Geo solo User Instructions - User Manual

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Solo | PV Display

User instructions

2 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

The Solo product is designed to be

installed simply and without the need

for a qualified electrical installer. There

is no need to open fuse boxes or to connect or

disconnect any cabling. It is designed to be used

inside a suitable building or meter cabinet.

Don’t fit rechargeable batteries.

When fitting the LED head, ensure the

meter connection is clear of debris and

is not perished in anyway (cracked or

burned) or wet. If you have any doubts about

its condition, do not install the sensor, contact

your solar panel installer.

For use in dry environments only. Keep the Solo

away from water and other liquids. Disconnect

before cleaning and do not immerse in water or

other liquids. Please contact Green Energy Options

if any components appear damaged or faulty,

details are at the back of this booklet.

To protect the environment, this product

and batteries must be disposed of safely

at the end of their life. Please take to a

recycling centre for safe disposal.

RoHS compliant

CE approved. For use within the EU.

Introduction

We’d like to thank you for buying the

Solo which is designed to show what

your PV array is generating. This booklet

explains how to set up and use your Solo

in a simple, clear way. If you have any

problems or questions please call us. The

number is at the bottom of this page, and

we’ll be pleased to help.
The Solo is designed to help you learn

about the electricity you are generating,

and to spot when the best time to use your

energy hungry appliances is!
This will help you to reduce your CO2

output and save money - how?

Well, the Solo gives you lots of visual

feedback on the energy you are generating

and the money and carbon you are saving

in comparison with using electricity from

the grid.
It shows you what’s happening right

now and how much you are earning.
The next few pages tell you how to install

and get the best out of your Solo. We hope

you’ll enjoy using the Solo and will pass

the word on to your friends.

It is important to observe some simple safety precautions when using this product.

Please read this important information before continuing. Safe operation of the

Solo is impaired if used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer.

Safety notice

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 3

What’s in the box

Display

(Receiver)

Power Supply

(UK/EU/AU available)

SD Card

Stand

Batteries

Transmitter

(Transmitter)

Display (Receiver)

The display shows your energy generation. It

receives a wireless signal from the transmitter

unit. The display is mains powered and can

be mounted on the stand. The display can

be powered by 4 AA batteries for short term

portable use only.

Transmitter

The transmitter unit will sit next to your

existing generation meter, and sends the

readings to the display. The transmitter is

Power Supply

This is to power the display. Please do not

use any other supply to power the display.

LED Reader (Velcro)

The LED reader will work with any meter

with a visible LED pulse (you will be able

to see this on the face of your meter).

For more information please see page 9.

The LED reader connects to the face of the

meter (over the LED), you will need to attach

using the Velcro included. The sensor then

measures the amount of energy you are

generating after you have set the pulse

rate. See page 9 for details.

To connect the sensor you just plug it

firmly into the bottom of the transmitter.

LED Reader

LED

4 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

Set-up

Setting-up the Solo for the first time takes only a few minutes

and is described in the next few pages.

Right button
Set button

Power socket

Left button
Stand

Speedometer

Milometer

Outer gauge

Tick

Inner gauge

(reference)

Transmitter

Battery life

Communications

icon

Units of measurement:

Currency/c0

/kW

TOP

SECTIO

LOWER

SECTIO

IDDLE

SECTIO

PV array size

indicator

Setting-up the display

•

Unpack the display and the power supply.

Decide where you want to put the display,

we suggest the main living area (it needs

to be within 30 meters of the transmitter

and generation meter).

•

Plug the power supply into a mains socket

and insert the cable to the power socket at

the side of the display.

•

The Solo can be run off batteries for short

periods of time whilst you are setting it up

and finding the best place for it. However

it is designed to run off the mains adapter

provided. Relying on the batteries for too

long will result in the display powering

down, so please ensure you limit the amount

of time the display is run on the batteries.

•

If the batteries do run down, please remove

the old batteries and replace with new

batteries. Do not leave the old batteries

in the unit.

