ManiLow

As a side project, I developed a semi-realtime dashboard using some open source components and some custom software that I wrote.
My current setup is the following:
I have a 8kW sunsynk inverter and 10kWh revov batteries.
have a program running on a raspberry pi 2 that polls the wifi (solarman) dongle on my 8kw inverter. It writes the inverter data to json files every 30 seconds. I then have another program that uploads the json payloads to a google cloud server (on their free tier) running grafana and influxdb. I have most of the google cloud stuff on a docker image, so I can move it quickly to another server if I see the server isn't handling the loads. I then created the following custom dashboard in grafana:

I'm still trying to pin down what information is useful, so it's still a bit of a work in progress. I have to see what other battery info there is on the inverter, but for now I'm just interested in the soc & voltages.
My next steps are to connect my pi to the can port (rs485 is occupied) and try and get the same info, but I'm not sure how that's gonna work. The rs485 port is unfortunately connected to the batteries, so I can't go that route.
 

As a side project, I developed a semi-realtime dashboard using some open source components and some custom software that I wrote.
My current setup is the following:
I have a 8kW sunsynk inverter and 10kWh revov batteries.
have a program running on a raspberry pi 2 that polls the wifi (solarman) dongle on my 8kw inverter. It writes the inverter data to json files every 30 seconds. I then have another program that uploads the json payloads to a google cloud server (on their free tier) running grafana and influxdb. I have most of the google cloud stuff on a docker image, so I can move it quickly to another server if I see the server isn't handling the loads. I then created the following custom dashboard in grafana:

I'm still trying to pin down what information is useful, so it's still a bit of a work in progress. I have to see what other battery info there is on the inverter, but for now I'm just interested in the soc & voltages.
My next steps are to connect my pi to the can port (rs485 is occupied) and try and get the same info, but I'm not sure how that's gonna work. The rs485 port is unfortunately connected to the batteries, so I can't go that route.
 

I'll make some of this available via a write up once I have a bit of time.
Those blocks were basically the stats block and I added some thresholds 😁

 
 
 

As a side project, I developed a semi-realtime dashboard using some open source components and some custom software that I wrote.
My current setup is the following:
I have a 8kW sunsynk inverter and 10kWh revov batteries.
have a program running on a raspberry pi 2 that polls the wifi (solarman) dongle on my 8kw inverter. It writes the inverter data to json files every 30 seconds. I then have another program that uploads the json payloads to a google cloud server (on their free tier) running grafana and influxdb. I have most of the google cloud stuff on a docker image, so I can move it quickly to another server if I see the server isn't handling the loads. I then created the following custom dashboard in grafana:

I'm still trying to pin down what information is useful, so it's still a bit of a work in progress. I have to see what other battery info there is on the inverter, but for now I'm just interested in the soc & voltages.
My next steps are to connect my pi to the can port (rs485 is occupied) and try and get the same info, but I'm not sure how that's gonna work. The rs485 port is unfortunately connected to the batteries, so I can't go that route.
 

As a side project, I developed a semi-realtime dashboard using some open source components and some custom software that I wrote.
My current setup is the following:
I have a 8kW sunsynk inverter and 10kWh revov batteries.
have a program running on a raspberry pi 2 that polls the wifi (solarman) dongle on my 8kw inverter. It writes the inverter data to json files every 30 seconds. I then have another program that uploads the json payloads to a google cloud server (on their free tier) running grafana and influxdb. I have most of the google cloud stuff on a docker image, so I can move it quickly to another server if I see the server isn't handling the loads. I then created the following custom dashboard in grafana:

I'm still trying to pin down what information is useful, so it's still a bit of a work in progress. I have to see what other battery info there is on the inverter, but for now I'm just interested in the soc & voltages.
My next steps are to connect my pi to the can port (rs485 is occupied) and try and get the same info, but I'm not sure how that's gonna work. The rs485 port is unfortunately connected to the batteries, so I can't go that route.
 

Thank you to Adielk, Steve and Manilow. If you search the web for Kodak / Solis (the hybrid models) and Deye / Sunsynk (and all of their clones, there are plenty!) I seem to find that there is a ton of technical info about the D/S products. Kodak (certainly not identical to the Solis) seems to be sold only in SA and Zimbabwe and I cannot find any user feedback for the hybrid models.  Youtube is pretty useful here.
The clincher really is as Adielk, Steve and Manilow say, the Deye Sunsynk offers much more for your money.
The question that ManiLow raises, panel rated power, is interesting. I did a calculation based on incident solar radiation which suggests that the amount of energy you can actually harvest (on average) is limited more by area covered than by panel power. My capital cost (panels plus mounting structure) per Watt harvested  was lowest at about 190W/m2 (about 330W per panel). Of course, this calculation is made a nonsense by the considerations:-
1. You can really only use averages - the daily radiation could be considerably higher and you would lose that energy.
2. My figures are for coastal Western Cape. Inland and East will be completely different...
3. I used sizing and efficiencies for an average panel (from JA Solar and Canadian Solar) and there are many whose performances will be different.
4. I have lots of roof and intend adding panels in time (a point in favour of the Deye/Sunsynk)
I intend to revisit this calculation to see if I can develop a relationship between panel power rating and incident radiation, accounting for some of the factors affecting efficiency of conversion. Your thought would be very welcome.
Oh, and I'm informed (unofficially) that our municipality - who make a nice profit from electricity sales - are sticky about any inverter rated more than 5kW...

