Solar Assistant Versus PowerView Pro (for use with Sol-Ark)

[SolarHead]

What's the difference or benefit in using one or the other? PowerView Pro seems free, Solar Assistant cost money + a Raspberry Pi. I don't know which software is better, or why someone would go with one instead of the other? Anyone have experience with both and can chime in? I keep thinking oh, I'll get Solar Assistant, but then I think what does it do that PowerView Pro doesn't do.

 

[robby]

1) Update time, 5 Minutes vs 2-5 seconds with Solar Assistant.
2) Cloud Storage of data with PV-Pro vs SD card Data storage with Solar Assistant.

In terms of Sol-Ark usage IMHO PV-Pro web portal is way better than Solar Assistant. The only question is can you live with the 5 minute update interval.

 

[houseofancients]

mqtt on sa ( for use with automation like home assistant)
battery and shunt support on SA
No need for internet connectivity
in reality SA costs 50 usd, if you have a pi layong around

i am rather done with these iot solutions to uncontrolled destinations

 

[EJansen]

Is there even another competing product with Solar Assistant? The only thing that I don't like about them is that you can't deploy the software to a Docker container or install it on a web server or virtual machine of some sort.

 

[100FUEGOS]

Is there even another competing product with Solar Assistant? The only thing that I don't like about them is that you can't deploy the software to a Docker container or install it on a web server or virtual machine of some sort.

Another South African Company has been on the market developing software for Voltronic (primary) inverters for some years now. They recently supported Deye inverters (and others) in their new ICM software. Keep in mind the ICM software license was for two years when I first discovered the product but I cannot find any mention of it now on their site other than "no monthly fee".

I am talking about https://iccsoftware.co.za/

Licences are tightened to a single Pi device just similar to SA. I own a lifetime licence of ICC (note this is a different software but very similar to ICM) for my MPP MPI 5.5kW inverter on a RPi 4 that I no longer use and a SA licence for my rebranded Deye (Turbo Energy) on a RPi 3b. I like SA better but that is a personal opinion.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

What's the difference or benefit in using one or the other? PowerView Pro seems free, Solar Assistant cost money + a Raspberry Pi. I don't know which software is better, or why someone would go with one instead of the other? Anyone have experience with both and can chime in? I keep thinking oh, I'll get Solar Assistant, but then I think what does it do that PowerView Pro doesn't do.

I use SA and it works great.
It’s $50 plus the cost of a PI so maybe $300 total.
All your info is real time and none of it goes on a cloud somewhere.

 

[houseofancients]

I use SA and it works great.
It’s $50 plus the cost of a PI so maybe $300 total.
All your info is real time and none of it goes on a cloud somewhere.

actually it can, if you dont isolate it in your network

 

[Nobodybusiness]

actually it can, if you dont isolate it in your network

Not sure why anyone would put data on the cloud.
If you want to read remotely just use DDNS.

 

[houseofancients]

Not sure why anyone would put data on the cloud.
If you want to read remotely just use DDNS.

agreed completely..
all iot stuff here is on a non internet access vlan.
if it needs an update, i'll open it up.myself.
if a company wants my data, they can ask ( and pay if i feel it is warranted) , not sneak it out

 

[sgturner]

I'm in the process of installing a Sol-Ark 12K. It is mounted outdoors. I'm curious how you guys are connecting the RaPi to the Sol-Ark?. Using the Wifi/RS232/DB9 port or the internal RS485 port?. Whatever I do needs to be waterproof as I'm outside. Thanks

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I'm in the process of installing a Sol-Ark 12K. It is mounted outdoors. I'm curious how you guys are connecting the RaPi to the Sol-Ark?. Using the Wifi/RS232/DB9 port or the internal RS485 port?. Whatever I do needs to be waterproof as I'm outside. Thanks

I use the CANBUS/485 output on the inverter board however you can use either one.

I believe they use 6 pins for 485 and 2 for Can-lo and high on that particular port.
I ordered the cable from SA.
They sell 485 and 232 cables.

Looks like now they offer bundled PIs with OS on it already..