•

If for some reason your display turns off

having lost power, the sensor will remain

collecting the total energy generated.

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 5

The display

The display is in three sections, and looks

a bit like a car dashboard.

•

The top section is your ‘Speedometer’; it

shows you how much electricity is being

generated right now (how ‘fast’ your panels

are working!).

•

The middle section is your ‘Milometer’; it

shows you how much electricity you have

generated today (this can be shown as a

monetary value or the number of kilowatt

hours or as carbon saved).

•

The lower section is your ‘Fuel gauge’; the

outer gauge shows your total generation over

the course of the day and the inner gauge

shows a preset generation target of 50% of

what we expect your PV array to generate.

•

When you are generating more than 750W

the tick will show so that you know when

you are generating enough power to turn on

your energy hungry appliances (like washing

machines and dishwashers).

This ensures you are making the most of the

electricity you are generating.

The buttons

Immediately under the display are three black

buttons. You’ll use these when you set up the Solo

and move between the different display modes.

6 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

Settings

Setting the size of your PV array and feed in tariff

So that the Solo can show you what you are earning by using solar panels you

will also need to enter your feed in tariff rates.

Set the currency: ($, £, kr, €) using the left and right buttons

on the display then press the set button to confirm.

Set tariff: This is in pence. For example, 10.00 is ten pence.

All feed in tariffs should be fixed at 43.3 pence for retrofit

(arrays which have been installed onto existing buildings)

and 37.8 pence for solar panels which have been installed

onto new buildings. Check with your PV installer if you are

unsure.

The Solo can accept three sizes of PV array so that it can more

accurately display your generation activity on the speedometer. You

can choose from 2kW, 3kW or 4kW (if your array does not exactly

match one of these please choose the closest) and as the size

increases the number of bars that are lit will also increase.

Setting the year, time & date

After powering on the display it should be showing

the main screen. If not press the middle button until it

appears. To start setting up the Solo press and hold the

Set button until the Set Year screen appears.

Press the left and right buttons to change the flashing

numbers until the correct ‘year’ is displayed, then press

the Set button to confirm this and it will move you to the

next screen.

Use the same technique to set the ‘month and day’. Press the

left and right buttons to change the flashing numbers until

the correct month and day is displayed, then press the set

button to confirm this and it will move you to the next screen.

Then with the same technique again, set the ‘hour and

minutes’ (If you wish to make any changes you can press

and hold the set button and this will allow you to go back

a screen).

If there is a time

change you will

need to update the

time on your Solo

(for example GMT

to BST).

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 7

Set the power down time

This switches off the backlight to save power:

•

Off – The display remains on permanently.

•

1 or 2 – The display goes to sleep after one or two

minutes, waking up briefly every 15 minutes.

•

Press the set button to confirm.

Set the sleep period

This allows you to switch the display off overnight.

•

On disp – The time when you want it to wake up.

•

Off disp – The time when you want it to go to sleep.

•

Press the set button to confirm.

Set the pulse

This sets the pulse rate that the LED reader needs to use

to measure the generation levels. A full list of pulse rates

for different meters is included on page 15. If you need

further clarification please just call the help line. You may

also find the pulse rate on the face of your meter. If you

are setting 10,000 pulses/kWh the screen will read mA.

•

Press the set button to confirm.

•

If you have already powered up your transmitter, and wish to change the Setup entry

for the pulse rate, you will need to reset the transmitter for it to pick up this setting

change. To do this, simply remove a battery or the mains power for more than 10 seconds, then

re-fit it again.

Now you’ve finished entering the settings

•

Press the set button one more time and you’ll see the main screen. The numbers and gauges

won’t be working just yet – the sensor still needs to be connected to your meter. Please note: If

you ever go back into settings once the system is operational, we recommend you minimise the

time the unit spends in settings mode as sensor data is ignored during this time.

If you want to reset the readings

If you want to reset the readings, you need to perform a factory reset of both the display

and the transmitter.

