Functions

Recording home consumption

Using the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter enables the inverter to monitor the flow of energy in the home 24 hours a day and to control it in an optimum manner.

The inverter primarily handles control. The PV energy generated is used firstly for self-consumption (such as lighting, the washing machine or TV). Only once self-consumption is covered can the energy generated above and beyond this be stored in a battery or fed into the public grid.

• Using energy meter (Modbus RTU) to record home consumption
• 24-hour measurement

Multiple-inverter connection

With a multiple-inverter connection, there are several KOSTAL solar inverters in the same house grid. By installing the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter at the grid connection point, the flow of energy from all KOSTAL solar inverters present in the house grid can be measured and regulated by the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter using control information, e.g. for power limitation in order to limit the feed-in to the public grid. The benefit of this setup is that only one energy meter is required for all KOSTAL solar inverters in the house grid.

• Simultaneous power curtailment of several KOSTAL solar inverters in the same house grid
• Saving costs by using just one energy meter

Battery management for PIKO MP plus with connected battery

The PIKO MP plus is not able to control a connected battery itself. In order to do this, the PIKO MP plus also needs the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter and a battery activation code, both of which can be obtained from our KOSTAL Solar online shop. The KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter then handles battery management and transmits control information to the PIKO MP plus for this purpose.

Communication between KOSTAL solar inverters and KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter

The KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter provides various interfaces for communication purposes. These establish a connection to other KOSTAL solar inverters, sensors or the Internet.

• LAN
  LAN connects the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter to the local home network, via which it can then access other inverters or the Internet and Solar Portal.
• RS485/Modbus (RTU)
  Inverters or other devices approved by KOSTAL Solar Electric, via which information or control commands are transmitted, are connected to the Modbus interface.

Communication between KOSTAL wallbox and KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter

The KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter has an RS485 interface for communication with KOSTAL wallboxes.

• RS485/Modbus (RTU)
  A KOSTAL wallbox can be connected to the Modbus interface, via which information or control commands are transmitted.

The Webserver

The Webserver is the graphic interface in the browser (e.g. Firefox, Edge, Internet Explorer or Google Chrome) for retrieving and configuring the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter.

The Webserver provides the following functions:

• Logging in to the energy meter
• Querying the status
• Current yield values/consumption values
• Configuring the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter (e.g. software updates [various modes], releasing options, incorporating PV systems for multiple-inverter connection, etc.)
• RS485/Modbus (RTU)
  Inverters, batteries or other devices approved by KOSTAL Solar Electric, via which information or control commands are transmitted, are connected to the Modbus interface.
• Release of extra options
  This function (which can be found by going to Inverter > Activation code) can be used to release additional options. This may include e.g. releasing battery management in the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter to connect a battery to the PIKO MP plus.
• Calling up the error log file
• Backup for saving data and the configuration

For more information, see Operation.

The data logger

A data logger is integrated in the KOSTAL Smart Energy Meter. The data logger is a data storage system, which collects and stores the error information. Such information is required by the service team in the event of an error.

For more information, see Exporting log data.

KOSTAL Solar Portal

The KOSTAL Solar Portal protects your investment in a PV system against yield losses, e.g. through active e-mail alerts of events.

You can log in to the KOSTAL Solar Portal for free at www.kostal-solar-portal.com.

Functions include:

• Worldwide online access to the portal
• Graphic representation of the power and yield data
• Visualisation of data and thus being made aware of how to optimise self-consumption
• Notification of events by e-mail
• Data export
• Sensor evaluation
• Display and proof of a potential active power reduction by the grid operator
• Storage of log data for long-term and reliable monitoring of your PV system