Install thoughts for 300A residence with 30A generator and load-side MTF

[jj613]

I just bought the 16-channel residential unit and I’d like advice on my installation ideas.

I have a 300A service that splits into two panels (200A and 100A).  I also have a 30A generator with a manual transfer switch serving 10 circuits, all of which are on the 200A panel.

What I’m thinking of doing is the following, and I’d love any warnings or creative ideas:

1) I’ll install the main sensors on the 300A service line before it splits.  I expect the only issue will be faulty readings when total usage is over 200A, which is almost never. Is that right?  It won’t damage the Vue, it’s just that some things won’t work properly when out of range?

2) I’ll install 2 sensors as “solar” on the input lines from the generator.  I expect the app will at least tell me total power being fed by the generator.  It may give me some confusing analytics on the assumption it’s solar but as long as it can tell me total generator draw that’s the key thing.

3) I hope the app works with the Vue if they both have wifi but there is no internet service.    This is important for the generator monitoring because we get a lot of trees down that kill power AND internet.   If that doesn’t work, I hope it’s not too hard to switch the Vue to a different wifi, a hot spot from my cell phone, during power outages?

4) I want to POWER the Vue from 2 of the circuits that are generator-backed, that way it will always work.  However, none of the generator circuits are 240V, all 10 of the circuits on the transfer switch are independent 120V ones.   I assume I can connect the VUE to two adjacent (opposite phase) circuits that are NOT a balanced pair, they are two different 120V loads, but for the tiny draw the Vue will take from each of them that ought to work fine, is that right?  I just have to make sure that during an outage I always transfer those two circuits  (So I’ll use the fridge circuits for that).

5) All the panels (300A split, the two load centers and the MTF) are on a wall near one another but I don’t know if 1-meter cables will do the trick even if I put the Vue right in the middle of it all.   Do you sell extension cables or would it be easy for me to splice my own on the 50A sensors?   If they are shielded and noise-sensitive I would not be able to do that (very well).

6) I wonder if the app (this will probably become an enhancement suggestion) can detect typical generator problems?  It starts to sputter a couple of minute before it runs out of gas … a warning would be very cool.   If I run it on propane instead of gasoline the power capacity is decreased so it will reach max load without popping the circuit breakers.   It would be cool if the Vue could detect that.    It doesn’t like the two phases to be very unbalanced … would be cool to detect that.  And so on.

7) The Vue has 16 input ports right?  Is there a limit to the number of satellite plugs I can use?  Could I have 16 sensors and 10 smart plugs?   If the limit is high enough, a lot of the critical things are devices that have their own breaker, like the fridge, sump pump, furnace, etc etc so I don’t have to use one of the 16 channels for those.

Thanks … looking forward to receiving and installing it, and I’ll take any advice here into account.

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