Sometimes the roof area of apartment complexes is insufficient for placing enough solar panels to provide all residents with solar power. Situations like that require a system which fairly distributes the available electricity. PowerShare from Xemex optimises offset and offers a flexible distribution key.

PowerShare is fitted to every apartment behind the meter of the grid operator, in the location where the AC cable from the converter enters the apartment. It is important that the meter is able to measure gross energy production. The unit comprises a Landis+Gyr or Kamstrup energy meter with a built-in switch and a Xemex communication module, a safety relay and an operating switch. The cloud software by Cast4All analyses the data and makes it possible to communicate the output via an Application Programming Interface (API) with external software applications.

Cost savings

The solar power distribution system generates significant cost savings. Only one converter and lightning conductor are used per system, instead of one per apartment. An AC cable connects the different apartments to the system. The meter is installed and activated in just ten minutes. The action of the module is – during both installation and use – easy to monitor thanks to LED indication. Remote management Communication runs via 2G, but the module is suitable for future communication technologies, such as 4G or NB-IoT. The measurement data is requested once a day. This data is then used to determine which home is entitled to the produced solar energy the following day. Management is carried out remotely via a cloud software solution from Cast4All. In addition to creating systems and connecting homes, the manager can modify the distribution keys at any time. The allocation to a home can be stopped temporarily without loss of production.

Integration with external information systems

The cloud software from Cast4All offers 24/7 insight into the measurement data. Or would you rather link the energy data to an existing CRM application, for example to connect the invoicing system to customer and measurement data? That is also possible, thanks to the Application Programming Interface (API).

Problem detection

In addition to distribution of the energy, PowerShare also monitors how the solar panels are performing. The communication module contains an application with integrated problem detection and optimisation algorithms. The Clear Sky Performance Index is a unique, accurate and fast method for detecting performance losses. It identifies any performance losses fast by analysing trends. Any production loss due to shadows on certain parts of the roof is equally distributed across the participants.