•

On the transmitter hold the pair button and then insert the batteries,

•

On the display hold the pairing button whilst applying power (DC jack or batteries)

and the device will show ‘memclr’.

Once you have done this you need to pair the two units again (see page 8).

8 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

Setting-up the transmitter

and wireless connection

LED Pair button

Under the

cover of the

transmitter

Reverse of

the display

Pair button

Activate the transmitter

• Remove the battery cover from the

transmitter.

• Remove the protective strip from the

batteries, the LED should flash for one

second. If not, try rolling the batteries in situ.

• Don’t replace the battery cover yet...

Confirm communication

between the transmitter

and the display

The transmitter and the monitor display need

to be able to talk to each other via wireless

communication. They should be paired when

you receive them, if not you need to ‘pair’ them.

To check they are paired insert the batteries

into the transmitter and turn on the display.

Within a minute you should see the

communication icon light up on the display

screen. If the communication icon does not

light up follow the steps below:
1. On the display: press the pair button on

the back. You should see a ‘pairing ‘ screen.

2. On the transmitter: remove a battery. Then

while holding down the pair button replace

the battery. Keep the pair button pressed

down until the green LED has gone off.

On the display: Wait for a couple of seconds

and the display will show a ‘pair’ screen

with a tick. Press the set button to go back

to the main screen.

3. Pairing may still not be successful so

simply repeat the process. You may need

to do this more than once. If the ‘X’ pair

screen appears you have not managed

to pair in the time allocated - simply

press the set button and go back to step 1.

4. Once paired, press the set button to return

to the main screen. You should now see the

lightning bolt (communications icon) lit up.

Please do not use

a sharp metal object

such as a knife or

screwdriver to lever

the batteries!

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 9

Communications

icon

• Locate the connection point on the face of

your meter (Please note that the position

on the meter may vary depending on

manufacturer).

• Initially, without touching it, look

to see if it is in good condition.

ImPORTAnT: If there is any visible damage

or you have any doubts about its condition,

do not install the LED reader. Call your solar

panel installer.

• If you are happy with the condition of the

connection point, fit the LED reader onto the

connection point.

• This sensor requires Velcro to attach to

the meter. Simply peel off the backing and

attach onto the face of the meter so that the

LED flashing light shows through the centre

circle of the Velcro. Apply the other half to

the LED sensor.

• make sure the LED reader is secure.
• Plug the LED reader cable firmly into the

right-hand socket on the underside of the

transmitter (the right-hand socket as you

look at the front of the transmitter).

• now go back and check the display. If things

are working properly and your solar panels

are generating power you should see a

reading on the Speedometer.

For more information on suitable meters and if

you need to know what pulse rate to set your

display at please see page 15.

Fitting the transmitter

and the LED reader

Transmitter

Meter

Cables

8 5 0 2 1 0

LED reader

Please look for a

flashing coloured

light on the meter.

(See page 15 for

more details.)

10 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

The Speedometer

The Speedometer shows you how much

electricity your array is generating right now.
• Press the left or right buttons to change the

display so it shows how much electricity is

being generated in different units.

• $, kr, £, € /h The amount you are earning

is calculated from the tariff you entered

and shows you how much you are earning

by generating your electricity using solar

panels.

• kg/h The amount of CO2 production is

calculated from an average figure for the

mass of CO2 generated by a power station

per unit of electricity. It gives you a feeling

for the amount of CO2 that would be

generated if you were using electricity from

the grid rather than your solar panels.

• kW The amount of electricity being

generated.

The PV array size bars let you know what

size of solar panels you have entered:

All three bars = 4 kW array

Bottom two bars = 3 kW array

Bottom bar = 2 kW array

The Milometer

The Milometer shows you how much electricity

you have generated today, in kilowatt hours

(kWh)

, the standard unit of electricity. As with

the Speedometer, cost and CO2 emissions may

also be displayed by pressing the left or right

buttons.

