Variable AC Diversion Load, Part 1 - Assembly

Repurposing an old light bar to make a variable AC diversion load for the solar power system.

Simple plan is to add 4 x 150W ceramic heat emitters for a total resistive load of 600W. Then add a Z-Wave controlled light dimmer that can handle 600W and use that as a diversion load for the solar power system.

Some years ago, I had implemented a similar system, using a couple of Z-Wave controlled DC-DC boost converters (as diversion loads) that few into a grid tie inverter. That excess power went to power loads in the house. The Z-Wave controller monitored the house power consumption and switched those DC-DC converters on and off as needed. Also tied into this system was a weather API that the Z-Wave system used to determine when excess solar power would be available. That was based upon time of day, current weather conditions as well as future weather forecasts. Unfortunately, a while back, the weather service I had been using dropped their free API access and wanted $100/mo. for the data. Since I was saving perhaps $10/mo. on the electric bill, it's just not worth that expense.

Fast forward to today with the 24V hybrid inverter/charger I'm using. That can be set up to supply solar power to charge the batteries, power any direct connected AC loads and then send any excess to the "grid". I want to be able to use that excess power in the house and shop during the day, but there are times that there'll be more power available than demand. Enter the AC diversion load. I can have one on each side of the 240V breaker panel to "soak up" any excess power in the system by monitoring the power at the main breaker panel.

Side benefit of the heat lamps is that I can set them up inside the house during the colder months and benefit from the heat in my solar heating system. During the hotter months, they can sit outside.

This may or may not work out, but it seems like an interesting idea to persue and it puts an old project back in service. Also, I no longer need elaborate logic to "guess" when and how much excess power will be available, the hybrid inverter knows that exactly.

In the next video will look at setting up the diversion load on the home automation system.

Parts:
ZWave dimmer: https://amzn.to/3hj4ccY
Ceramic Heat Emitter: https://amzn.to/3dOsZDJ
Ceramic lamp sockets: https://amzn.to/3jTZUuB

More to come...
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Intro/Outro:
Louisiana Fairytale by Austin Rogers
https://web.archive.org/web/20170402222425/http://drfiddle.com/show_tune.php?id=94