Reddit user creates Raspberry Pi solar panel project to predict solar generation

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One area we are particularly interested in is with regards to new innovations within the solar industry. Usually these come from the major solar companies, other times they come from research labs at major universities, and then occasionally, they come from random Reddit users. Today is a day for the latter, and lesser-spotted, occurrence. The Reddit user in question is named BeepBoopWhat and his intriguing idea caught our eye.

Planning the monthly bills is a key task for any individual or family, with our energy bills liable to be one of the most significant of those bills, particularly as we approach winter here in the UK. Having a handle on exactly what we are likely to spend is a useful insight for solar energy users, which is why we were so excited to hear that this individual’s idea proposed making use of a Raspberry Pi in order to monitor solar panels and calculate a detailed projection on their expected monthly impact on our energy bills.


How would it work?

In terms of exactly how it would function, it appears that the project would feature a 3.5" LCD display panel, with this panel able to deliver the relevant details on your power usage in real-time. In this user’s case, the data they have collected is coming directly from their Envoy brand solar panels. 

In terms of timings, the solar panel’s cycle completes once every 20 seconds, which allows the inventor to calculate their expected cost, or surplus income, based on the tariff details provided by their energy supplier. 

The project in question is dependent on two custom scripts. The first is used to pull data directly from the solar panels and then input it into a sqlite3 database. The second script is then able to process the data and produce a visual representation on the LCD screen, utilising a custom HTML page to do so.


Worth keeping an eye on

If the technical jargon went over your head a little, don’t worry; we’re exactly the same!

That said, we understand enough to know that this sounds like a really cool project with the potential to allow users to monitor their solar generation with a whole new level of innovation and detail. Some solar suppliers provide their own software and/or apps to monitor, but it’s great to have options which allow for personal customisation, so it’s definitely something we’ll be keeping our eye on.


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