solar · 2 comments · 500 words · Viewed ~211 times
I looked at my Solar Generation meter and winked. My new Google Glass snapped this picture 116 days ago, on the darkest day of the year, we had our solar panels installed. They have just ticked over the 1MWh mark. The average British house uses about 10kWh a day. By our estimates, our house uses 8.5kWh - thanks to LED lighting, a new TV, and efficient computers. Basically, at this point in …
Continue reading →solar · 3 comments · 500 words · Viewed ~1,870 times
Currently, I have four ways to monitor the total power generated by my solar panels. Check the meter. This is the most accurate way - but it is located inside a cupboard. Read the total from the Fronius API. Unfortunately, this rounds off to the nearest kWh, so isn't brilliantly accurate. Use the Fronius API to check the power being generated every minute, then convert to kWh. …
Continue reading →api solar · 1 comment · 700 words · Viewed ~1,843 times
I've only had my solar panels for a few weeks, but I'm already trying to hook them up to the Internet of Things. I'm using the Fronius DataManager card. The API is fairly well documented - but you should be aware that it offers no authentication! The API is Read-Only - but I would still recommend against opening up your firewall to allow unfettered access. Aim I want to draw a (static) graph …
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My friend Marc Rogers, the eminent security consultant, was quoted the Guardian talking about his predictions for information security and cybercrime in 2014. The ongoing development of the internet of things will continue to impact cyber security in 2014, as attackers now have more potential entry routes to sensitive governmental, corporate and personal data than ever. Mundane objects – such as …
Continue reading →pv solar · 20 comments · 1,350 words · Viewed ~1,961 times
(With a little upfront investment). I've blogged before about our Solar Panels and how they're performing. Liz and I have recently moved house, and decided that it made sense to get panels on our new property. Basically, we're so capitalist that we can only enjoy the warm glow of Earth's yellow sun when it is enriching our bank accounts. We looked at several local installers, before…
Continue reading →electricity pv solar · 2 comments · 500 words · Viewed ~294 times
A couple of years ago, we had solar panels installed on our roof. We based our power generation estimates on the Europa Solar Calculator which estimated that they would generate around 2,700 kWh per year. Every few months we take a reading and see how the panels have been performing. Our meter reading for the end of May was 4,271kWh - our reading at the end of August was 5,791. That means…
Continue reading →fit politics pv solar · 1 comment · 450 words
Another in my occasional series of blog posts about our solar panels. We used both the Energy Saving Trust Solar Power calculator and the Europa Solar Calculator to estimate a generation capacity of between 2,500 and 2,700 kWh per year. We've just done a reading for 21 November to 21 February. Right in line with expectations, we generated 205kWh - netting us ~£96 from the Feed In Tariff. …
Continue reading →energy green power solar · 6 comments · 300 words · Viewed ~335 times
Last year, Liz and I took the plunge and had Solar Panels installed on the house we rent out. I've been tracking their progress, and so now it's time for our yearly update. We based our estimations on the Europa Solar Calculator which estimated that they would generate around 2,700 kWh per year. Annoyingly, we haven't been able to hook the panels up to the Internet, so I can't get daily…
Continue reading →environment pv solar · 300 words · Viewed ~204 times
One of the perils of being a reluctant capitalist is the cognitive dissonance. Normally, on a sunny day, I look outside and smile. Blue skies, warmth, chance for an ice cream, people smiling, lovely. Yesterday, I saw the sun was shining, I rubbed my hands together and let out an Mr Burns-esque chuckle of delight. Last November, we installed solar panels on our roof. The Government ensures…
Continue reading →environment government NaBloPoMo pv solar · 1 comment · 750 words · Viewed ~294 times
As I mentioned in my last post, we've just had solar panels installed! Because of Greg Barker MP's idiotic decision to scrap the Feed In Tariff with only six weeks' notice - we've had to get this done in rather a rush. Thanks to Angi and Philip at Sunny Future Solar, we were able to get our system installed before the deadline. Yesterday, we received confirmation that panels were installed and …
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