How about a solar car port on a budget?

[Metropolitian 726]

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Always and Never wrong position? With regards to the  'Export Control'

 

Or it is my adaption of the language...

 

Export Control , 'Never' control the export,  CT need open.

Export Control,  'Always' control the export, CT need to be connected.

[Crossy 27,210]

5 minutes ago, Metropolitian said:

Export Control , 'Never' control the export,  CT need open.

Export Control,  'Always' control the export, CT need to be connected.

 

"Never" means "never export" (CT connected permanantly)

"Always" means "always export" (CT disconnected permanently)

 

Gotta just love the English language, it can mean whatever you want 

 

[Metropolitian 726]

3 hours ago, johng said:

Its great you wrote your own code..but I,being very lazy ( not to mention  no coding skills)

would have used "Tasmota" it has a built in webserver,built in timers, can be easily integrated into a MQTT network, control with a phone app etc etc.

https://tasmota.github.io/docs/

Good suggestion, in fact I am using ESPeasy for that here. 

 

Running Home Assistant on the server which keeps history data, sends information to;

 

- a wireless LCD display by MQTT messaging.  (ESP Nodemcu boards)

- smaller sensors and relay switches which are programmed by code upload and works with URL commando's (ESP01s boards).

 

ESPHome is something worth to look at, integration with the automations but no fancy webserver so suitable for smaller ESP boards.

 

 

 

Tasmota:  https://tasmota.github.io/docs/

EspEasy:  https://www.letscontrolit.com/wiki/index.php/ESPEasy#Introduction

EspHome:  https://esphome.io/

Arduino ide: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software (Easy way to upload the code, comes with a load of libraries for the Arduino boards and displays.  For the ESP boards you need add libraries for it)

Aditional board libraries (ESP8266) for the Arduino ide : https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino

[sidgy 201]

So here is my effort. 

Have 3 x 360w mono panels (11,340bht) with Souer 1000w GTI (2900bht)

Had some steel already but had to buy two more lengths at 340 bht (780 bht), buy  4mmsq wire (247Bht) and MC4 connectors ( 2x 2into1 and  1pair) (290bht)

Have a couple more things to buy to tidy up ( i had conduit already but no clips etc) so total spend should be less than 16,000Bht and i have made the frames to take another 3 panels so shouldnt be as expensive for stage 2

So i eventually got it connected and producing around 15:30 on Tuesday but unfortunately it was mainly raining and cloudy until yesterday evening but by end of play yesterday i had produced 3.95kwh in 15 hours.

However today which was mainly quite sunny i managed 5kwh in 10 hours(i lost two hours this morning as waited until big lightning storm passed before switching on) 

 

 

[Crossy 27,210]

As one of those annoying people who likes to see what's going on at all times I picked up a couple of these baby (128x32) OLED displays. 

https://www.lazada.co.th//products/i1461942719-s3820172063.html 

They are very small but also very readable even the smallest of the text styles. There's also a 128x64 version in 0.9" which uses the same library and a 128x64 1.3" version which needs a different library. I have the necessary libraries if anyone wants them (saving a Google search).

 

 

Built a litte adaptor board that goes between the ESP-8266 and the relay board.

 

 

I've also modified the software to work with either the V4.0 relay board or the original V1.0 board and changed the manner in which one sets the dates for "no export".

 

ESP8266_NTP_No_Export_Relay_With_Display_2.0b.ino

 

The circuit, a handy by-product of using GPIO2 as SCL is that the on-board LED flashes at 1Hz when the display seconds field updates acting as a "heartbeat" indicator.

 

Note that the 128x64 versions have VCC and GND swapped vs the 128x32.

[Metropolitian 726]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

As one of those annoying people who likes to see what's going on at all times I picked up a couple of these baby (128x32) OLED displays. 

 

Glad I'm not the only one 555 lost the counts of displays here

 

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

I've also modified the software to work with either the V4.0 relay board or the original V1.0 board and changed the manner in which one sets the dates for "no export".

 

The circuit, a handy by-product of using GPIO2 as SCL is that the on-board LED flashes at 1Hz when the display seconds field updates acting as a "heartbeat" indicator.