Online Shop | SolarAssistant

Shop for battery and inverter communication cables such as USB to RS232, RS485, etc.

solar-assistant.io

Whole thread on here about SA and it’s config.

You would have to come through the bottom cable entry and use a liquid tight connector or a loop to let water drip off if doing it outside..

 

[robby]

All your info is real time and none of it goes on a cloud somewhere.

Don't knock the Cloud storage. The SD cards in the Pi are very unreliable and the software has no way to fix a corrupted database. I lost 2 months worth of Pi Data due to the power supply for the Pi going bad. I could see the files and it booted but the database was corrupted.

On the flip side Powerview has the complete one year record of my Inverter and I have not had any issues.
If someone in China feels my power consumption records will benefit them, then feel free to use it.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

agreed completely..
all iot stuff here is on a non internet access vlan.
if it needs an update, i'll open it up.myself.
if a company wants my data, they can ask ( and pay if i feel it is warranted) , not sneak it out

Yup.
When / if I do an update I make a temporary rule for them to do so.
Everything going in or out is blocked except DDNS and a couple of things for my Synology.
There is still a MAC rule for those so not even someone spoofing IP can get in.


I don’t necessarily confine IOT to the local Net with vlans although that’s a possibility.
My network is pretty flat and I use Firewalla Gold as a bridge between my carrier and my network.

I just setup rules for each segment or groups or devices themselves.

 

[robby]

Yup.
When / if I do an update I make a temporary rule for them to do so.

Why? The updates come out of Sol-Ark in Texas not China.
Why not just block the Chinese server IP if you don't want them getting your Solar power generation data.

 

[houseofancients]

Yup.
When / if I do an update I make a temporary rule for them to do so.
Everything going in or out is blocked except DDNS and a couple of things for my Synology.
There is still a MAC rule for those so not even someone spoofing IP can get in.


I don’t necessarily confine IOT to the local Net with vlans although that’s a possibility.
My network is pretty flat and I use Firewalla Gold as a bridge between my carrier and my network.

I just setup rules for each segment or groups or devices themselves.

yeah, used to be a network architect..

one does , what one knows

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Don't knock the Cloud storage. The SD cards in the Pi are very unreliable and the software has no way to fix a corrupted database. I lost 2 months worth of Pi Data due to the power supply for the Pi going bad. I could see the files and it booted but the database was corrupted.

On the flip side Powerview has the complete one year record of my Inverter and I have not had any issues.
If someone in China feels my power consumption records will benefit them feel free to use it.

I have not had my DB corrupted yet.
Probably hurt my feelings but I take the macro numbers and keep them in excel so If I lose the DB I still have archive data just not the minutiae I had before.

It’s nice to have but it’s not integral to my operating.

You would be surprised at how Many IOT devices call home and they are not all here.

My Hickvision cameras where calling Home to China on an hourly basis.

I didn’t bother to capture the data to see what it was but just blocked it.

You would be very surprised at the amount of info a Smart TVs / Thermostat , Cameras, Ect, sends out to different folks.
Stuff disguised as “analytics” is really cookies, site info and other Tracking.

Frankly it’s none of their business so everything not specifically allowed is blocked.

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Why? The updates come out of Sol-Ark in Texas not China.
Why not just block the Chinese server IP if you don't want them getting your Solar power generation data.

It irrelevant as to where they come from.

Nobody needs access to my network but me..

 

[Lt.Dan]

I've have SD cards going in Pis for years now. My SA Pi has a card with over a years worth of data now. I have also had many SD cards go bad in that time, but they are typically cheaper ones

 

[houseofancients]

using a ssd as boot and storage for my pi..
will outlive the pi, and wont corrupt

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I've have SD cards going in Pis for years now. My SA Pi has a card with over a years worth of data now. I have also had many SD cards go bad in that time, but they are typically cheaper ones

I think the one I have in my PI4 now is a SanDisk 128 GB.
Now it hasn’t been running but 6 months so no longevity to point to but it seems if you use a reputable company you might be ok..

I also thought and I could be wrong about this but the typical NAND cards use a extra erase block for ECC.