Archived: this is an archived page, it is available here for reference. The builds below have been split into applications which are how to guides on building a particular type of system. Building blocks for items that other builds build upon and community builds which are our individual home monitoring system builds.

Builds

The best way to start is to browse through the following build guides and choose which system best suits your needs:

Home energy monitoring

Home Energy Monitor - emontx, emonbase, emonglcd, emoncms based system

Mains AC energy monitor v3.0 - basic setup  - If you just want to get a basic energy monitor running on a breadboard with an arduino start here.

SD Card Logging Power Monitor with LCD - Non-invasive AC power meter which logs the data to an SD card with a time stamp from a real-time clock chip. Data is displayed on LCD screen. 

Wireless monitor with PGA and LCD

LCD Power Meter - by Matt Hodge

12 input pulse counting

Solar PV monitoring and control

Solar PV importing/exporting monitor - emontx, emonbase, emonglcd, emoncms based system 

Solar Power Manager - 2 channel non invasive power meter with LCD, which diverts unused solar power to heat domestic water.     

PV System Monitoring - 2 channel non invasive with Graphics LCD & External Temperture based on EMONTX & JeeNode

Wind power monitoring

Data logging for wind speed (and DC current using invasive hall sensor) - For monitoring the windspeed and power output of a small wind turbine. Data is logged to SD card.

Inverter or other interface 

Extracting data from SMA SunnyBoy PV Inverters (Bluetooth) - by Stuart Pittaway

Extracting data from an SMA webBox - by Carlos Alonso Gabizó

Tools 

Tutorial - programming a Nanode using Arduino board - No FTDI cable? step by step guide to programming using a Arduino board 

Energy studies

Ogoronwy house sustainability project – by Trystan Lea

Cambridge Sensor Kit (CSK) Energy - build upon OpenEnergyMonitor design

Other

Bee hive monitor - by Glyn Hudson 

 

Add your build here: We would love you to hear what you have been building with OpenEnergyMonitor, 3rd year 4th year project? Home monitoring systems? To add your build here: log in and then click on edit at the top of the page, add a link to your build page (you can create this on the site here by clicking on create content or if you have your own page just link through to it here).

Builds Archive

Old build documentation, systems that have since been superseded by new energy monitor builds:

Mains AC energy monitor + 7segment display + datalogging + internet graphing

Energy monitor + Simple web based graphing

Solar hot water controller

Mains AC energy monitor 2 ch + Wireless display + temperate 3 ch + Wiznet internet posting

 

Other projects that might be useful

The free charge controller project - A project to develop a maximum power point tracking charge controller, ideal for wind turbines, solar PV etc

FabioR's picture

Re: Builds

I'm building an energy monitor with double CT probe for home consumption and photovoltaic production.

It shows on a led bar the balance between production and consumption and, on a nokia 3310 display, current data.
Every minute it will save data to db using ethernet shield.

Main module, with lcd display, will be put in the basement. Led bar, connected with an utp cable, will be put on the power panel on the 1st floor.

Main discussion (in italian)
http://forum.portalsole.it/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=735&start=15

Some picture
http://goo.gl/k4mGB

The website I made for monitoring my solar thermal system using Arduino (I will copy the design for the electrical data)
http://cicuci.dnsalias.com/solar_data.php

TrystanLea's picture

Re: Builds

This looks really cool, nice work!

FabioR's picture

Re: Builds

Pictures updated!

I'm having some trouble to make ethernet works together with the sparkfun bargraph breakout board (http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10936)
They both share SPI and ethernet stop responding.
Now I'm tring to disable the ledbar and enable ethernet every minute, before saving data, and it seems work.
I also added a watchdog.
The code:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/236484/FVMeter.pde

FabioR's picture

Re: Builds

http://cicuci.dnsalias.com/fv_data.php

It's a work in progress (only working daily data)

glyn.hudson's picture

Re: Builds

Nice, good work. Have youo had a look at emoncms? I can do some nice power graphs and calculate Kwh/d:  http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/emoncms.

We also have full documentation for a solar PV monitoring system: http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/emontx/solarpv

 

Guest's picture

Re: Builds

Hi - my energy meter is now up and running again:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22415346@N06/5822031737/

Significant parts of it are based on the openenergy project, with the following
alterations:

* Isolating transformer to allow whole circuit to be powered from one AC source
* Variable gain amplifier - controlled by the uController, to ensure current makes best use of ADC throughout range

The veriboard could be a bit tidier :-) - but works for now

Tooblippe's picture

Re: Builds

https://github.com/Tooblippe/Energy_Logger/wiki

 

Detailed presentationa at - http://www.scribd.com/doc/58017656/Arduino-Home-Based-Electrical-Energy-Data-Logger

This is my attempt to build a small home based energy logger. It is not unique but has an RF12 on board so it can integrate with other systems, and it logs data to a OpenLog unit. This makes changing SD cards and logging a breeze

 

It is based on OpenEnergyMonitor

Many of these projects have been done all around the world. I think what makes this one unique is the fact that the sensor unit (the arduino with the CT) has a RF12 radio built in and also an Openlog unit from Sparkfun.

 

 

 

 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/58017656/Arduino-Home-Based-Electrical-Energy-Data-Logger