SOLAR STATION 7,5"

SOLAR STATION is a monitoring station for your photovoltaic power plant.  It displays information retrieved from the inverter manufacturer's cloud every 5 minutes on an e-ink display.

We support the following inverters:

• SOLAX and Dražice via www.solaxcloud.com
• GoodWe (AEG) via www.semsportal.com
• Growatt via server.growatt.com
• Victron via vrm.victronenergy.com
• Alpha ESS via cloud.alphaess.com
• SOFAR SOLAR and DEYE via www.solarmanpv.com
• ČEZ BATTERY BOX via www.oigpower.cz
• SUNWAYS via www.sunways-portal.com
• WATTSONIC via www.wattsonic.cloud
• SOLAR EDGE via monitoring.solaredge.com
• FOXESS via www.foxesscloud.com
• SERMATEC via www.sermatec-cloud.com
• HUAWEI via www.eu5.fusionsolar.huawei.com – Note; if your installation lacks battery and feed-in, SOLAR STATION will only show one tile.
• RCT POWER via rct-portal.com
• HES,AES via aes.aers.cz
• FRONIUS via www.solarweb.com
• SUNGROW via www.isolarcloud.com
• BENEKOV via www.sermatec.cz
• ENERGYCLOUD via my.energycloud.cz

So, if you have an inverter and its login credentials to the website, the SOLAR STATION will work.

SOLAR STATION doesn’t require installation of any other device (MODBUS inverter, etc.). To connect it, the only things required are internet (WiFi) and login credentials to the cloud. Login credentials are stored in the device and are used only for manufacturer’s cloud verification, your data is not used for anything else.

What does the display show?

1. Photovoltaic powerplant energy production tile. The current power production is shown in a large font, and the daily production in a smaller font.
2. Battery tile. Displays the current percentage of battery charge. In smaller font, the current battery usage is shown – positive is charging, negative is discharging.
3. Consumption tile. Displays the current power consumption of the household. It is calculated as a sum of panels' power generation, battery usage and purchases from the grid.
4. Purchase and sale tile. Displays the current energy usage from the grid. The powerplant symbol represents purchases, while the heart symbol represents sales to the grid and independence.
5. Weather forecast tile. Displays the forecast for the current day in a darker color and the forecast for the next 4 days.
6. Sunrise and sunset tile. Displays the sunrise and sunset times for the current day.
7. Total energy production tile. Displays total energy production since the start of your photovoltaic powerplant in MWh units.
8. Spot pricing tile. Displays the spot price for the current hour in EUR, as provided by EEX.

What is e-ink?

E-ink displays work similarly to the famous kid’s toy – GRAFO. Whatever is drawn onto the display stays there until it is shaken. In the case of e-ink displays, the shaking motion is replaced by an electrical charge. E-ink displays consume energy only when changing what is displayed on screen, so they operate with minimal electricity consumption most of the time. As you may know, this technology is also used in the popular e-readers like Kindle.

Why doesn’t the station communicate with the inverter directly?

This is a very common question. Yes, the station can communicate with the inverter directly, however, this setup is not trivial. Typically, an additional MODBUS inverter is usually needed, or the station needs to be placed very close to the inverter, within its weak WiFi signal. On the other hand, the cloud solution, which is integrated into the mobile app, fits perfectly within the e-ink philosophy, as the bigger the update intervals are, the less energy is consumed by the display. As a result, SOLAR STATION can last for a long time on a single charge.

Will it work?

Yes, we hope so. If you have SOLAX, make sure that you can see the “Servis – API” option in SOLAX Cloud, with the Token. WARNING! We are aware that the inverter from DRAŽICE (clone of SOLAX), since the required token cannot be currently found on their website.

In the case of GoodWe, you need to insert access credentials for the SEMS portal. There, a normal user account is needed. If you are an installer of FVE and maintain multiple FVEs, you need to create an account for each installation.

To use Growatt, you need to insert the access credentials for: server.growatt.com.

To use Victron, you need to insert access credentials for: vrm.victronenergy.com. We recommend creating standalone credentials for your SOLAR STATION, although it is not necessary.

Will I manage to set it up?

We tried to make the process as simple as possible. If needed, read the manual. SOLAR STATION will start emitting its own network after being turned on. After you connect to it, the set-up site will automatically appear (or you can open it yourself at http://192.168.4.1), which will guide you through the setup. All you need is the password of your WiFi and credentials for your manufacturer’s cloud. You will also need to enter the correct location for the weather function.

What is inside?

For the tinkerers; the device is based on ESP32S3 and LilyGo e-ink.

How long will a single charge last?

For a long time.  During our testing, the station lasted for weeks. The battery life, however, is strongly dependent on WiFi signal strength. As the device wakes up, it needs to get all the data as fast as possible, draw a new image on the display, and go back to sleep. Ideal conditions are needed for this to go smoothly. Mesh solutions and WiFi repeaters are not the best for the station. Technical note: We recommend going with fixed AP assignment with Mesh networks.

How does it charge?

SOLAR STATION has a built-in LiPol accumulator (2500mAh) and is equipped with a charger. Charging is done via a USB-C port. The cable is NOT part of the package, as we believe you already have one at home.

What is the shell made of?

The shell of SOLAR STATION is created through 3D printing technology. 3D printing doesn’t achieve the quality of molded shells, so you need to keep that in mind. We try to keep the visible side without any notable defects. The backside, however, may contain some mild defects; since it is facing the wall, we are a little more tolerable. For the tinkerers, we are using PLA and printing with 0.2mm layers.

What if the device stops showing correct data? What if the manufacturer of my inverter makes any changes? Will it still work?

We've thought about this issue a great deal, and we have come up with this solution; the station will check if it has the latest firmware upon start. Therefore, if the manufacturer of your inverter changes something, all you need to do is write to us. We will then make modifications to our firmware as needed, which will be automatically downloaded and implemented in your SOLAR STATION.

What does the package contain?

Manual is QR code, SOLAR STATION, 2pcs of wall mounts, 3M tape, and a printed shell which can be used as a stand.

What is the operating voltage?

The station is powered by a 3.7V battery.

What are the dimensions?

196x131x14 mm.

What about the warranty?

A warranty is of course provided as required by law. Additionally, we make the SOLAR STATION for both our and your enjoyment. If anything happens or goes wrong, please let us know! If you are not satisfied, we will refund your purchase. We are not scammers.

So let there be light!