diy solar

diy solar

Panel Level Monitoring for Existing String Systems

svetz

Works in theory! Practice? That's something else
Joined
Sep 20, 2019
Messages
7,201
Location
Key Largo
From ArthurEld's thread:
Perhaps it's time for someone to start churning out a WiFi or Z-Wave current/voltage sensor in a male/female solar plug connector or jumper the diodes for internal-panel diagnostics?

At first I was thinking a wireless microcontroller with an analog pin powered via a buck converter from the panel. Possibly get the input voltage from the buck converter or some sort of voltage divider and the current from a $1 hall sensor... but suspect it would pull too many watts and wasn't sure how to isolate it from the other panels without both an input and output connector which would increase the price. Attaching to the diodes inside the JBox (possibly combine the maxim chip?) might be cheaper and give better diagnostics, but makes installation a lot harder.

So, thought I'd repost the idea here in case someone can figure out how to make them for $1, sell them for $20, and shortly thereafter sell the company and retire to Florida (we have a great net-metering agreement) ;)
 
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