Project Energy 32: Read electricity meter (ISKRA ME162), through optical port, export power usage using MQTT.
This project contains Python code to read values from the ISKRA ME-162 electricity meter and push them to an MQTT broker.
(This is the Python version of pe32me162ir_pub -- a version in C that runs on an ESP8622.)
Features:
- Although the ISKA ME162 does not include power readouts (in Watt), we query the total energy consumed/produced (in Watt-hour) every second or so. This allows us to get a fair estimate of instantanous power usage. This can in fact give a better estimate than just sampling instantaneous power every now and then (which would be possible on other meters).
Required hardware: a so-called optical probe.
2023 - Bret McGee offers pre-soldered optical probes at ebay UK. You'll likely want to 3D print a plastic cover with magnets for easy attachment to your meter.
(I've been told Aalborg hackers stopped shipping their packages: "Bemærk: Vi sælger ikke længere kits.")
2021 - On the Hal9k Kamstrup Project page (by Aalborg hackers) you can find instructions to build an optical probe (infrared transceiver) to communicate with Kamstrup electricity meters using the optical communications port. Such an optical communication port is available on several other electricity meters, like the ISKRA ME-162 commonly found in the Netherlands. This optical probe can also be used on those.
For details on infrared (IR) interfacing with the electricity meter, using the IEC62056-21 protocol, I recommend browsing the pe32me162ir_pub README and source code.
See also pe32powerpy_pub where this project is included along with code to read Solar Panel output. The combined values allow for plotting near-realtime usage graphs.
At the moment, the MQTT messages will look as follows.
Publishes look like:
device_id=EUI48:11:22:33:44:55:66& e_pos_act_energy_wh=33271493&e_neg_act_energy_wh=7784& e_inst_power_w=1397&dbg_uptime=31267
Where the keys mean:
- e_pos_act_energy_wh (1.8.0) = Positive active energy [Wh]
- e_neg_act_energy_wh (2.8.0) = Negative active energy [Wh]
- e_inst_power_w (16.7.0) = Sum of active instantaneous power [Watt]
- Compare/try https://github.com/pwitab/iec62056-21
- Document raspberry PI setup somewhere..
Project energy 32 is a suite of personal home readout/automation tools. Batteries are not included. You need to set up an MQTT broker, a database to store the readouts, a backend that subscribes and inserts the values, vacuuming/pruning code, and something to display the values (like Grafana).