Current or No Current Clamp on Emporia EVSE Circuit?

[solarity]

I have a Vue 2 Monitor. The issue is I have 23 total circuits that I want to monitor, though only have 16 current clamps. I read that I can put a current clamp over multiple circuits that are on the same phase for circuits that I am not as interested in granular details. I plan to do this for a few circuits, though I am wondering if I can free up one of my current clamps if the Emporia EVSE has this functionality already built in?

[emporiacs]

You cannot use one sensor for multiple circuits, Emporia recommends one 50A CT per line of a circuit.

Each Gen 2 device is hard-capped to support monitoring for up to 16 individual circuits, but you can install as many devices as you need and manage them all with one account in the App.  Currently, you can “nest” multiple devices to show the parent/child relationship and aggregate the usage in the App.

More info: https://help.emporiaenergy.com/hc/en-us/articles/9555758170647-Multiple-Gen-2-s-Nesting

[scrambler]

I don’t believe this is correct.

You can put a clamp on several wires to measure a combined load, as long as they are on the same phase.

 

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by scrambler.

[emporiacs]

The only situation you can monitor more than one circuit wire using only one 50A CT is in a tandem breaker, because in a tandem breaker both wires are connected to the same phase of power, otherwise they would cancel each other out.

[Driestone]

I’m surprised they not only don’t recommend doing this, but they actually are saying “it can’t be done”. If these are 50A, then I should be able to use this for several circuits (as long as they’re in phase), and as long as the current is under 50A (and, let’s be honest, even if you had 3 20A circuits, what are the chances you’d have them all maxed out to be pulling 60A?).

I’m in the same boat where I have several circuits that I would combine because having combined data is better than not having any data at all. At a minimum I would need 20 sensors to get a good picture of my energy usage, but there’s an overlap (for instance two breakers for my outlets in the basement + one breaker for lights, which could be tracked with one sensor). I’ll even move some breakers around in the box to make sure my entire basement is in phase.

Maybe they just don’t want people calling support because they don’t want to have to educate people on how a breaker box is setup, or how to try to clamp wires that aren’t in phase.

[emporiacs]

As long as the wires/lines running through a singular sensor are on the same phase, and load/supply of power is traveling in the same direction (i.e. the wires aren’t passing through the sensor in different directions), then it should work fine. Remember that the sum total of current on all lines have the same amperage limitation through the sensor as if it were a singular wire.

[scrambler]

As far as I know Emporia never said it cant be done.

Emporiacs is just a member as far as we know, and there are many threads that discuss the fact it absolutely can be done, I believe some with the input from Emporia support.

In doubt you can contact support directly.

 

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by scrambler.

[scrambler]

Here is a thread with an emporia support person (jim@emporia) confirming you absolutely can pass two wires in a single cllamp, if they are on the same phase and do not exceed the amp rating

Clamping multiple wires

from his answer:
” If they are all on the same phase, then you shouldn’t have an issue, as long as you’re not exceeding 50A.”

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by scrambler.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by scrambler.

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