Single-Phase Energy Meter ZCS Azzurro Wi-Fi 60 A

The ZCS Azzurro ZSM-METER-1PH-WIFI is the single-phase energy meter of the Azzurro ecosystem by Zucchetti Centro Sistemi: it measures import and export bidirectionally, talks to the inverter over RS485 and to the monitoring portal over Wi-Fi. It mounts on a 35 mm DIN rail and takes up little more than a standard circuit breaker.

Without a meter the inverter produces, but cannot decide

This is where everything starts. On its own, an inverter has no idea how much the house is consuming at any given moment: it can only convert what the panels deliver. The meter provides that figure in real time, and three things become possible that simply do not exist without it:

• battery management based on real consumption instead of an estimate
• export limitation, when the grid operator requires it or when you choose not to feed in at all
• separate monitoring of production and consumption, the only reliable way to tell whether the system is working as intended

On a system with storage the meter is not an accessory: it is a component the system needs in order to work.

Direct connection up to 60 A: no current transformers

The line runs physically through the meter, which measures current without external transformers: no split-core sensors to clamp around cables, no secondaries to wire, no risk of getting the direction wrong. The limit is 60 A, roughly 13.2 kW on a single-phase supply — generous for any Italian domestic connection, where the typical contract stops at 3, 4.5 or 6 kW. The three-phase version of the same family works differently, using split-core sensors.

Technical specifications

Wi-Fi to the portal, RS485 to the inverter

The two channels do different jobs and it pays not to confuse them. Wi-Fi carries data to the monitoring server, and from there to the app and the portal: it serves visualisation. RS485 connects the meter to the inverter and carries the information that actually governs energy management — that one must be wired, with shielded cable and correct polarity. If the serial link is wrong the system keeps producing but regulates nothing, and the typical symptom is a battery that appears to behave at random.

Frequently asked questions

Is it mandatory if I have a battery?

In practice yes. In ZCS storage systems the meter is what measures import and export: without that data the system does not know when to charge and when to discharge. Even without a battery it remains necessary for consumption monitoring and for export limitation.

What is the difference from the 2G version?

Only the channel towards the server. The Wi-Fi version uses the home network; the 2G version has a SIM with included traffic and is the obvious choice where Wi-Fi does not reach the panel or where there is no fixed connection. The electrical data — 60 A, 13.2 kW, class 1, RS485 — are identical.

Does it work on a three-phase system?

No, this version is single-phase only. Three-phase supplies require the three-phase model of the same family, which uses split-core current sensors and handles much higher currents.

Can I install it myself?

No. The work involves the main supply line, with current flowing directly through the device: it must be carried out by a qualified installer in accordance with Italian Ministerial Decree 37/2008, who issues the declaration of conformity. Configuration afterwards takes only a few minutes from the display and the app.

Does it need a special enclosure?

No, it fits a standard 35 mm DIN rail and occupies about 110 mm of width. Bear in mind, though, that the device has no outdoor protection rating: it must sit inside an enclosure, and if that enclosure is outdoors the weather protection has to come from the enclosure itself.