Press the Set button to see how much you

generated yesterday (L1), over the last 7 days

(L7) and total energy generated (mR) since

the Solo has been installed.

Please note: After initial installation (or a factory

reset) L7 will start showing data after the 7th

midnight boundary. So if you turned on your

Solo at monday lunch time, it would be 00:15

on the following Monday before data would be

added to the L7 feature. You will be able to see

a figure for the money you have earned since

installation (or the factory reset was performed)

as this is an accumulated total.

Speedometer

Milometer

PV array size

indicator

Right button
Set button
Left button

Outer gauge

Tick

Inner gauge

The Display

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 11

The Fuel gauges

So that you can see how well your array is

performing each day the Solo has a preset

target.
• The outer gauge shows how much electricity

you have generated over the course of the

day. This will be scaled according to the array

size you selected earlier on in the set-up of

your display.
For example if you have selected a 2kW sized

array, the outer dial will show up to 16kWh

of generation. (This is the most this size of

array will typically generate).
A 3kW array will show up to 24kWh and a

4kW array will show you up to 32kWh.

• The inner gauge is the target. It shows a

target of 50% of what we expect your PV

array to generate in a day. This can then be

compared against the outer dial, giving you

a clear indication of how well you PV array is

performing.

The Tick icon

The Solo shows the best time for you to turn on

appliances that use higher levels of electricity

than others.
• If you are generating enough electricity to

use heavy load appliances (750W and above)

the tick will show. This will help to remind

you to use your generated electricity, making

your home more efficient.

Please note that when you are viewing your

history the tick symbol will not show.

12 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

Recording data and uploading to

MyEnergy website

(optional service)

Please ensure the

lock button on the SD

card is in the unlock

position (down) so

that data can be

transferred.

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 13

Recording data

As we mentioned earlier in this guide, your Solo

actually keeps track of everything it displays. It

can store this information on its SD card. This

card will record your energy generation every

15 minutes and you can view the information

using your computer.

myEnergy is a great

way to compare historical information over

time to see what you have generated and how

this compares with the PV manufacturer’s

predictions!
• To start recording data insert the SD card

into the slot in the top of the Solo display.

Push it in firmly and it will click into place.

(Please note, if the card has been inserted

correctly the display will read ‘Card In.’

It will read ‘Card Out’ once removed).

• When you’re ready to transfer the data,

remove the SD card from the Solo, start a

web browser on your computer and go to

http://www.fromgeo.eu/PV

. Login and

password details can be found on the back

of your Solo display.

• The first time you log in to the home screen

area you will need to download our uploader

tool, the user name and password for this is

the same as the myEnergy login on the back

of your Solo.

• Follow the instructions on the page inserting

the SD card into your computer when

prompted (if your computer does not have

an SD card port you will need a card reader).

As and when you want to upload more data,

simply open the SD uploader program and

insert the SD card when prompted.

• The home screen of myEnergy will always

show you when you last uploaded data

and what range of data has been stored.

• When logging in you can also choose

to select “deeming,” if that is part the

arrangement with your utility (this is when

your utility pays you 3.1p per unit, for 50% of

your total generation). The system will then

show you the amount that you are earning

as a result of this.

• Clicking on the “Data Window” button from

the myEnergy home screen will take you

to a screen where you can see the data

uploaded from your Solo.

• The top graph tracks total energy generation.

Clicking on an area of this graph will

show you a day-to-day breakdown of this

information (in the bottom left box). By

clicking on one of the graph bars you can

see information for that specific day (shown

in the bottom right box). Information can

be shown as electricity generated, CO

or in

monetary value.

• Please use the SD card provided. Other

manufacturers versions and card capacities

greater than 2GB may not work.

• Be sure to replace your SD card back into your

Solo immediately after uploading the data.

14 | geo helpline: 0845 519 7226

Frequently asked questions

Q. The transmitter is not ‘paired’

This can happen if things get out of sequence.

To recover, follow the repairing process below:

1. Press the Pair button on the back of the display.

You should see a ‘pairing’ screen.

