Guss Davey

Have lots to learn... will keep that for last. I get it.... the not wired switch "switch" is detected by HA, and then you do whatever you want with it.... Tx

That one I have covered. 1kg of beans per week for 2 people. Jira Z6 coffee machine............ BUT NOT MUCH HOME AUTOMATION..... ... Don't go... I have more questions for Bloubul7. I also want to end up where I do not know what to automate further.... "Ek het gewoontlik nie 'n probleem met die bulle nie, maar hul ondersteuners is n ander saak." - In your case, I will keep my mouth shut Here then a new set of questions: EACHEN Wifi Smart Light Switches Can they also be flushed? Do they work out of the box with HA, or only when flushed? What about where you have only one switch wired to one outside light, and you want 3 lights on that switch. Do you then keep the existing switch, leave it in the on position and then do switching somewhere along the wire.... or would you get something like QwikSwitch, where the switch panel is a transmitter, and then have switches close to the light. I guess the latter is better, for then you will at least have a physical switch (3 gang) for "normal" switching of the lights. Wifi Mesh - Its a large expense. If you have to buy again TODAY, what will you choose? How do you get the Sunsynk to MQTT to HA (I just installed my solar, and its a 8kw Sunsynk)?

Can you flash all Sonoff devices with Tasmota, or do I have to be careful about which Sonoff devices I buy?

Any opinions regarding the South African brand called QwikSwitch? https://qwikswitch.co.za/ https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1883/0535/files/QwikSwitch_Residential_Catalogue_2019.pdf?403 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1883/0535/files/QwikSwitch_Industrial_Catalogue_2019.pdf?400

I'm switching to Home Assistant. Both are very good. I originally chose OpenHAB only because its Java based, and I'm a java developer. But Home Assistant is much more active, and I like the interface more. SO I guess I will just have to "Phyton" now. I'm looking into using QuickSwitch, as Z-wave is so pricey in SA and Zigbee and the others I have to fiddle to much. There's a binding (add-on) for QS and HA. Just ordered a Pi4 4GB, and a Pi4 SSD HAT for the HA install (At last Pi4 can now boot from SSD)

One thing I would do different, but saw it to late, is to move the east array a bit lower down the roof. When I stand in the street (west of property), I can see the edge of the top aluminium rail on the roof. If it was 300mm lower, you won't know the property use solar, as even the panels would not have been visible. Still waiting for the Wifi Dongle to see how my panels is performing. The main display on the Sunsyk does not show it. For example: Solar: 0.5kW Load: 0.48kW.... Grid: 0 But that solar is not what I'm generating.. because The moment I add load (milk in microwave ), the reading is: Solar 1.7kW Load 1.6kW Grid: 0 Putting on Washing machine, tumble dryer, same thing... Everything from solar, and 0 from grid... Solar 2.8, load 2.7x, grid 0. Will figure it all out later... little LCD on top of inverter is not for me. Rather give me a PC screen, mouse and keyboard. I have better things to do that up arrow, down arrow and flipping through tiny screens

Yip. And in addition to wires to short when side to side is that the trunking is also full on the old db, and that would have resulted in additional surface trunking.... Its not that in itself the surface trucking is the problem, but the total picture... narrow passage, old flash mount board (which I now and before hide with a framed painting over it, then a surface db next to it, and trunking going to ceiling, and cutout through cornish.... the final result = ugly. The back to back was real easy. Its a single brick wall, so in less than a minute, we where through. Somebody on the exist side just has to watch the drill bit breaking thru on the other side. I guess 2 people is also needed, else you will get tired running around from one side of the wall to the other. In the ceiling, above the two db's is also now a big junction box, making the in-ceiling piece also clean. Now we actually also have freed space in the old trunkings because the essentials is together in the opposite db and its trunking. With the less congested trunking in the old db, I have space to pull the wire to a new sub-db in my workshop.

Any South Africa OpenHAB users out there?

It will be nice. Here are some other things we have to appreciate: Even though on an affordability index which make solar out of reach for many, we in South Africa have very affordable solar prices. Compare the price to the US and we have 3 times lower prices. So even in the US, where they get a rebate, our prices is still lower. The rebate thing in US is also changing quickly and differ from state to state. It would have been nice if certain sustainability things where VAT exempted. (solar systems and components, greywater systems, rainharvest systems and components, etc) Other I agree with that the licensing thing is BS. Electricity compliance should the only paperwork. The government can't claim the sun. Leave me alone If it was the SABC, they would have force us to have a yearly license for consumption from the sun. (sun-tan-tax) But, I guess, all of the above is only possible in a well run government, which unfortunately is not the case in South Africa.

Take note: This is a East and West install. I have no north facing areas. I left space for two more panels on each array in case I want to take both strings from 7 each to 9 each (maybe 8, voltage??) Then I have another east roof that can maybe take another string later. My battery frame is just a quick 25mm square tube aluminum frame, put together in 60 min, with connect-it connectors. I allowed for a second battery on top, and also a flat orientation against the wall. I will in my own time make a nice cover (with enough ventilation) so that it looks more rounded. The photos in not "state agent" type photos. Just quick pics with phone while the guys are working, will post better pictures later. Its a Sunsynk 8.8, 14 x JA Solar 405, and a 6.4 battery

This is my install done by Suidsee Electrical & Solar. The attached pictures was taken over the 5 days of the install, so this is not the final picture. Those pictures I will take after I did some rounding off work (paint, cover for battery, etc) Take note, the installation is mostly done by the owner of Suidsee himself, which you can hand your house keys to and go on holiday. Here we go:

I agree with Calypso. HA is free and is very much meant for DIY and open source projects. OpenHab is an Home Assistant alternative, and is also open source, free and for DIY. Maybe its a deeper dive because now you have control over another layer (the automation software) and if a Raspberry Pi and some Linux style command line stuff is added to the setup, then for sure it is more "involved". But its still DIY route. If I look at the amount of devices Peter is adding, he is not afraid of "Diving in". So Peter, on the long run and having the ultimate control over you home automation, maybe have a look at Home Assistant and OpenHab (both of them can integrate with the list of components you already have) My choice is OpenHab (Choosing it over Home Assistant was a toss up... I just like OpenHab more) My own home automation is on a "holiday break" as I first had to prioritise some other things (the solar install, water tanks, my workshop, paving, new vibracrete wall, etc). This will all be completed by end of November, so I will be picking up the home automation project in February again. Currently 2 x google home, RPi with OpenHab, 3 IP outdoor cameras, and having control over both my smart TVs in the automation) Going to hook into my Risco alarm system with konnected.io, and also hook into my BlueIris security camera software.