Hi All,
I’ve written a bash script that runs on the venus controller and uses surplus solar power to heat my geyser. I know there are node-red alternatives, but I didn’t want to load the large image. The script runs from /data/local/scripts on the venus and reads battery Soc and Power, solar yield and grid power from the dbus. Geyser information is read from the geyser controller using curl which is also used to turn on the geyser.
The geyser originally had a geyserwise controller (South African geyser management system) and has been updated with a geyserwala control system. This has local wifi access and provides a Rest API. The system allows multiple on/off timers, setting a normal temperature and a boost temperature, reports the geyser temperature and allows remote requests to turn the geyser on or off. I’m working on an alternative using a raspberry Pico W that will provide the same features.
The script is used to heat the geyser above its normal temperature when there is surplus solar power. I’m doing this rather than feeding back to the grid which only pays about a quarter of usage cost.
Regards, Simon
geyser_man-dbus.txt (14.0 KB)
Cool, thanks for sharing. I had been using various smart timers on geysers for some time, via nodered. Ultimately dumped them for a heat pump which has native smart capabilities supported by nodered. In the warm SA climate, the HP uses a fraction of the power year round which pretty much negated the need for automation.