the 45 year old box. And the 8 sensor box PV/PWs had plenty of room.

Anyway I am pleased with the info and Emporia says more features are planned for the app and we can contact them via email and ask for stuff and they will put it on their list if its possible.

Thanks guys.

 

[smaster553]

@sorka - I owe you an apology. I want to apologize. I apologize for doubting you. I should not have doubted your experience. you knew what you were talking about.
@holeydonut - I owe you an apology. I want to apologize. I apologize for doubting you. I should not have doubted your experience. you knew what you were talking about.
@NorCalSlrUser - I owe you an apology. I want to apologize. I apologize for doubting you. I should not have doubted your experience. you knew what you were talking about.

I dropped out of this thread because I believed it would not work here. I was wrong. You guys were right. Thanks.

All of you told me that the Emporia Energy Vue would work. I did not. After chatting with their reps online, he must have been confused. I ordered a 16 sensor and 8 sensor bundle. And got my friendly-neighborhood-electrician to send someone. He'd never seen it, but set about figuring it out. Didn't take long to understand. But main box had little room. He still cleaned up a sloppy wiring and installed it in the 45 year old box. And the 8 sensor box PV/PWs had plenty of room.

Anyway I am pleased with the info and Emporia says more features are planned for the app and we can contact them via email and ask for stuff and they will put it on their list if its possible.

Thanks guys.

I ordered PowerX from Kickstarter. It is like the Sense and much cheaper. Let's hope it works.