Is the clock right according your wife or NTP?

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

Note that the 128x64 versions have VCC and GND swapped vs the 128x32.

Seems random between displays, even for ones in the same range like the oleds..

 

 

This is a goose between the ducks Although not I2C but uses serial data anyhow. Note the two GND's, only one is needed.

 

 

Still need to find out if I can use this with the ESP01

This display I ordered when I had the idea to once make a small Back To The Future time clocks.

 

 

 

 

 

[Crossy 27,210]

Yesterday 26/08/20 we broke the 30 units generated in one day barrier with 31.21 units from our 8 x 300W + 10 * 345W panels  

 

We only used 6.8 units from the grid. Could be heading for an embarrassingly low bill if it doesn't rain. 

 

I've told Madam to do more ironing or something.

 

[BritManToo 44,455]

Just now, Crossy said:

Yesterday 26/08/20 we broke the 30 units generated in one day barrier with 31.21 units from our 8 x 300W + 10 * 345W panels  

We only used 6.8 units from the grid. Could be heading for an embarrassingly low bill if it doesn't rain. 

I've told Madam to do more ironing or something.

You're lucky, it's been overcast/raining every day this month in Chiang Mai.

I'll be lucky to get 1/2 unit per day per panel.

[Crossy 27,210]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You're lucky, it's been overcast/raining every day this month in Chiang Mai.

I'll be lucky to get 1/2 unit per day per panel.

 

Yeah, it was an almost perfect day despite some high cloud, useful power from about 7AM to 5PM

 

July produced 530kWh and August to date 498kWh. Easily covers my beer bill with some change

 

 

 

[sidgy 201]

9 hours ago, Crossy said:

Yeah, it was an almost perfect day despite some high cloud, useful power from about 7AM to 5PM

 

July produced 530kWh and August to date 498kWh. Easily covers my beer bill with some change

Definately better weather this week.

Since i added the next 3 panels to give me 6 x 360w in total

week 1   51kwh     (Monday  to Sunday  )   

week 2   57kwh    (Monday  to Sunday  ) 

week 3   42kwh    (Monday to Thursday with 3 more days to go) 

 

As an aside

The second set of 3panels cosistently produces about 5-8 %  less than the first set of 3 each day. with exactly the same set up and equipment used. Not sure why as the difference between the two rows going into shade at post 18:00 is only about 10 mins and the power produced at this time is minimal,

Maybe i will try swapping the reading displays over to see if get the same % of difference to help guage how accurate they are

 

 

[Metropolitian 726]

 

Well... today was better then yesterday

 

This setup 3x300w panels ongrid.

[Crossy 27,210]

The "No Export Relay" now has a web interface so I can control it from anywhere should I get the urge and it stores the status in FLASH memory (the ESP8266 has no EEPROM) so it survives a reset / power failure.

 

The simplest of web interfaces but it does the job.

 

 

And the software if anyone is interested.ESP8266_SSD1306_NoExpRel_3.0a.ino

 

 

[scorecard 21,172]

Crossy,

 

Would it be true that since your venture the price of cells has gone down quite a bit?

 

And the quality of the panels slowly going up?

Edited September 23, 2020 by scorecard

[Crossy 27,210]

23 hours ago, scorecard said:

Would it be true that since your venture the price of sells has gone down quite a bit?

And the quality of the panels slowly going up?

 

Yup, 2,800 Baht for a 340W poly panel. 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/340-w-genius-340-soler-panel-polycrytaline-340-kerry-i713768389-s1367528011.html

 

Power output per-panel is certainly increasing, "quality" from the low-cost Chinese factories remains to be seen.

 

We paid a bit more for our Trina panels, we also have 2 Lazada cheepies which are currently working just fine.

 

[Seeall 350]

On 9/1/2019 at 3:15 PM, johng said:

Imagine how much power would be produced if every roof top in Thailand was covered in solar panels..they would (probably) not have to import any electric from neighbouring countries and save billions on gas and oil.

 

also less tea money involved..