Please note these very important points:
Internet Access
To transmit telemetry and connect to the :energy managed service back end, devices must be connected via a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network that has an active connection to the Internet..
Annual Subscription
This Managed Smart Meter is backed by a service which costs R15/month per device. The first 36 months are included in the price you paid, but please ensure your customer is aware that after the 36 month inclusive subscription, we will contact them on the supplied email address to allow them to renew.
It is very important that the email address you provide for your customer is correct when creating a new customer installation using our Customer management website. We will send the end user their login to the :energy Portal to this email address.
The :energy Portal (portal.cbi.energy) is where you and end users can inspect the information being transmitted by their Smart Meter as raw data, graphs and charts.
CBI :energy will use the email address you supply for the end user to contact them about subscription renewal before it expires.
Getting Started
Before you can start with an installation, you must create your installer account. This must be done before you can use the :energy field services mobile app to install and activate this Managed Smart Metering device.
To create your installer account visit www.cbi.energy/installer or scan this QR code. Enter your company name, name, contact numbers, email and city/town.
This will create an installer account in our system and send you a welcome email, which has a link to your new installer profile on the CBI :energy site, and your login details.
Please log in to this website to verify your registration to proceed.
You can then create your Customers on this site (enter the customer name and contact details), and then create a new Job Card for each installation.
This process should take less than five minutes.
You only register as an installer once. You create a new Customer and/or a new Job card for each installation.
Equipment Required
- Appropriate hand tools (screwdrivers, side cutters, etc)
- Mobile device (smartphone, tablet) or laptop with an Internet connection to activate the device onsite.
- The mobile device should ideally have a camera to scan the device barcode (although it can be entered manually)
- This instruction leaflet
Notes:
- This device must be installed by a qualified electrician.
- Isolate supply before installing the Smart Meter.
- Install the Smart Meter on either mini rail or DIN rail (dual mount, fits only 57mm escutcheon).
- Wire the Smart Meter according to the ‘Wiring Instructions’ overleaf. Ensure line and load are correctly oriented for polarity to ensure readings reflect consumption or generation. Carefully check product markings for orientation. Do not swap Live and Neutral!
- Apply power to the load through the Smart Meter, this will power up the device.
- A solid red light will be displayed indicating the device start up sequence.
- Once initialisation is complete the light will alternate between red and blue, indicating that the device is ready to be paired to a Wi-Fi network and activated.
Metering of multiple independent loads
Multiple single-phase Smart Meters with multiple single phase loads – conventional configuration
One multi-way single phase stacked Smart Meter with multiple independent loads – space saver configuration
Metering of a three phase load
Metering of a three phase load or three independent loads with external CTs
(each load draw >80A)
Pairing and Activation
Follow these steps to activate the Smart Meter:
- Apply power to the Smart Meter. It will start up and act as if it were a Wi-Fi Access Point (“pairing mode”, the combined LED light/button pulses alternating red and blue).
- Connect to the Wi-Fi Access Point identity broadcast by the Smart Meter. You can use any Wi-Fi enabled device (laptop computer or smartphone).
- The Smart Meter will appear as a Wi-Fi network in the list of available Wi-Fi networks on your device. To join with the Meter, choose the unique Meter identity, identifiable as the device’s barcode with an ‘S’ in front.
- Connect to the Smart Meter by selecting it (no username/password).
- Once your Wi-Fi enabled device has successfully connected to the Meter’s Wi-Fi network, open a Web browser and enter ’10.0.10.1’ in the address bar.
- A page will open to allow you to provide the credentials of the Wi-Fi network
to which you want the Smart Meter to connect. - Select the network to which you want the Smart Meter to connect and enter the Wi-Fi password. Press “Connect”.
- The Smart Meter will restart. Can be manually restarted by pressing the reset button (the lower black push-button).
- The lights on the Smart Meter will stop flashing indicating that it is restarting (takes less than 10 seconds).
- Once successfully connected to the network you chose, the LED light/button will steadily pulse blue.
- The Smart Meter is now sending its telemetry data to the Internet.
- You can log into the CBI :energy Portal at portal.cbi.energy using the credentials emailed to you when you created your Installer profile. Your end- user customer can log in to the :energy Portal using the credentials sent to them on the email address you supplied. Confirm that the meter(s) are sending data correctly, and enjoy!
Getting Connected: Problem Solving
- If the light flashes red, incorrect Wi-Fi credentials have been entered. Start the pairing process again.
- If the light flashes blue rapidly, it is successfully connected to Wi-Fi, but the Wi-Fi Access Point does not have an active connection to the Internet. Check the configuration of the Wi-Fi Access Point and that its Internet connection is up.
- To start again, reset the Smart Meter to factory settings. Press and hold down the LED light/button for 5 seconds, this will return the Smart Meter to factory settings.
- To disconnect and reboot the device to its previous state press and hold down the black button. This will restart the Smart Meter.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Smart Meter is connected to the Wi-Fi. The LED is flashing rapid blue, and no data is appearing in the Portal.
The Meter is connected to the Wi-Fi network, but the Wi-Fi Access Point is not connected to the Internet. Check using a mobile or laptop connected to the same Wi-Fi if it can browse the Web. If not, contact the operator of the Wi-Fi network or Internet Service provider for the location. If you can successfully browse, the Wi-Fi Access Point has an active Internet connection, but the Smart Meter is not being allowed to communicate on it. Check the Access Point or Internet-facing router’s network configuration for device white-listing or other security restrictions. If the LED flashes slow (1 sec) blue then the error is resolved, Confirm that data is being displayed correctly in the Portal.
The Smart Meter is successfully connected to the Internet over the Wi-Fi, but the Portal is showing zero readings for the telemetry.
Confirm the load is wired correctly to the meter, and that it is receiving power. Check if other non-electrical telemetry is appearing (temp, RSSI).
The Smart Meter is showing no lights at all.
Note that the Neutral line must be connected to at least one terminal of the Smart Meter to ensure proper supply of power to the Smart Meter, and to provide the correct reference for the voltage across the load.
The data in the Portal is not showing correctly – it’s out by some factor.
If the Smart Meter has been wired to use external CTs, check it is correctly configured in the :energy back end system, with the correct turns ratio.
I cannot log into the Portal.
Ensure that you are using the correct username/password that was sent to you in the welcome email, and that you are visiting portal.cbi.energy. If you are sure it is right, please contact support on +27 11 928 2020.
Can my Customers see each other’s data?
No, each Customer site is segregated from the others. A particular customer can only see their own data. You (as the installer for your Customers) can see the data for all the Smart Meters you installed across all your Customers.
I would like to get additional meters to install, is it easy?
Visit www.cbi.energy for a list of suppliers nationwide. If you are adding new meters to an existing site, ensure that the Job Card correctly identifies the Customer — any new meters will appear under the same Customer login in the Portal for easy inspection and comparison with other meters installed for that Customer.