Mike Swanson
f4fb131529
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>
118 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
118 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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type: project
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name: wrightstown-solar
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display_name: Wrightstown Solar Battery System
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last_compiled: 2026-05-24
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compiled_by: DESKTOP-0O8A1RL/claude-main
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sources:
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- projects/wrightstown-solar/session-logs/2026-02-09-session.md
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---
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# Wrightstown Solar Battery System
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## Overview
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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.
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- **Status:** Planning / initial research phase as of 2026-02-09. No hardware purchased yet.
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- **Existing solar:** Fronius IG Plus (grid-tie only, no battery port)
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- **Goal:** Add battery backup, whole-house UPS with <20ms transfer, generator failover capability
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- **Expansion target:** Up to 20kWh (4 packs of 5kWh each)
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- **Related project:** [[wrightstown-smarthome]] — planned future integration via Victron Modbus TCP
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## Tech Stack
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- **Cell chemistry:** LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) — EVE C40 (IFR40135) cylindrical cells
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- **Pack configuration:** 16S5P per pack (80 cells per 5kWh pack)
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- **BMS:** JK BMS B2A8S20P 150A (recommended)
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- **Inverter/charger:** Victron MultiPlus II 48/5000
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- **GX device (system manager):** Victron Cerbo GX
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- **BMS integration method:** dbus-serialbattery driver via USB-UART cable (not CAN direct)
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- **Existing inverter:** Fronius IG Plus (grid-tie, retained — MultiPlus creates micro-grid for Fronius to sync during outages)
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## Architecture
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### Battery Pack Design
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- Cell: EVE C40 (IFR40135) — 3.2V nominal, 20Ah, 64Wh per cell, 366g, 50–60A continuous discharge
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- Configuration: 16S5P = 16 cells in series × 5 in parallel
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- Voltage: 51.2V nominal (48V system)
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- Capacity: 5kWh per pack (100Ah)
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- Modular: build in 5kWh increments; target up to 4 packs (20kWh)
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- 5kWh chosen over 10kWh for: cost spreading, manageable builds, fault isolation, single-person liftable weight
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### Power Architecture
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- Victron MultiPlus II as central inverter/charger: AC-coupled to Fronius IG Plus
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- MultiPlus creates a micro-grid so Fronius can continue producing during grid outages
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- <20ms transfer time (UPS-grade seamless switchover)
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- Physical relay disconnect ensures zero backfeed to grid
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- Generator input supported as third source
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- Cerbo GX manages BMS-inverter communication and system telemetry
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### BMS Integration
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- JK BMS B2A8S20P 150A: 2A active balancing (critical for cylindrical cells)
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- Integration path: USB-UART cable → dbus-serialbattery driver → Cerbo GX
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- [WARNING] JK BMS CAN bus pinout is reversed — do NOT use CAN direct; use USB-UART path
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### Alternative BMS Options (Researched)
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| BMS | Notes |
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| SEPLOS V4 ($150–250) | Native CAN, no pinout issue |
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| REC Q16 ($559) | Plug-and-play Victron integration |
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| Daly | Not recommended (no active balancing) |
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## Deployment / Hosting
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- Entirely on-premises at Wrightstown residence
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- No cloud services involved in core system operation
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- Future: Victron Modbus TCP integration with [[wrightstown-smarthome]] Home Assistant for monitoring
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## Configuration / Credentials
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*(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/`.
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## Active Work / Open Items
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All items pending as of the 2026-02-09 initial research session:
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- [ ] Finalize BMS selection (JK BMS B2A8S20P confirmed as recommendation; alternatives noted)
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- [ ] Source EVE C40 cells — Grade A, matched, with test data (required for 16S5P pack)
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- [ ] Order Victron MultiPlus II 48/5000 + Cerbo GX
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- [ ] Design physical cell holder and bus bar layout for 16S5P cylindrical pack
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- [ ] Plan sub-panel / transfer switch wiring
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- [ ] Build Pack 1, run for 1 month before expanding to additional packs
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- [ ] Plan Victron Modbus TCP crossover with [[wrightstown-smarthome]] Home Assistant
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## Key Events / History
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### 2026-02-09 — Initial Research and Planning Session
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- Session run on machine: ACG-M-L5090
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- Researched and selected EVE C40 (IFR40135) LiFePO4 cells over salvaged EV battery packs
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- Determined 16S5P / 5kWh modular pack design
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- Selected Victron MultiPlus II 48/5000 as inverter/charger for UPS-grade seamless transfer
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- Evaluated 8 BMS models; recommended JK BMS B2A8S20P 150A ($80–150)
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- Selected Cerbo GX ($320–350) as GX device over Raspberry Pi
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- Analyzed salvaged EV battery options (Tesla LFP, Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf) — rejected due to cost and complexity
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- Budget estimates established:
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- Phase 1 (5kWh + full Victron system): $2,175–2,945
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- Full 20kWh system: $3,635–5,750
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- Battery-only cost: $86–153/kWh
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- Created project documentation structure:
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- `projects/wrightstown-solar/PROJECT_INDEX.md`
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- `projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/system-design.md`
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- `projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/bms-comparison.md`
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- `projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/ev-salvage-analysis.md`
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- `projects/wrightstown-solar/documentation/parts-list.md`
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- No hardware purchased or deployed this session. All work was research and planning.
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## Anti-Patterns / Warnings
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- [WARNING] **JK BMS CAN bus pinout is reversed.** Use USB-UART path with dbus-serialbattery driver. Do NOT attempt CAN direct connection.
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- [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.
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- **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.
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- **Buy Grade A matched cells with test data.** Mismatched cells in a 16S5P pack will cause balancing problems even with active balancing.
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- **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.
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## Backlinks
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- [[wrightstown-smarthome]] — Related project at same residence; planned Victron Modbus TCP crossover for Home Assistant monitoring
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