I have been interested in solar energy for some time. I explored solar energy production first with a single panel and a battery as a way to collect some data. We then made the commitment to install solar panels on our roof. This ended up being a multiple-year process as we first had to replace old shingles and then wait for the allocation of rebates to be renewed so we could save a bit on the cost. The process takes some time. First, there is the installation, multiple inspections, and finally the connection of your panels to the grid (if you are not using the panels to charge a giant battery). Different organizations are involved at each stage of the process.
Today was the big day. The power company came out and installed a new bi-direction meter (which tracks energy fed to the grid and from the grid) and a meter specific to our panels.
The system is connected to the Internet allowing the company who did the install to monitor whether everything is working. The same data are available to us. A couple of screens as examples follow. There is a feature that even explains how many hours the amount of energy you have produced could illuminate a 100 watt light bulb. For data geeks, this is just too much fun.
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