Powersensor Retrofitted to Decade-Old Solar Power System

Customer Profile:

**Michael | Coffs Harbour, NSW**
**Solar inverter: Xantrex, 2800W**
**Using solar since 2021**

Michael discovered the benefits of Powersensor after purchasing a property in Coffs Harbour, NSW. He had never had solar before and the home had 13 panels and an inverter but no technology to report back usage. Unsure of how to make the most of the solar, Powersensor was recommended by a friend, “I went from not knowing anything about the system to being able to look at very detailed usage,” said Michael.

The property came with a solar system, fitted over a decade ago, that didn’t offer the detailed insight that Powersensor could. After installing his Powersensor Advanced Solar Solution, Michael made some immediate changes, particularly to managing the most expensive energy consumer – the pool pump. “I could see that the pool pump was the main user of power, and I was able to make decisions, based on data, around when the pump would run, and then relate that back to other appliances in the house, such as when we would wash clothes, use the dishwasher and allowing me to dynamically adjust the power on a daily basis,” he said. “I guess the only thing is that I've increased the hours of the pool pump, and made sure the extra hours are within the solar generation hours, etc.”

“I've increased the hours of the pool pump, and made sure the extra hours are within the solar generation hours.”

Michael found the install reasonably intuitive and understanding his power usage has been the biggest win since installing Powersensor. He was also encouraged to pay more attention to this electricity plan and adjust accordingly “because my current plan didn’t actually give back a lot of money, I was really encouraged to try to use the solar-generated power as a priority over grid power” Michael said, “especially because I’m paying so much more on the grid”.

Powersensor also helped Michael to discover the source of unusual power spikes at night “it was actually the hot water system. The controls were causing a spike and since that time, I’ve been able to troubleshoot to see where I can make further savings.”

“I’ve been able to troubleshoot to see where I can make further savings”

In addition to the main residence on the property where Michael resides, the property also has a granny-flat which Michael plans to rent out, “I’ll use the Powersensor to see what the tenants use and charge accordingly”. Michael says he’s not one of those people who would usually be into this kind of gadget or software. However, since the install, he’s become more interested. Whilst he doesn’t have to monitor the energy usage continually, he knows that during peak times he will be covered. “I’ll check more during those peak times,” said Michael, “just to make sure the power is managed in the most cost-effective way”.