Making Solar and Thermostat control

[TexasBill]

Recently with Alan Chow's eGauge driver I have a light that tells me when I am making solar.

I have a new goal that I could use a little help with please?  

I would like to "setback" my thermostat to 70 degrees when I am making solar - but I sort of need to "smooth out" the jagged peaks and troughs of partly sunny days.

In other words - I can say if I am making solar (the light is on) then set back the thermostat to 70 degrees - but the solar egauge checks and updates every ten seconds and this will savage the thermostat.

I think that what I need to do is have a timing variable that once I am making solar - I only allow the setback to occur say every 30 minutes or one hour

While it will not be perfect - I could make energy for 5 seconds and then set back the thermostat and then it is cloudy until 2 seconds before the next check and then it stays set back but I really did not make any electricity. I think that I simply have to go with the law of averages on this one. 

Does anyone have any words of wisdom on a better way to do this?

 

Bill

[TexasBill]

Well - I have played with this for a little while now and have this code to show for it:

Just in case anyone is interested or you have thoughts on how to improve what I am trying to accomplish.

This sets a "mainsetbacktimer" that gives me a minimum of one hour when ever it is more than 72 degrees outside and I am in the positive for making energy. When the timer expires it lets the system recheck to see if I am still making energy and gives me another hour of air conditioning if so.   If you see any better way to "smooth out" this process please let me know?

What I am trying to prevent is the air conditioner coming on which immediately takes so much energy that I no longer am making money (because it might be on the threshold of just barely positive) and shutting it off which then turns it back on again in a vicious cycle that would not be good for the compressor.

Comments or thoughts would be appreciated.

Bill

[TexasBill]

This is the latest state of the programming to do what I wanted (in case you are interested):

 

[TexasBill]

If you are using Alan Chow's driver, you need to know that it APPEARS that the latest verson of Conrol 4 breaks it in the following way:

I used to be able to simply say If the Total Generation is Greater than the Total usage (see above) but...

That no longer works in the latest update for some reason. No idea why. BUT

If you assign the total generation and total usage each to a variable and then compare the Vaariables it DOES work again.

Hopefully alan reads this and looks into it.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[South Africa C4 user]

1 hour ago, TexasBill said:

If you are using Alan Chow's driver, you need to know that it APPEARS that the latest verson of Conrol 4 breaks it in the following ay.

I used to be able to simply say If the Total Generation is Greater than the Total usage (see above) but...

That no longer works in the latest update for some reason. No idea why. BUT

If you assign the total generation and total usage each to a variable and then compare the Vaariables it DOES work again.

Hopefully alan reads this and looks into it/

Thanks,

Bill

 

Thanks @TexasBill - I have picked up quite a few bugs on OS3.1.3 on my home system.  I have not updated my holiday home to it yet (and have Alan’s e-gauge driver on line there).  So hopefully @alanchow provides a driver update before I get to upgrading that system.

As a matter of interest, do you use the min and max events? I was using them to monitor voltage and give me alerts if the voltage drops below a preset value (200 volts in my use case) or above a preset value (250 volts).  I have been getting warnings if the voltage drops too low but not if it goes too high (despite the fact that it is regularly too high For quite some time according to the eguage portal) and I was wondering if you have tried programming against this?

[TexasBill]

2 hours ago, South Africa C4 user said:

Thanks @TexasBill - I have picked up quite a few bugs on OS3.1.3 on my home system.  I have not updated my holiday home to it yet (and have Alan’s e-gauge driver on line there).  So hopefully @alanchow provides a driver update before I get to upgrading that system.

As a matter of interest, do you use the min and max events? I was using them to monitor voltage and give me alerts if the voltage drops below a preset value (200 volts in my use case) or above a preset value (250 volts).  I have been getting warnings if the voltage drops too low but not if it goes too high (despite the fact that it is regularly too high For quite some time according to the eguage portal) and I was wondering if you have tried programming against this?

I do not and here is why -

I have standard electric feed, which switches automatically when I am making solar so that it is simply additive.

I also have a propane fueled electric generator with an auto cut over switch on it.

I have a line surge suppressor for the entire house also on line. SO - theoretically if my voltage drops below tolerable the generator will kick on so I don't think that I am having any issues with this.

I also have a rather large number of electronics in the house and do not have problems that would be caused by brounouts and surges.

So I cannot vouch for this function that it does or does not work.

Bill

[TexasBill]

Here is the new and improved workaround that works with Version 3.1.3 and the eGAUGE driver from Alan Chow: