Upland Technologies Ev100 Installation Manual
3,252.4 3,999.6
-0.6% -1.6%
High Points:
• Attractive EV-100 digital display faceplate
• EV-100 faceplate is laid out well with nice feel to buttons
• No need for a dedicated computer to get continuous trends
• Software option very informative
• Low cost AC monitoring
• Accurate energy use metering for average homes with household loads having close to a 1.0 power factor
Low Points:
• Inaccurate for metering with household loads that have a power factor other than 1.0
• Does not compute true power or power factor
• No option for split-core transducers, so it requires an electrician and permit to install
• No support for Mac computers
• Relative, not absolute time
List Price:
Three kits are available and all components can be purchased individually:
• Kit 1: US$290 for datalogger, power supply, digital display, software, and communications cable
• Kit 2: US$235 for datalogger, power supply, and digital display
• Kit 3: US$225 for datalogger, power supply, software, and communications cable
Warranty:
• Software: 90 days power factor because we use compact fluorescents for most lighting (0.6), and our primary loads all include motors. A quick survey of a handful of residences revealed an average household power factor of 0.95. The Energy Viewer will accurately track energy usage in these applications.
Periods of low energy use may not be measured accurately due to the 100 amp range of the CTs. This is common with many power meters that are designed to measure a wide range of power levels. For comparison, our energy use was often too small to register on the much more expensive Ideal power quality analyzer as well.
The utility digital KWH meter was used to compare accuracy in the cumulative energy measurements. We tested for four-day and thirty-day periods and found that the Energy Viewer overestimated whole-house usage by 29 percent (38.7 KVAH vs. 30.0 KWH) and 45 percent (266 KVAH vs. 184 KWH) respectively. This is expected for our house when logging apparent power instead of real power, because we have periods of low electrical draw and a low power factor from the refrigerator, washing machine, and compact fluorescent lighting.
The accuracy of the energy measurement is dependant on the power measurement, so I would expect the energy measurement to be much more accurate in buildings with lots of resistive loads. Data supplied by the manufacturer for a load profile with a high power factor and higher consumption supports this assertion.
In our situation, this makes the Energy Viewer most useful for looking at our energy usage trends. I use the unit on a regular basis in our home to see what I have left on in the house before I go out. With practice, you will be able to recognize the characteristics of your appliances too.
Overall, the Energy Viewer is a very useful tool— especially when you consider its price and functionality. The Ideal meter retails for more than ten times the cost of the Energy Viewer, and there is no way my wife would allow me to install the super-techie Ideal meter in our kitchen!
Conclusions
I really like the Energy Viewer monitoring package. The unit allows homeowners to see trends in energy usage and modify their behavior accordingly. Homeowners, building owners, families, and people at educational facilities can instantly see the impact of turning off lights or other appliances when they are not in use. (The Energy Viewer measures AC only, so it will not measure total usage for off-grid systems using some DC, and it will not measure usage before the inverter.)
The installation was clean, the digital and software displays were easy to read and program, and the information presented is very useful. The system does not require a dedicated computer, and the digital display can be integrated into most home decors. The accuracy was a bit off, depending on power factor, but for the price, the information gained is very useful for relative monitoring, and can help you better understand your electrical usage.
The Energy Viewer is an awareness tool. It makes a great educational tool. It would be a good first step for people
Measures:
• Instantaneous volt-amps
• Kilovolt-amp-minutes and kilovolt-amp-hours used
• Cumulative cost
Sampling Rate: Current measurements are integrated every 7.5 seconds
Accuracy: +/- 5 percent Physical Characteristics:
• LOG-100: 4 by 4 by 23/8 inches (10 x 10 x 6 cm) enclosed in standard 4 inch electrical junction box, supplied by manufacturer
• EV-100: 23/4 by 41/2 by 2 inches (7 x 11.4 x 5 cm); fits nicely in standard 2 inch electrical switch box, user-supplied
• Recommended operating temperature: 50-90°F (10-32°C) for all components
Computer Requirements for SOFT-100 Software:
• Minimum 10 MB free hard drive space
• Minimum 800 x 600 display
• Available COM port
• CD-ROM drive who want to eventually switch to renewable energy (RE), but need to change their energy use patterns before making RE equipment purchases. Best of all, it gives you instant gratification for doing the right thing when you shut an unneeded appliance off.
Access
AJ Rossman, Draker Solar Design, PO Box 8346, Burlington, VT 05402 • aj@drakersolar.com
UpLand Technologies, 502 Prairie Hills Dr., Dodgeville, WI 53533 • Phone/Fax: 608-930-3384 • info@uplandtechnologies.com • www.uplandtechnologies. com • Energy Viewer kits
Average user rating: 5 stars out of 1 votes
Post a comment