How to install Eyedro sensors is a common question. Installation of the Eyedro electricity monitor is quite simple, and it starts with the sensors. Although we always recommend an electrician install the sensors, it is quite common for a home owner to install their own. The typical residential installation of the sensors inside the electrical panel looks like this:
Electrical Panel with Eyedro Sensors Installed
Take Extreme Caution if you do this sensor installation yourself because the electrical lines will probably be energized and pose a safety risk! If you’re not sure what I mean then please have an electrician install these sensors for you.
Notice how there is a sensor around both of the “hot” lines entering the panel, but not the ground or neutral line. The sensors are not directional, meaning Eyedro can be used to monitor power generation just as easily as power consumption. They’re also hinged to simplify installation.
Eyedro Sensor – Shown Open
Also, be sure to confirm the rating on the sensors you’re installing are sufficient for your application. At the time of this writing, Eyedro only sells a 200A sensor (red and black).
Simply clamp the eyedro sensors around the “hot” wires that are to be monitored, and ensure the sensor “snaps” closed. Next step is to route the sensor wires through the side of the electrical panel and out to Eyedro sensor module (black box). Here is a video by Jamie Boyd at Boyd Electrical that should also help.
For additional information regarding installation of the eyedro sensors, please consult the eyedro product manual.
Real-time electricity monitoring is an important tool in understanding when and where electricity is being used, and to find energy saving opportunities.
Traditionally, the only information building owners have had access to is what’s on their electric bill – a total power consumption value (kWh) for the past 30-60 days. It’s electricity that was consumed some time ago… nothing to do at that point but pay the bill. This applies to all building types, whether it be a residential, commercial, industrial, or government building.
Electric Bill
If you’re not happy with the bill amount and want to do something about it then you can certainly look at energy saving tips, but beyond that the only way to understand why your electric bill is high is to see the full electricity usage details with a real-time monitor such as Eyedro. Electric utilities that have deployed smart meters sometimes share smart meter information via their website but it is still in 15 minute blocks and lags by 24 hours – better, but still not as good as real-time feedback. With real-time feedback you’re able to learn how often equipment is on, and how much it costs to operate, especially the larger more expensive power hogs. Here’s an example of a 20kW heater that the owner knew about but did not know how often it was actually turning on.
20kW Electric Heaters
At far less power and cost but equally interesting is the aquarium heater example shown here cycling 24 hours a day. The owner certainly enjoys their 80 gallon aquarium, but was surprised to learn the heater alone cost approximately $7 in electricity each month. Power consumption from the water pumps and lights (not shown here) increased the monthly cost further.
Aquarium Heater 280W
With real-time electricity monitoring you are provided with actionable intelligence because you can see exactly how much electricity is being consumed at any given point in time, and then keep an eye on consumption and costs before the bill arrives. No more surprises when your bill shows up!
Customers generally save energy after installing Eyedro because they learn why their electric bill costs are what they are, and do something about it. Minor changes to their daily routines have little impact on their comfort level but do have a positive impact on their electric bill.
This post is about a customer in Wellesley, Ontario, Canada that found a 20% savings in their electric bill within the first few days of having Eyedro installed. The family of 5 had already been in their home a few years and most of their major appliances were not very old.
Electric Water Heater Spike of 1750W
After installing Eyedro and letting it run for a couple of days, they quickly noticed large spikes within their normal electricity usage. The 1750W spikes clearly stood out and raised the question – Which appliance is that (in our home)?
During the next day, the family kept a laptop in the kitchen area with MyFreeMonitor.com streaming their electricity usage in real-time. It turned out that the spike was the electric water heater turning on for 20-30 minutes each time a hot water tap was turned on, even if only for a few seconds. Some quick math showed that the electric water heater was costing the family over $20 in electricity each month.
Electric Water Heater 20% Savings
The electric water heater was then replaced with a natural gas model on March 5th and, as can be seen in the before/after comparison graph of electricity consumption (kWh), this simple change has resulted in more than 20% savings on their monthly electric bill. Even once the costs for increased gas consumption are factored in they are still saving money!
Tell us about your experience with electric water heaters. Is it a significant cost on your electricity bill?
70% energy savings is quite an accomplishment, and one that exemplifies the benefit of doing energy saving projects in your organization. The larger the facility and electricity bill, the greater the opportunity to find savings and the greater the payback. This particular company is already profitable and drives awareness and energy saving initiatives as a social responsibility. This particular project was certainly a success.
The company operates a factory with approximately 100 employees between the office, warehouse, and production line. The production line requires the use of four large 3-phase pumps to move liquid throughout the building and production process. As part of the energy saving project, the team installed the Eyedro Business electricity monitor to measure the baseline electricity consumption and cost. Capturing proof of the before and after results was a requirement of the project for obvious reasons.
Before the project, the pumps ran continuously at a constant speed consuming a combined 800kWh per day, or $80/day if we assume $0.10/kWh. That’s approximately $2,400/month and $28,800/year. The project task was to install variable speed controllers to better match pump speed with demand. As can be seen below, the installation of the new controllers occurred on June 12th and was optimized by June 14th.
70% Energy Savings as Measured by Eyedro Electricity Monitor
The project reduced the daily electricity consumption by the four pumps from 800kWh to 200kWh, achieving a 70% energy savings and a cost savings of approximately $20,000 per year. Hidden benefits include less heat generated (which would have required air conditioning costs to offset the heat), and less wear on the motors. The team celebrated their success but didn’t stop there. Next stop is to upgrade the warehouse lighting, a project that is certain to achieve additional energy savings.
Eyedro Launches MyFreeMonitor.com to monitor electricity consumption in home and business
Important tool for lowering electricity bills offered up as a crowd-sourced funding project on Indiegogo
Waterloo (Ontario) CANADA, January 4, 2013 – Eyedro Green Solutions, a leading manufacturer of electricity usage monitors, announced today the launch of a new electricity consumption monitoring cloud service called MyFreeMonitor.com, providing home and small business owners with an innovative new tool to monitor and reduce rising electricity costs. Eyedro is launching MyFreeMonitor.com as a crowd-sourcing project at Indiegogo.com (www.indiegogo.com/myfreemonitor) with contributors to the project receiving highly discounted real-time electricity monitors, also produced by the company.
“The United States and Canada are among the world’s top ten electricity consumers. Homeowners and small business owners continue to battle electricity costs – particularly high demand periods. MyFreeMonitor.com offers people an effective and easy way to lower electricity bills, offering a new level of visibility into where electricity is going,” says Trevor Orton, CEO, Eyedro Green Solutions.
Orton explains that users can leverage MyFreeMonitor.com to pinpoint where waste is occurring, allowing them to take proactive measures to conserve energy and cut electricity costs.
“It can be a real eye-opener. We’ve seen many home owners discover that an appliance in their home is using far more electricity than expected,” says Orton. “And once the problem is addressed, the cost savings are long-term.”
MyFreeMonitor.com debuts with support for Eyedro’s real-time electricity monitors and a roadmap that includes Green Button and smart outlet/appliance support.
About Eyedro Green Solutions Inc.
Eyedro Green Solutions Inc. is a software and electronics design company delivering affordable and effective energy management products and cloud based services for home and business.
The company’s flagship electricity monitoring product and MyFreeMonitor.com cloud service allows users to visualize electricity usage, identify waste, and cut electricity costs. For more information visit Eyedro.com or MyFreeMonitor.com.
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For further details, please contact: Eyedro Green Solutions Inc. Trevor Orton, Co-Founder & CEO torton@eyedro.com 226-499-0944 x220
