Solar - Part 1
In truth I've wanted to get started with solar power for many years, but in truth, cost has always been prohibitive (as has space). With plug-in solar finally becoming a thing in the UK, I decided to do the opposite (because why not), and went for some portable EcoFlow devices instead (as battery back-ups). As they accept a solar panel connection and I have more space to experiment with now, it was time to get started and get the first panel in.
The goal... get a decent amount of solar energy into the primary EcoFlow device to offset the 24/7 burn of my IT equipment. To be clear, a full solar setup is on order (and will arrive towards the end of this year), but for now, its fun with a panel to see the art of the possible. As it turned out, things weren't quite as plug-and-play as I'd hoped, and the calamities kept on coming...
Two hours later and the panel (a JA Solar 465w panel) was mounted to wall and had an incline to try and help with the input. Unfortunately the wall doesn't point due South (offset by about 15 degrees), but moving the wall seems a little overkill. With everything connected it was time to wait for the next day and watch the electrons roll in (or so I thought).
As it transpired, angles matter (a lot), and devices (including those from EcoFlow) don't play as fair as one would like. On a bright day (with direct sun), the panel still wasn't showing as generating any power. The EcoFlow (Delta 3 Pro) kept thinking a car was connected (instead of a solar panel), and showed zero input. This also aligned with the stats I pull via MQTT, which showed no voltage. Confused, I replaced the cable between the panel and the unit, but still no volts. A dead panel perhaps?
Using a solar panel tester it confirmed what I had suspected, in that the cables weren't at fault, the power was just low. What I didn't suspect was that the EcoFlow unit wouldn't activate solar input until a minimum of 40w was being continuously generated (confirmed via MQTT as it started activating around the 39v mark). Once the frustration had subsideded (as time was wasted to this, for me and for others), it was time to move the panel and see how it performs under optimal conditions.
With the panel resting on the ground, but orientated due South and at the correct angle, as soon as there was moderate sun the unit reported incoming power. At its peak it recorded 361w (nice, but not as close to the rated 465w), which I suspect could have been higher with some better reflections to the rear (as its bifacial). It was genuinely interesting to watch the shadows cast from clouds adjust the power output by such a significant account. It was also great to see that periodically it was generating more power than my equipment was using.
So where to go from here... The panel is definitely going to be mounted on the ground going forward, and given the minimum wattage requirements before the Delta 3 Pro charges, a second panel is likely to be added (now the prices are reasonable). At some point the full kit will arrive (hopefully in one piece), and providing I can get the structure erected it should be relatively quick to see how it performs. With any luck, better than my experimentation with the current panel...