This notebook (aka 'website') is powered by free solar energy!
I was (and am) inspired to start writing again by reading this excellent article by 'LOW←TECH MAGAZINE'. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...
Tech stack: Navitas 100W Solar Panel, Exide solar charge controller (10A), Exide Solar Blitz 40AH battery, 200W 20A DC-DC CC CV Buck module (Robu), Cuzor Mini Pro RouterUPS (12V), LM2596S DC-DC 24V/12V to 5V 5A Step Down USB module, Raspberry Pi Zero 2W
Photos of components involved (for reference):
Boot settings:
zion:~$ cat /boot/usercfg.txt
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
# Disable the ACT LED on the Pi Zero.
dtparam=act_led_trigger=none
dtparam=act_led_activelow=on
dtparam=audio=off
dtoverlay=disable-bt
# Automatically load overlays for detected cameras
camera_auto_detect=0
# Automatically load overlays for detected DSI displays
display_auto_detect=0
# underclock
arm_freq=600
arm_freq_min=600
We will see how this stack fares during the rainy monsoon season of Pune later this year.
Update: This setup will soon be housed in a Plantex 1U DVR case.
Update 2 (March, 2025): The Exide branded solar charger controller seems to be failed in about a month. It shows low battery indicator even when the underlying battery voltage is 11.95V!