We have a porch in the backyard that is covered with 18 260 Wp solar panels. They are connected to a SMA grid tied inverter and do their job quite well. Still I want to make changes to the system and slowly but surely changes are taking place. Here is why:
The solar is producing enough power for us the year round but that is only because we use the grid as a battery. In summer we have a lot of excess power that we draw out from the grid in wintertime. That is just how net metering works. From 2023 net metering will be phased out gradually so using the grid as a battery comes to an end at a certain time. The porch is a old steel construction with the panels bolted on to it and made (well they tried to make it) waterproof by using tonnes of silicone sealant. It's leaking all over the place. So roughly the plan is to build a new wooden porch with room for the old 18 panels and an extra 18 340 Wp Trina's. New inverter and DIY a 30 kWh battery.
Here is the old porch:

Only the steel under cunstruction will remain because that's strong. Here are some pics of the build:

Next post will be the building of the new porch. To be continued...

the Averge battery does not communicate with the sunsynk/dye inverter yet. They still working on the communication. I did test the before the lock down and averge said they will look into it.

Its him...
 

Most likely a scam coz domain was registered only on
creationdate : 2020/07/03 21:22:32 Normally if it sounds/looks too good to be true it usually is
STAY AWAY!!

Maybe the admins must put a pin/sticky somewhere...?
The MO is generally the same.
Batteries with 10 year warranties, at 50% discount as "end of year" (or "end of yeah" when they get sloppy with copy/paste), black friday, christmas, load shedding special, stock clearance sale. .... often with a nice big count down timer reminding you how close you are to losing out on the amazing special (or there are only 2 units left...).
The scam likely has 2 components. Some people eventually get (clearly used/abused, identifying info removed, no manual etc.) batteries (? stolen cell tower leochs etc.?). The second component is probably letting people pay via EFT/cash deposit and just not supplying any goods. (gumtree/olx/facebook etc will have a number of these ads).
They seem to do some homework and likely also take note of this particular forum since the newer site/s specifiy the "online only shop" part (too many people started asking about addresses and google street view?) so maybe the 50% discount will change to 45%....and the warehouse move to Askham... They also appear to have people posting positive reviews on hellopeter to counter negative comments. Many of the web addresses seem chosen to look like existing companies but with a strategic hyphen or variance of spelling that one will easily gloss over. Also they do not seem to bother to setup a mail account on the domain so fancy web domain only operates via gmail...
From info in the public domain here is a sample with some unifying themes and some info that is useful to cross reference with google when the next add/site pops up..
solarenergyrsa.co.za/?product=12kwh-lithium-ion-batteries-with-10yrs-warranty-last-chance-yeah-end-stock-clearance-sale-50-off
+27 84-302-7691
+27-65-952-7634
+27 62-456-0626
Offices: East LondonDistribution warehouse: Johannesburg(Please Note that We are fully a Online Store)
thewattsstore.co.za/product/12kwh-lithium-ion-package-discount-on-special-price-sale/
+27 62 456 0626
Beaconsfield Rd, Braelyn, East London, 5201Warehouses in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban & Johannesburg
thesolarwarehouse.co.za/index.php/product/6-0kwh-tesvolt-lithium-ion-batteries-with-10yrs-warranty-with-8000-cycles-days-life-now-month-end-50-off-clearance-sale/
+27 67 791 9959
+27 67 809 0979
Shipments from JHB/CPT Warehouse
li-iontech.co.za/index.php/product/12kwh-lithium-ion-batteries-with-10yrs-warranty-last-year-stock-clearance-sale-50-off/
+27 64 489 1208
Head office: Moffett Retail Park, Port Elizabeth, RSA Distribution Warehouses: JHB & PE
solarcityrsa.co.za/index.php/product/6kwh-lithium-ion-batteries-with-10yrs-warranty-last-chance-holiday-stock-clearance-sale-50-off/
+27 65 346 6447
+27 64 489 1208
JHB Wearhouse address: Items are Drop-shipped from suppliers in JHB, CPT & Germiston RSA 
thesolar-shop.co.za/index.php/product-category/lithium-ion-battery/
+27-65 952 7634
+27 68 011 2309
+27 61 363 4125
+27 79 763 3694
gooffthegrid.co.za
+27 65 346 6447
+27 68 233 2924
+27 83 998 1589
Shipments from JHB/CPT
sethsolar.co.za
+27 83 854 5027
Wearhouse Address: Port Elizerberth
thesolar-experts.co.za
+27 64 489 1208
Head Office: Moffett Retail Park. Warehouse in JHB & PE
solarstorage-experts.co.za/index.php/product/today-only-get-a-24kwh-lithium-ion-batteries-with-10yrs-warrant
+27 64 489 1208
solarguru-rsa.co.za
+27 83 854 5027
solarmarket.co.za