2. Press and hold the pair button and turn the

transmitter off and then on again (simply

remove a battery and then replace it):

The LED next to the pairing button should

remain on for several seconds.

Wait for a couple of seconds and the display

will show a ‘Pair’ screen with a Tick. Press the

Set button to go back to the main screen.

3. Pairing may still not be successful so simply

repeat the process. You may need to do this

more than once. If the ‘X’ pair screen appears

you have not managed to pair in the time

allocated - simply press the Set button and go

back to step 1.

4. Once paired, press the Set button to return to the

main screen. You should now see the lightning

bolt (communications icon) lit up.

Q. Why won’t my display and transmitter

communicate?

The Solo is designed to operate in a home

environment, over a range of 30 metres with two

walls in between the transmitter and display. If the

units are further apart than this, then you may need

to bring them closer together to communicate.

Other reasons for the units not communicating are:

• There is radio interference. Try moving the

display to a different location or follow

the repairing process above.

• The batteries in the transmitter are flat - is the

battery icon on the display flashing? If so

change the batteries.

• The transmitter is inside a metal meter cabinet.

Radio communication doesn’t work as well

through metal so you will have to move

the display closer or preferably, mount the

transmitter outside the metal cabinet.

Q. Why is the Communications icon flashing?

The Communications icon will flash if the display

and transmitter are unable to communicate

for over

20 seconds.

Q. The Communications icon is on but the

display is still not receiving information

This may happen because the LED reader is not

connected properly, press firmly to the correct

connection point on the face of the meter.

If your display is still not receiving information call

our helpline.

Q. Why is the Battery symbol flashing?

We expect the transmitter batteries to last for

at least a year. Toward the end of their life the

Battery symbol will flash to let you know to

replace them. Please ensure you replace

batteries with AA batteries (LR6).

Do not use rechargeable batteries.

Q. The screen display turns off, what can I do to stop

this?

This may be because the batteries are running low,

remove them and plug in the mains adapter. The

Solo can be run off batteries for short periods of

time but is designed to run off the mains adapter

provided.

Q. Can I use the Solo’s generation information to

give to my energy suppliers?

If you provide your electricity supplier with

readings, please use your generation meter

readings.

Q. I want to move the unit to another property,

how do I erase data?

If you want to reset the Solo and erase all

generation data and tariffs disconnect the display

from the Power Supply. Press and hold the Pair

button on the back of the display while you re-plug

in the Power Supply until you see the mEmCLR

message, then let go of the button.

It can take up to 2 minutes to clear all of the

memory, after this time the main screen will return.

Q. Can I use more than one display?

This is not possible at the moment.

Q. What do I need to do if I have entered the wrong

date during setup and continued using my Solo?

If you have entered the incorrect date you will have

to erase all data that has been recorded onto the SD

card. You should remove the SD card from the Solo

and then change the date on the Solo display (see

page 6 for more information). Then insert the SD

card into your computer (either using the SD port or

a card reader) and erase all the data that is stored on

the card. You can now insert the SD card back into

the Solo.

Q. What are the values for each segment of

the Speedometer?

Each segment of the Speedometer will light up

when the generation exceeds the value shown in

the table below.

The segments on the Speedometer have different

values depending on the size of your array. The

table below shows three figures; the first shows

the value for a 2kW array, the second shows 3kW

and the third a 4kW array. You can set the size of

your array using the instructions on page 6.

www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk | 15

Suitable Generation Meters

& Pulse rates

The Solo PV is designed to work with any pulse output generation meter with a pulse rate of between

50 and 10,000 [max]. We have listed some of the meters and the pulse rates you should set on the

Solo below. many meters will have the pulse rate written on them, (1,000 impulses/kWH for example)

if you are still unsure though please call the helpline below.

These are the three most common meters below. = where the LED reader should be placed.

