This week, I had a blast at the "Open-Source Energy Hackathon". It was held at Port Labs, in Oakland.
The timing was serendipitous... I installed my first OpenEVSE open-source 240-volt EV plug the week before (which I'm now a big fan of).
An idea behind the hackathon (in my words):
Many energy-equipment companies want to control the flow of data and the overall user experience. They do this thru proprietary data protocols, and a requirment that the energy equipment stay connected to their cloud services. This puts those companies in a better position to monetize those customers and the customer data. But this also puts those customers in a more vulnerable position, with fewer options and hopeless reliance on a particular company's ongoing benevolence and system upkeep. This is especially problematic for poor marginalized people.
There's a world of robust open-source software and data protocols out there. ...That supports truly-independent local energy systems (and a good user experience).
One challenge at the hackathon:
Connect a Sol-Ark hybrid inverter to an ESP32 microcontroller thru RS-485 modbus ports + cable. Choose items from Sol-Ark's register map (which is proprietary, but available by request). Translate those register items to the standardized open-protocol SunSpec modbus register format (rescaled as appropriate). ...The ESP32 becomes the energy system's outward-facing "gateway", that speaks a universal language (and is therefore straightforward to interface with). (BTW, Sol-Ark offers great inverters and supports open data access.)
Another challenge:
Add SunSpec modbus communication to a low-cost multi-housing open-source power control system. Optionally leverage this device to help grid managers maintain a more stable and reliable grid.
This hackathon really inspired me. I was overwhelmed by the invoked open-source technologies and terms. ...I didn't contribute to any code writing (but vowed to next year, if this (hopefully) becomes an annual event). I really enjoyed hovering between the different teams... a pigeon on the window sill. But I helped with hackathon prep the day before... I helped wire up a safety connector for a 240-volt power supply (slowly and awkwardly... I couldn't find a user manual or how-to video on the internet (and I'm still a greenhorn)). I also helped wire up a nifty portable solar canopy in the parking lot (from GismoPower).
It was a (too) intimate gathering... the free event was "sold out", and apparently a lot of registrants ghosted. I wish people weren't lame like this.
Thanks to:
Co-organizer Liam O'Brien from Sol-Ark. He set up the hackathon's live energy system. ...A rollable strut rack with an (awesome) Sol-Ark split-phase hybrid inverter and an (awesome) Discover Helios battery. It was connected to both the GismoPower PV array and grid power. ...I loved seeing that sweet live data pouring in. Thanks a lot Liam for inviting me. ...And for your support in general since we met (almost exactly a year ago, at a Port Labs event).
Co-organizer (and Port Labs leader) Kyle Valiton for the bright enthusiasm and the gracious hosting.
Co-organizer (and Energy IoT leader) Arila Barnes for the bright enthusiasm and the prep-day pizzas.
SunSpec founder Tom Tansy and team for being available to answer questions.
James Hall from Discover Energy Systems, for happily answering all my noob-nerd questions. It's great to know James, and to better understand the Discover value prop (super-pro energy friends have been talking Discover up).
Glenn Algie and Doug Mendonca from New Energy Solutions Lab, for going hard to prepare the hackathon's ESP32 dev kits.
The one-minute video in SunSpec's related LinkedIn post illustrate's the delightful nerdiness.
I'll outro with a few photos:
Port Labs walks the talk with a legit electronics lab downstairs (Doug and Glenn are on the upper left):
Here's Liam giving a talk (Kyle is on the right):
Liam and James working on the live-system proprietary >> SunSpec data translation:
Here's the overall energy system (Tom Tansy and Gismo's Achim Ginsberg-Klemmt on the far right):
Thanks again organizers for hosting a righteous and beautiful event. May our energy future be open source.