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I made my weblog solar-powered, then issues escalated

I made my weblog solar-powered, then issues escalated

2023-04-16 23:52:16

In 2020 I puzzled if I could run my blog on solar power, being impressed by Low-tech Magazine, doing the identical factor (however higher). The reply was ‘sure’, however solely via spring and summer time.

I reside in an condo advanced in The Netherlands and my balcony is dealing with west. This implies it solely receives direct daylight from 16:00 onward throughout spring and summer time. More often than not, the panels solely get oblique daylight and due to this fact generate only a tiny fraction of their rated efficiency. The important thing concern just isn’t photo voltaic, however the west-facing balcony (it ought to ideally be dealing with south).

solar panel
authentic photo voltaic panel

It is honest to say that my experiment is not rational due to the sub-optimal photo voltaic circumstances. But, I am unreasonably obsessed by solar energy and I wished to make it work, even when it did not make sense from an financial or environmental perspective.

Once I wrote my weblog about my solar-powered setup, I used to be already on my second iteration: I began out with only a 60 Watt panel and an inexpensive $20 photo voltaic controller. That did not even come near being enough, so I upgraded the photo voltaic controller and purchased a second panel rated for 150 Watt, which is pictured above. With the 60 Watt and 150 Watt panels in parallel, it was nonetheless not sufficient to maintain the batteries charged within the fall and winter, because of the west-facing balcony.

A Raspberry Pi 4B+ consumes round ~3.5 Watt of energy repeatedly. Though that appears like a really mild load, when you run it for twenty-four hours, it is equal to utilizing 84 Watts repeatedly for one hour. That is like working two 40 Watt fans for one hour, it isn’t insignificant and it would not even account for battery charging losses.

So 210 Watt of photo voltaic (receiving largely oblique daylight) nonetheless couldn’t energy my Raspberry Pi via the winter below my circumstances. But, in the summertime, I had loads of energy out there and had no issues charging my iPad and different units.

As my photo voltaic setup couldn’t maintain the batteries charged from October onward, I made a decision to do one thing radical. I purchased a 370 Watt photo voltaic panel (1690 x 1029 mm) and construct a body manufactured from aluminium tubing. Photo voltaic panels have turn out to be so low cost that the aluminium body is costlier than the panel.

solar contraption

Even this 370 Watt panel was not sufficient through the gloomy, cloudy winter days. So I purchased a second panel and construct a second tube body. Solely with a 740 Watt rated photo voltaic panel setup was I capable of energy my Raspberry Pi via the winter.

I did not create this over-powered setup simply to energy the Raspberry Pi through the winter. I knew that photo voltaic carried out significantly better throughout spring and summer time and I wished to seize as a lot of that vitality as attainable. The true aim was to transcend powering the Pi and energy my laptop desk, which incorporates an Intel Mac Mini, two 1440p 27″ shows and another parts (utilizing round 100 Watt on common).

I might not be capable to energy my desk 24/7 however I might be glad if I can work on solar energy for just a few hours each different day throughout spring and summer time. I additionally wished to mild my home within the night utilizing this setup.

The original solar setup was sufficient to energy the Raspberry Pi and cost an iPad within the spring/summer time. The photo voltaic cost controller couldn’t deal with the elevated photo voltaic capability and wanted alternative. So I made a decision to construct a brand new setup impressed by Will Prowse photo voltaic demo setups, which is pictured beneath:

solar contraption
the most recent iteration of my photo voltaic setup

First a short disclaimer: I am a hobbyist, not an knowledgeable (when you did not discover already). I’ve no background in electrical methods. I’ve tried to make my setup protected, however I’ll have performed issues that aren’t advisable.

My setup is a 12-volt system. The downside of a 12-volt system is the comparatively giant currents required to cost the battery and energy the inverter. This requires thicker, costlier cabling to forestall vitality losses within the cabling.

Most parts are self-explanatory, aside from the shunt. This system exactly measures battery voltage and the way a lot present goes out and in of the battery. The photo voltaic cost controller and the shunt are linked collectively in a bluetooth community, so the photo voltaic controller makes use of the exact voltage and present info from the shunt to manage the battery charging course of.

The photo voltaic controller, inverter and shunt have VE.direct interfaces (Victron-specific) which I exploit to gather knowledge. I am utilizing a Python VE.direct module to collect this knowledge, which simply works with none points. My Python script dumps the info into InfluxDB and I exploit Grafana for graphs (see beneath). The script additionally updates the ‘photo voltaic standing’ bar to the suitable (or backside for cellular customers).

grafana

this picture is up to date periodically

The LCD show is only for enjoyable, and largely to regulate the battery cost state.

solar contraption
the 20×4 LCD display

The LCD display is managed by the identical python script that dumps the VE.direct knowledge into Grafana. I deal with two metrics specifically. Initially the day by day photo voltaic yield as a share: 100% means the load has been compensated by photo voltaic and something larger means an vitality ‘revenue’. Within the backside proper we see the charger standing (Bulk): if it is on ‘Float’ the battery is full. I have a tendency to attend for the battery to recharge to a ‘float’ standing earlier than I exploit the inverter once more.

Let’s speak in regards to the battery. I’ve chosen to make use of a big used lead-acid battery although Lithium (LiFePO4) batteries beat lead-acid in each metric.

solar contraption
A 12 Volt 230 Ah lead-acid battery

I purchased the battery second-hand for €100 in order that’s not a major funding for a battery. Though it’s kind of worn-down and the capability is diminished, it’s nonetheless ok for me to run my laptop setup for 10 hours after a full cost. In apply, I will not use the battery for greater than 4 to 5 hours at a time as a result of recharging can take a number of days and lead-acid batteries ought to ideally be absolutely recharged inside 24 hours or their growing old is accelerated.

The lead-acid battery additionally serves one other objective: is a comparatively low cost possibility for me to validate my setup. If it really works as supposed, I would decide to improve to lithium (LiFePO4) sooner or later.

See Also

Till not too long ago, switching between the grid and photo voltaic for my laptop setup was fairly cumbersome. I needed to energy down all gear, hook up with the inverter and energy every part up once more. That obtained outdated in a short time. Luckily, I chanced on an commercial for a Victron Filax 2 and it seems that it does precisely what I want.

solar contraption

The Filax 2 switches between two 230 Volt enter sources with none interruption, like a UPS (Uninterruptible energy provide). Now that I’ve put in this system, I can swap between photo voltaic and grid energy with none interruption. Model new, The Filax 2 prices €350 which was past what I wished to spend, however the second-hand worth was acceptable.

My photo voltaic setup just isn’t one thing that I can simply activate and neglect about. I’ve to regulate the battery, particularly as a result of lead-acid ought to ideally be recharged inside 24 hours.

happy case

Joyful case: the battery is full and my laptop desk is 100% solar-powered

It is now April 2023 and my setup appears promising. Peak output of the 2 370 Watt photo voltaic panels dealing with west was 230 Watts. Just for a really quick interval, but it surely makes me assured for spring and summer time. I might automate enabling and disabling the inverter, with a relay and a few logic in Python, however for now I am good with manually working the inverter.

You will have seen that I’ve used plenty of Victron gear. Principally as a result of it appears high-quality and the info interfaces are documented and easy-to-use. The inverter was additionally chosen due to the low parasitic load (self-consumption) of round 6 watt. Victron gear just isn’t low cost. Shopping for Victron gear second-hand can save some huge cash.

Talking of value, if I embody all the associated fee I made, together with earlier photo voltaic initiatives and errors, I believe I spend round €2000.

That is all I’ve to say about my passion photo voltaic undertaking for now.

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