Automation platform

Since I already have Solar Assistant running on a Raspberry Pi (Orange Pi, in fact) it is relatively easy to hook up a Home Assistant system using the MQTT broker built into the Solar Assistant platform. Solar Assistant does have some basic automation features now, but not nearly flexible enough to do what I want.

Home Assistant is clearly the go-to software for solar tinkerers. The only issue, then, is what to run it on? I decided that I was more interested in the automation than in messing about configuring a Raspberry Pi so I plumped for a Home Assistant Green - a pre-configured platform costing under £90.

This device hooks up to my network by Ethernet cable and connects to the Solar Assistant platform (and hence the inverter)over the network using the MQTT Broker built into SA.

It is fanless, but has a hefty heatsink on the bottom, which should keep it running along happily. It can be connected anywhere within my network since it does everything it needs to over the network.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why solar PV?

Firstly, I should say a little about WHY we looked into installing a SolarPV (solar photovoltaic) system in the first place. In fact, before that I should probably say why we looked into solarPV and did not even consider a Solar/Thermal system (i.e. heating hot water directly from the sun). On the face of it, solar/thermal systems appear to be very attractive. The efficiency is MUCH greater than SolarPV. The reason we did not consider it is simple. We lived in California for a long time, and saw many many solar thermal systems. Almost all of them had been decomissioned. Everyody we knew there who had first-hand experience of such a system had tales of woe involving leaks. In the UK we, personally, know only one household with such a system - and it does not work properly. So, although I am certain that it MUST be possible to install such a system and benefit from it, we decided from the outset that we did not want to go down that route. As the technology continues to mature (and as en
Read more

Automation tasks underway

I have the following automation tasks underway, in various stages of completion: If there is a suitably inexpensive timeslot overnight, use it to top up the batteries to 100%. Using this, instead of solar, will allow more solar to be exported at 15p/kWh. Inexpensive slots during sunlight hours are not as useful because I can't export at the same time as using electricity from the grid. If there is not a suitably inexpensive timeslot overnight, top up the batteries from the grid during the period coming up to peak time (which is usually fairly reasonably priced). Make sure any battery charging from the grid is definitely off before the 4pm-7pm peak rate starts. When the electricity price goes negative, boost the hot water temperature using the heat pump and immersion heater. This is a way of benefitting from being PAID to use electricity and storing a little of it in the form of hot water. Change the colour of a lamp in the kitchen to reflect the current electricity
Read more

Uninterruptable Power

People often think, wrongly, that having solar panels, especially with batteries, means that you will have power if there is a power cut. This is NOT the case for most SolarPV setups. In the UK, unlike somewhere like South Africa, power outages are rare and it is not necessary to go to the extra complexity and expense of installing Uninteruptible Power. The SolarPV system can be added to the wiring of the house with the minimum of alteration if the SolarPV system injects its power between the electricity meter and the consumer unit (what old timers like me call "the fuse box"). This arrangement also allows extra energy to be fed back into the grid network if desired. However, if the external power is cut the SolarPV system MUST (for safelty reasons) stop supplying power. If Uninteruptible Power is required extra measures are needed; either a system to disconnect the house wiring from the grid or a system to connect essential loads in the house to a separate output on the inv
Read more