Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
 


       Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects
jema

Anyone heard of HELMS?

http://freeelectricity4u.co.uk/
camaro

Sounds like a homeowners version of a dumbed-down BEMS - Building Energy Management System. We have them installed on all our buildings (at work, not home!) - for instance I can text a building and it'll text me back the outside temp, inside temp, boiler flow and return temps, thermal mass temp (20,000 litres of water to take advantage of the sun), PV output, who is sleeping with who on the sly, and all the rest.
All it needs is a SIM card in a wee unit in the control panel in the boilerhouse.
Because my shack is reliant on a genny for 240v electricity for hot water, I have a big genny there, which I like to run for an hour or so once a month - it's two hours drive away down from my house, so I now have it set up that I can start it remotely from anywhere in the world just by "ringing the generator", and can even hear it run - the genny is an old Onan, built before I was born!
jema

That's what I thought.
I'm trying to think of questions to ask a guy who's coming round to flog it to me.

1) Does it track the solar panel output, so it can do things like flip to immersion heater for water, then there is "spare" energy?
2) How much wiring is involved?
3) With smarter metering about to happen anyway. Is this a good time to be getting into this game?
camaro

Just ask him for a complete demo of the whole system (for your house and living conditions), he should have it on his laptop. If they are any use, he'll be able to put in all your variables and tell you if you'll make a saving.
If he shys away from any part of it or "no, unfortunately the program can't replicate that" - try not to slam the door on him on his way out!
Hairyloon

Because my shack is reliant on a genny for 240v electricity for hot water, I have a big genny there, which I like to run for an hour or so once a month - it's two hours drive away down from my house, so I now have it set up that I can start it remotely from anywhere in the world just by "ringing the generator", and can even hear it run - the genny is an old Onan, built before I was born!

What are you using to do that with?
jema

Been and gone. Basic summary:

1) Immersion heater question, threw him quite a bit, and we got some rather iffy answers, eventually he phoned to try and find out about PV integration.

2) System cost is £2000+. Which to my mind means that you might save £250 in the first year, by which time the cost of such systems will probably be £1,500 and they will be rather more advanced.

3) System such as these really aught to have the "smarts" not to have to be told that you are "in,out,asleep" since they don't you are going to have to be pretty good about manually telling the system that in order to get some of the savings.


There are moves towards smart metering by the power companies, and smart control as standard is probably not enormously behind.

So on the whole I'm seeing this as a bit too bleeding edge.
camaro

Because my shack is reliant on a genny for 240v electricity for hot water, I have a big genny there, which I like to run for an hour or so once a month - it's two hours drive away down from my house, so I now have it set up that I can start it remotely from anywhere in the world just by "ringing the generator", and can even hear it run - the genny is an old Onan, built before I was born!

What are you using to do that with?

An old mobile phone, kept charged by solar panel, and this kit - http://www.cstech.co.uk/dtmfdecoder.html

Normlly the genny needs a prime (I run it from Jerry cans, so just used to use an outboard engine fuel line with primer bulb), so added an electric fuel pump - after that it's just a matter of messing with a few relays to crank the electric starter and turn it off once it's had a good run! gray_b

I know it might sound daft, and I suppose the headphone socket of the mobile is connected to this DTMF Decoder.

But who accepts the incoming call on the unmanned mobile to get the DTMF Decoder to then listen to the audio ??

Or is there a similar unit that you can just slide in a SIM card. RichardW

Some phones can be set to auto answer. dpack

it is nice to see that tech arrangement used for a fluffy purpose Cool camaro

I know it might sound daft, and I suppose the headphone socket of the mobile is connected to this DTMF Decoder.

But who accepts the incoming call on the unmanned mobile to get the DTMF Decoder to then listen to the audio ??

Or is there a similar unit that you can just slide in a SIM card.

Not sure if there is something you can slide a SIM card into, but old phones are cheap and you can get a free SIM card from any provider, it never needs to MAKE calls, so doesn't use any credit on a PAYG contract.
I used an electret mic (about a quid) for the output from the phone.
You can either set it for auto answer, or some phones will auto answer if they think they have a car kit connected up - old Ericssons handy for this, as they have plenty of contacts at the bottom so all you need is a pinout diagram to rell you how to fool the phone into thinking it has a car kit.
       Downsizer Forum Index -> Energy Efficiency and Construction/Major Projects
Page 1 of 1
Home Home Home Home Home