Solar PV Generation Meter / Feed in Tariff (FIT) Meter Replacement Service

Solar PV Generation Meter - Normal Operation

Solar generation meters count all of the solar power production before it gets used in the property or exported to the grid. It records everything that the solar PV system has generated and is used to calculate FIT payments. During daylight hours when the solar PV system is operational, on most widely installed solar generation meters such as the Elster A100C and others from Emlite and Landis + Gyr you will see a red light flash as it counts, the quicker the light flashes the more solar power is being generated.

The solar generation meter is an AC device which draws it`s power from the mains, at night or when the solar system isn`t generating the red light will stay on (not flashing) and you will be able to read the generation figures on the display.

Solar PV Generation Meter - No Display, No Lights On

If you can`t see the digital display and there are no lights on the solar generation meter, the next thing to check is that mains power is being supplied to it. If electrical work has recently been carried out at the property, the electrician would have isolated the solar PV system, they may have forgotten to turn it back on again. Somewhere close to the solar generation meter will be an AC isolator such as the one pictured, make sure that this is turned `On`. If it`s off assuming that the electrician or whoever might have switched it off has finished their work, it`s safe to switch this back on again. You`ll see the lights and display come on the solar generation meter, wait a little while for the solar inverter to restart itself and if all is well and assuming that you`re doing this during the day, the red light will start flashing as it counts.

The next things to check are the circuit breakers/RCDs that are protecting the solar PV circuit. Follow the cables out of the solar generation meter towards the mains and see where they go. The next place to look is inside the consumer unit/fuse box and look for a circuit breaker and or RCD marked `solar PV` or similar and see if they are `On`. There`s a picture of a RCD on the left, you`ll recognise it as an RCD as it has a `test` button, circuit breakers are half the width without a test button. Circuit breakers and RCDs protect the solar PV system, if one of these has switched itself off there`s a good chance that they`ve detected a fault somewehere in the system and for safety reasons have cutoff the grid/mains power supply. At this stage instead of switching these back on the best thing to do is contact us to discuss the next steps.

If everything looks ok so far and everything is switched on, the next thing to check assuming it`s daylight, is the solar PV system itself and see if it`s working. Locate the solar inverter and if it has a display you will see it`s status and how much power is being generated on the screen, if it`s working correctly, there`s also likely to be a solid green light on. If there`s a problem it will let you know what the problem is on the screen, note down what is says and contact us to discuss what to do next.

If the PV system is working correctly and generating power, we can now be reasonably confident that the solar generation meter is faulty and should be replaced.

Solar PV Generation Meter - Display On - Solid Red Light On - Not Counting

If during the day the solar generation meter isn`t counting the power coming from the solar PV system and the red light stays on solid as it would during the night, this is an indication that the solar PV system has stopped working. The next step is to locate the solar inverter and note what it`s doing. contact us to discuss the next steps.
      
Solar PV Generation Meter - Lights Flashing - No Display

If the solar PV system is working as normal and the red light on the solar generation meter is flashing during daylight, this is an indication that the display on the solar generation meter has failed and that the solar generation meter should be replaced.