Balance can be described as the combined total from the 200A CT's minus the sum-total of the 50A CT's. An example of that calculation might be this:
Balance = Mains − Circuits (1~16)
Whenever Balance is showing differently from what would be expected, it is usually related to sensors not measuring accurately at one level or another. Some common scenarios and what to look out for would be as follows:
Balance is "too high"
If the shown Balance value is higher than what would be expected, that is usually related to one of three scenarios:
Double check that all of your sensors that should be on the Home screen circuit list are present. If any CT's/sensors are missing from that list, it will affect Balance since the device isn't measuring the 50A CT usage. See article on how to troubleshoot missing sensors here.
Double check you're not "over-counting" the mains w/ 200A CT's. Ensure you have one CT on the live main per phase in your system (i.e. single phase needs only one 200A CT, single-split phase requires 2x, three phase requires 3x 200A CT's on the mains).
Double check you're not "under-counting" 50A CT's - usually happens if CT's are not covering all breakers. Using multipliers in place of sensors here can cause problems related to Balance and accuracy. Tips on finding good multipliers can be found here.
Balance is "green"
Since green numbers shown in the app indicate "negative" numbers, showing a green balance would indicate one of three scenarios:
Un-monitored solar (solar generation w/o any 50A CT's monitoring).
Under counting "mains" (200A CT's), not enough 200A CT's (one on each main) or 200A CT's are calibrated incorrectly. Can reach out to Customer Support if needing to diagnose 200A CT measurement accuracy.
Over counting 50A CT's - usually by multipliers, doubling up sensors on circuit wires, or sensors on neutral lines.
Multipliers and Balance
Multipliers can have an odd affect on the Balance value displayed in the app if both lines on the multiplied circuit are not behaving equally. Since the 200A CT's are measuring usage directly and multipliers are "assuming" usage not detected by 50A CT's - any difference in the behavior of the lines of the multi-pole circuit can cause discrepancies in Balance. Recommended to clarify any circuits using a multiplier as one of the first steps towards troubleshooting Balance. Tips on using multipliers effectively can be found here.
Feedback and Suggestions
This knowledge base is pretty new for the Emporia team. Our goal is to provide all of the information we can to help you manage your energy in better ways. If this article wasn't helpful, or we could be more clarifying on any points please reach out to the Customer Support team and we'll certainly work to improve these guides.