Exported CSV data is incomplete

[Westdonkeyk]

Exported CSV data is incomplete without a column for the balance. I have my Vue 2 monitoring my solar, and in the current export data I can’t calculate my total usage without the Balance data. Can this be added to the Export function?

A step further, could there not be columns to better match the app experience? Things like In from grid, out to grid, and total usage? Again, I could sort that out with having the Balance data, but it would certainly just be easier to have it included in the CSV.

Thanks

• This topic was modified 4 months, 3 weeks ago by Westdonkeyk.

[DougHo]

I am not from emporia but am new user who exports/downloads non-solar CSV data in the US. Since Balance is a computed value, I easily add it back using a formula in MS Excel.

I add two columns T & U which I label BalanceA and BalanceB which I will explain, but a simpler variation would be to just add one column with combined balance. For my method I find which CT columns are on Phase A versus which are on Phase B. I then subtract those CT columns from either Mains_A or Mains_B as appropriate. So my T column formula is something like =B2-D2-G2-I2-J2-L2-N2-O2-Q2-R2-S2 and my U column formula is something like =C2-E2-F2-H2-K2-M2-P2.  I have most loads monitored so my Balances are around .02 and .03 which made it fairly easy to notice when I had made a mistake in assigning one of the CTs to the wrong phase (by noticing Balance outliers related to that load, and switching that column’s letter between the T and U formula).

Of course you “fill down” the formula to all rows (which changes the 2s to 3s and so forth). If you just wanted the one column, the formula is simplified to =B2+C2-Sum(D2:S2). I will leave it up to you to figure the change to formula for solar generation.

[Westdonkeyk]

Right that’s simple to do without solar when Mains = Total Usage.

With solar generation, Mains no longer equals total usage, I can’t just subtract my measured circuits from the mains and add solar generated back in.

The Emporia CSV shows Mains as more of a Net to/from Grid, so it doesn’t account for how much was pulled from the grid as part of my total usage. The app shows this information, In/Out from Grid get their own lines, but the CSV just shows the net value.

[DougHo]

Is one or more of your CTs measuring the solar generation? Is that CT one of the columns of the CVS export?  You would just work it into the MS Excel formula as appropriate.  Balance is a calculated value, so it is not going to be stored/exported. Since I don’t have solar I haven’t given careful thought to the formula, but it might be something like adding the solar CTs rather than subtracting them and/or maybe the sign depends on which direction you are told to have the generation CTs facing.

[Westdonkeyk]

Thanks Doug, you’re right, I do have enough info to calculate Balance from my net mains and solar columns in the CSV.

What I’m realizing is even with that data, I still can’t sort out my In from Grid and Out to Grid values from the daily CSV sheet

My usage could have been all during daylight or all during the night, at the end of the day my net mains and solar would be the same, but those In/Out values and therefore my utility bill would look very different since they are measuring both in and out and billing both at different values.

[DougHo]

Still seems to me like you should be able to find/compute what you desire. For my non-solar, I’ve found that the utility smart meter measures tiny amount larger than Vue Mains.  Just over 8 watts average (i.e., .2kWh) which is probably mostly my irrigation controller that hooks in outside panel between my meter and Vue.  Way less than the up to 2% tolerance mentioned and noise level.

For your situation, don’t deal with the balance at first – it is already part of the mains.  I’m guessing to handle the different billing values you have to be conditional such as if Mains are negative then that would be the “out” value for billing. When Mains are positive then that would be the “in” value for billing. If that works, then the next thing is the generation and consumption breakdown (not for billing).  You’d add the Generation (CTs) to the main and that should should be your total consumption, which is explained by all the remaining CTs and the unmonitored/missing “balance.”  You can either do it as totals of both phases, or for extra fun you can keep the phases separate as I have done by knowing which phase each CT is on. Note: as I said earlier, I don’t know what “sign” you will actually use for the generation CTs. The recent Vue 3 firmware enhancement where setup allows generation CTs to be designated as bi-directional says that it might affect the sign that ends up in CSV for past vs future values.

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