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claudetools/wiki/projects/wrightstown-solar.md
Mike Swanson f4fb131529 wiki: seed remaining clients and projects (batch 3) 
Adds 11 client articles and 5 project articles:

Clients: kittle, khalsa, anaise, azcomputerguru.com, bg-builders,
evs, furrier, horseshoe-management, kittle-design, scileppi-law,
western-tire

Projects: discord-bot, radio-show, msp-pricing, wrightstown-smarthome,
wrightstown-solar

Updates wiki/index.md with all new entries, cross-references, and
removes seeded client:birthbiologic from compilation queue.

Critical findings surfaced:
- Kittle: WS2025 EVAL license, no backups, 3 plaintext creds in Syncro
- Western Tire: SSL cert *.westerntire.com expires 2026-05-30
- Kittle Design: active compromise (Ken inbox rule unresolved)
- Horseshoe Mgmt: plaintext creds for 5+ users in Syncro notes

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-05-24 19:59:40 -07:00

6.2 KiB
Raw Blame History

type, name, display_name, last_compiled, compiled_by, sources
type name display_name last_compiled compiled_by sources
project wrightstown-solar Wrightstown Solar Battery System 2026-05-24 DESKTOP-0O8A1RL/claude-main
projects/wrightstown-solar/session-logs/2026-02-09-session.md

Wrightstown Solar Battery System

Overview

A DIY home solar battery storage project at the Wrightstown residence. The system adds battery storage and whole-house UPS capability to an existing grid-tie solar installation (Fronius IG Plus inverter). The design uses LiFePO4 cylindrical cells assembled into modular 5kWh packs, a Victron MultiPlus II inverter/charger, and a Victron Cerbo GX for system management.

  • Status: Planning / initial research phase as of 2026-02-09. No hardware purchased yet.
  • Existing solar: Fronius IG Plus (grid-tie only, no battery port)
  • Goal: Add battery backup, whole-house UPS with <20ms transfer, generator failover capability
  • Expansion target: Up to 20kWh (4 packs of 5kWh each)
  • Related project: wrightstown-smarthome — planned future integration via Victron Modbus TCP

Tech Stack

  • Cell chemistry: LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) — EVE C40 (IFR40135) cylindrical cells
  • Pack configuration: 16S5P per pack (80 cells per 5kWh pack)
  • BMS: JK BMS B2A8S20P 150A (recommended)
  • Inverter/charger: Victron MultiPlus II 48/5000
  • GX device (system manager): Victron Cerbo GX
  • BMS integration method: dbus-serialbattery driver via USB-UART cable (not CAN direct)
  • Existing inverter: Fronius IG Plus (grid-tie, retained — MultiPlus creates micro-grid for Fronius to sync during outages)

Architecture

Battery Pack Design

  • Cell: EVE C40 (IFR40135) — 3.2V nominal, 20Ah, 64Wh per cell, 366g, 50–60A continuous discharge
  • Configuration: 16S5P = 16 cells in series × 5 in parallel
    • Voltage: 51.2V nominal (48V system)
    • Capacity: 5kWh per pack (100Ah)
  • Modular: build in 5kWh increments; target up to 4 packs (20kWh)
  • 5kWh chosen over 10kWh for: cost spreading, manageable builds, fault isolation, single-person liftable weight

Power Architecture

  • Victron MultiPlus II as central inverter/charger: AC-coupled to Fronius IG Plus
  • MultiPlus creates a micro-grid so Fronius can continue producing during grid outages
  • <20ms transfer time (UPS-grade seamless switchover)
  • Physical relay disconnect ensures zero backfeed to grid
  • Generator input supported as third source
  • Cerbo GX manages BMS-inverter communication and system telemetry

BMS Integration

  • JK BMS B2A8S20P 150A: 2A active balancing (critical for cylindrical cells)
  • Integration path: USB-UART cable → dbus-serialbattery driver → Cerbo GX
  • [WARNING] JK BMS CAN bus pinout is reversed — do NOT use CAN direct; use USB-UART path

Alternative BMS Options (Researched)

BMS Notes
SEPLOS V4 ($150–250) Native CAN, no pinout issue
REC Q16 ($559) Plug-and-play Victron integration
Daly Not recommended (no active balancing)

Deployment / Hosting

  • Entirely on-premises at Wrightstown residence
  • No cloud services involved in core system operation
  • Future: Victron Modbus TCP integration with wrightstown-smarthome Home Assistant for monitoring

Configuration / Credentials

(not documented) — No credentials or cloud accounts required for this project. Victron Cerbo GX may use VRM portal (Victron Remote Monitoring); if configured, store VRM account credentials in SOPS vault under projects/wrightstown-solar/.

Active Work / Open Items

All items pending as of the 2026-02-09 initial research session:

  • Finalize BMS selection (JK BMS B2A8S20P confirmed as recommendation; alternatives noted)
  • Source EVE C40 cells — Grade A, matched, with test data (required for 16S5P pack)
  • Order Victron MultiPlus II 48/5000 + Cerbo GX
  • Design physical cell holder and bus bar layout for 16S5P cylindrical pack
  • Plan sub-panel / transfer switch wiring
  • Build Pack 1, run for 1 month before expanding to additional packs
  • Plan Victron Modbus TCP crossover with wrightstown-smarthome Home Assistant

Key Events / History

2026-02-09 — Initial Research and Planning Session

  • Session run on machine: ACG-M-L5090
  • Researched and selected EVE C40 (IFR40135) LiFePO4 cells over salvaged EV battery packs
  • Determined 16S5P / 5kWh modular pack design
  • Selected Victron MultiPlus II 48/5000 as inverter/charger for UPS-grade seamless transfer
  • Evaluated 8 BMS models; recommended JK BMS B2A8S20P 150A ($80–150)
  • Selected Cerbo GX ($320–350) as GX device over Raspberry Pi
  • Analyzed salvaged EV battery options (Tesla LFP, Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf) — rejected due to cost and complexity
  • Budget estimates established:
    • Phase 1 (5kWh + full Victron system): $2,175–2,945
    • Full 20kWh system: $3,635–5,750
    • Battery-only cost: $86–153/kWh
  • Created project documentation structure:
    • projects/wrightstown-solar/PROJECT_INDEX.md
    • projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/system-design.md
    • projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/bms-comparison.md
    • projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/ev-salvage-analysis.md
    • projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/parts-list.md
  • No hardware purchased or deployed this session. All work was research and planning.

Anti-Patterns / Warnings

  • [WARNING] JK BMS CAN bus pinout is reversed. Use USB-UART path with dbus-serialbattery driver. Do NOT attempt CAN direct connection.
  • [WARNING] Salvaged EV packs were explicitly rejected. Most salvage is NMC chemistry (less safe than LFP for home use), unknown state of health, requires voltage conversion and custom BMS. New EVE C40 cells are cheaper and simpler.
  • The Fronius IG Plus cannot directly interface with batteries — it is grid-tie only. The MultiPlus II creates the micro-grid; do not try to connect batteries to the Fronius directly.
  • Buy Grade A matched cells with test data. Mismatched cells in a 16S5P pack will cause balancing problems even with active balancing.
  • Build Pack 1 first and run for 1 month before ordering materials for additional packs. This is an explicit project decision to validate the design before scaling.

Backlinks

  • wrightstown-smarthome — Related project at same residence; planned Victron Modbus TCP crossover for Home Assistant monitoring
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