Elster A100C

Pulse rate: 1000 pulses/kWh

Landis+Gyr 5235

Pulse rate: 1000 pulses/kWh

Iskra mE372*

Pulse rate: 1000 pulses/kWh

SEGmEnT VALUE

2 kw 3

kw 4

SEGmEnT VALUE

2 kw 3

kw 4

1. 68.75W

103.13W

137.50W

17.

1.17 kW

1.75 kW

2.34 kW

2. 137.5W

206.25W

275W

18.

1.24 kW

1.86 kW

2.48 kW

206.25W

309.38W

412.50W

19.

1.31 kW

1.96 kW

2.61 kW

275W

412.5W

550W

20.

1.38 kW

2.06 kW

2.75 kW

343.75W

515.63W

687.50W

21.

1.44 kW

2.17 kW

2.89 kW

412.50W

618.75W

825W

22.

1.51 kW

2.27 kW

3.03 kW

481.25W

721.88W

962.5W

23.

1.58 kW

2.37 kW

3.16 kW

550W

825W

1.10 kW

24.

1.65 kW

2.48 kW

3.30 kW

618.75W

928.13W

1.24 kW

25.

1.72 kW

2.58 kW

3.44 kW

10.

687.50W

1.03 kW

1.38 kW

26.

1.79 kW

2.68 kW

3.58 kW

11.

756.25W

1.13 kW

1.51 kW

27.

1.86 kW

2.78 kW

3.71 kW

12.

825W

1.24 kW

1.65 kW

28.

1.93 kW

2.89 kW

3.85 kW

13.

893.75W

1.34 kW

1.79 kW

29. 1.99 kw

2.99 kw

3.99 kw

14.

962.50W

1.44 kW

1.93 kW

30.

2.06 kW

3.09 kW

4.13 kW

15.

1.03 kW

1.55 kW

2.06 kW

31.

2.13 kW

3.20 kW

4.26 kW

16.

1.10 kW

1.65 kW

2.20 kW

32.

2.20 kW

3.30 kW

4.40 kW

GEO is a registered trademark of Green Energy Options Ltd.

Green Energy Options Limited (GEO) makes no representations and gives no warranties of any kind in relation to the contents of this

document and all warranties, conditions and other terms implied by statute or common law are, to the fullest extent permitted by

law, hereby excluded.

In particular, GEO assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions that may appear in this document and makes no commitment

to neither update nor keep current the information contained in this document.

GEO retains the right to make changes to this document (including any specifications contained here in) at any time without notice.

no part of this document may be modified, copied, reproduced, republished, published, transmitted or distributed in any form or by

any means without the prior written consent of GEO. The contents of this document are to be used solely for the purpose for which

they are provided by GEO and for no other purpose. All content, text, graphics and all other materials contained in this document are

owned by GEO (or its licensors), and all proprietary and intellectual property rights (including copyright, design rights, trade secrets,

trade names, logos and trade marks) wherever arising in relation to this document vest in GEO (or its licensors) and all such rights are

reserved.

Conforming Standards:

Radio Device RF Performance (UK & Europe)

En300328V1.7.1

Emissions EmC (UK & Europe)

En301489-3V1.4.1

En55022

En61000-3-2

En61000-3-3

En55024

Safety Requirements (UK & Europe)

En60335-1

UK standards

Model

Monitor Display

Monitor Transmitter

Monitor Sensor

Rated voltage

230Vac 50Hz

3 x AA size 1.5V batteries

n/A

Input power

0.25W

0.2W

n/A

Operation

0 to 40

-20 to 50

Humidity

85% non-condensing 85% non-condensing

85% non-condensing

Usage

n/A

Cat III

geo| SFIT-1-mAn-0001

Contact Information

If you have any questions please contact us by email at solopvsupport@greenenergyoptions.co.uk

alternatively you can call us on the GEO helpline, 0845 519 7226 or visit:

http://www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk for more information.

The Solo is designed and manufactured by Green Energy Options Ltd. For details of further products,

accessories or enhancements go to http://www.greenenergyoptions.co.uk

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