Introduction
What this control mode does
The Monitoring only special local control mode excludes the selected devices from control. The devices stay on the SmartgridOne Controller like any other device: they are read out, their measurements are stored and shown, and they count in the site totals and in the grid limits. But the SmartgridOne Controller never steers them. Every selected device is treated exactly like a device whose control mode is set to don't control, while all the other devices on the site remain controlled as usual.
What that means per device type:
- EV chargers: the charger may charge at its full current; the SmartgridOne Controller never lowers it. This also holds when the other chargers of the site are being load-balanced or limited by an external signal.
- Solar inverters: the inverter may produce at full power and is never curtailed.
- Batteries: nothing is imposed on the battery; it runs on its own settings.
- Boilers, heat pumps and other loads: the load is put back in its own mode.
The typical use case is a site with many EV chargers of which a few must never be limited, for example the chargers of the site owner, while the other chargers are load-balanced as usual.
Other signals on the same devices
This mode takes its place in the priority list on the external signals page, like every external signal and every other special local control mode. For a device that is both excluded by this mode and steered by another signal, the signal that is higher in the list wins:
- With this mode above the other signal, the device is only monitored; the other signal keeps steering its other devices.
- With this mode below the other signal, the other signal still steers the device. This also holds for a signal that is configured to apply to all compatible devices.
So put this mode on top of the list to make the exclusion absolute, or keep for example a grid operator (DSO) signal above it when that signal must still be able to limit the excluded devices.
Note
The Diagnostic tests special local control mode cannot share a device with this mode: it requires exclusive control over its devices. Select different devices for the two modes.
Configuring the special control mode
Devices
Make sure that the devices that must only be monitored are added to the SmartgridOne Controller as controllable devices, in the same way as the devices that are controlled. Devices that are not controllable are never steered anyway and do not need this mode.
Enabling the special control mode
- Go to the 'Settings' tab on the SmartgridOne Controller's interface and click 'Manage special local control modes'.
- Click 'Start wizard' under 'Enable a new special local control mode'.
- Choose 'Monitoring only (don't control the selected devices)' and click 'Next'.
- Untick 'Always apply this special local control mode to all devices that are compatible with it, including devices that are newly added later' and 'Select all': both are ticked by default, which would exclude every device on the site from control, including the devices that are added later. Then tick only the devices that must be monitored and never controlled, and click 'Apply mode to selected devices'.
- If the site also has external signals, check the position of the mode in the priority list on the external signals page (see above).
The devices that are not selected keep being controlled as before.
Disabling the special control mode
Remove the mode on the 'Manage special local control modes' page, or edit it to change the selection of devices. The devices that are no longer selected are controlled again according to the control mode of the site. See Special local control modes for pausing, editing and the priority towards other signals.