Home Automation for Opportunity Loads?

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cdre
cdre Solar Expert Posts: 78 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Has anyone considered or successfully set up one of the automation systems to manage opportunity loads? A great example is the "Vera" system. You can program a number of variables as triggers to activate different circuits. Could be a great way to program water heaters, A/C or other opportunity loads. You would, however, need a a way to get battery and charging data to the automation controller.

Anyone looked into something like this before?
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Home Automation for Opportunity Loads?

    I used to have my MX-60 Aux output wired to controll a relay, so when batteries went to float, the relay ran the freezer non-stop until the MX dropped out of float. Worked OK, but had to add a delay, as there were times when light was getting low, it would cycle in and out of float with this set up faster than the freezer compressor liked.
    I don't use that system any longer, didn't find it all that useful in my case, and may have aged the compressor as it began to need to run longer and longer to maintain temperature.
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  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Home Automation for Opportunity Loads?

    Yep, I currently have this setup. It's based on a raspberry pi and Ciseco RF modules: http://shop.ciseco.co.uk/rf-module-range/ on the hardware side. And for software:

    - The core is the Mango automation suite
    - Mango can read TCP modbus directly from the midnite controller
    - Some custom software to read data from the SMA inverter/charger: https://github.com/continuumsecurity/IslandManager/tree/master/scripts/datalogger
    - Pulls in weather prediction from weatherundergound
    - Uploads data to xively: https://xively.com/feeds/75889/

    The only opportunity load I'm currently controlling is the borehole pump, but electric water heater and grow lights are on the cards.

    Screenshots and more details here: http://www.casanogaldelasbrujas.com/blog/island-manager/
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