Logging and reducing electricity use and costs

The products are easy to set up and use, and allow engineers and energy-conscious end consumers to collect and analyse a large volume of data. Right in time for their 40th company anniversary, Voltcraft have released their latest highly innovative SEM 6500 electricity meter, made available via the Conrad Sourcing Platform.

Voltcraft have been supplying a wide range of energy meters capable of both logging actual power consumption and storing related data, such as reactive and apparent power as well as AC phase shifts. The products are easy to set up and use, and allow engineers and energy-conscious end consumers to collect and analyse a large volume of data. Right in time for their 40th company anniversary, Voltcraft have released their latest highly innovative SEM 6500 electricity meter, made available via the Conrad Sourcing Platform.

Usage Estimates at a Glance

The SEM6500 looks like an ordinary unobtrusive mains socket adapter, however, turns into a real eye catcher as soon as you plug in an appliance: the seamless colour change of the stylish LED ring light encodes the current power consumption. If the light is dark green, this indicates a very efficient use of energy. If the light turns red, you are in energy-guzzling territory. The fact that technology and design work together very well here isn’t lost on Sabine Storch, Senior Product Expert at Conrad Electronic who looks after the company’s range of testing equipment. “The SEM 6500 is a shining example of how to combine innovative and accurate measurement technology, a large variety of functions and a compact and very contemporary design.” 

A Large Data Pool Enables In-depth Analyses

The large volume of usage data can be easily evaluated on a PC, smartphone or tablet, after exporting the readings as a CSV. Whether it’s days, weeks, months or even years, logging long-term data won’t be a problem at all thanks to hardware-independent cloud storage. Looking at various time periods and comparing them with each other whenever the need arises lets you keep an eye on the energy efficiency of equipment and machinery. “The SEM6500 allows comparing directly the energy consumption of older and newer appliances over a time period specified by the user,” explains Susanne Storch. “This makes evaluating the energy-saving potential of new products a very straightforward process. And True RMS readings displayed down to the thousandth provide a high level of accuracy.”  

Usage Monitoring and Set-up via Wi-Fi

Using the TUYA app enables operating the wireless Wi-Fi mains socket remotely. You can also log on to the cloud to view and analyse any data collected by the device. This includes logging the exact time of power outages which may prove important if you want to make a home insurance claim.

Genuine Added Value: Timer Function with Burglar Deterrent Mode

However, the SEM6500 isn’t just an electricity meter: the built-in timer allows programming individual time slots during which electrical appliances switch on and off. This also works if there is no Wi-Fi coverage.  Moreover, the Burglar Deterrent mode turns lights, monitors or TV sets on in a random pattern, to simulate home occupancy, thereby lowering the probability of the property being burgled.