Category: Technology

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Hmmm, Getting the first data about energy production from the Solar Panels.

IMG 2474

Yesterday was the first full day of Solar Panel operation. The panels themselves went online Nov 30th about midday.

The website and the mobile application provide pretty nice insight into the system status. What’s very cool is that I can see individual panel production and therefore can see if a panel is having trouble.

I’m figuring that we’ll run for several months before deciding if the system needs to be tweaked or if adding battery backup would be something useful.

One of the things that was befuddling me when we got into this, was that a solar array of interconnected panels would only produce power skewed to the lowest common denominator. 

In other words, the laziest panel on the roof would drag all the other panels to its level not the other way around. When I was a kid playing with Radio Shack solar panels, this effect really annoyed me. I kept adding panels to a small array but the voltage never increased above the output of my oldest little panel. Oddly and very confusing to my little child brain taking that oldest panel out of the circuit, then measuring I’d see the best output from the next lowest producing panel and so on.

I could see the pattern, but couldn’t explain what I was seeing. I hadn’t really thought about it until we began this project.

I’d seen a similar effect with my portable panels while recharging battery packs, but it was so negligible in that application that I’d just shrugged and moved on to something else I was doing around the house. In that case, either way, the battery pack would be recharged in 3 or 4 hours, so the impact wasn’t a big deal.

When you’re talking about a large array on your roof that’s costing you money and it’s supposed to lower your electric bill you kinda want to know these things. Well, at least I do.

I was really confused on Wednesday, when I got a look inside the “Controller box” mounted on the wall of the house. I was expecting to see a D/C (Direct Current) to A/C (Alternating Current) conversion device, but what I saw instead was more or less standard A/C connections and breakers.

The mystery deepened, I did see a coil of the type that’s used to detect current flowing through wire. In fact it had a single wire running through it. That wire went to a grounding block, the coil itself was connected to a small digital circuit board mounted at the very back of the controller box. This board was in no way going to be capable of handling the kind of power that could be coming from the panels on the roof. Looking at it, I thought, “That much power would turn that board into a burnt green popcorn kernel.”

The mystery deepened. The installer had no information about the details. He was just finalizing the A/C hookup to the house. But I saw inside the Controller Box, a makers logo.

“To the Internet, Boy Blunder!” Yeah, as a kid in the 1960’s I watched “Batman” and I read “Mad Magazine”. What of it?

When I got to the manufacturer’s web site. All was revealed.

Turns out, each panel has its own inverter attached to it. Meaning the D/C to A/C conversion is done at the panel. As I read the specs and dug into the installer side of the website I sat there going, “Duh!!!”

The design is brilliant. Since the power coming from the panels is already A/C it’s just a matter of connecting the array to the house A/C (with some safety features of course,)

Electricity flows a lot like water. If there’s more electricity coming from the house then it flows back into the grid. This is a gross oversimplification but it’s easy to visualize.

Since the D/C to A/C conversion is done on panel, each panel can produce at its own rate without the other panels affecting it, or it affecting the other panels.

That mystery was solved, so what is this controller doing? 

It’s talking to each of the inverters on the panel, and then sending that data to me, and sending it to the installation company so they can address any warranty issues and they’ll know if a panel needs servicing. It also allows accounting. Since the system knows how much power each panel is producing, and therefore what the array is producing the Electric company can’t get away with “fudging” the numbers about credit owed.

The Controller monitors how much power we use, how much power is produced, simple math calculates the difference. It’s the difference that gets sent back to the electrical grid for the power company to “purchase” from me as an electrical producer.

The Controller also provides for the addition of battery backup, and would manage a switchover if needed due to a power failure.

Another thing I didn’t realize was that if the main power goes off and I don’t have a battery backup, I’ll still be without power. 

I understood that I’d be without power if a power failure happened at night, but I thought if the power was off during the day, I’d still have my fridge and essentials running. That’s not the case.

Thinking about it it makes sense. It’s a safety feature. If I’m generating power at my end and feeding it back into the main electrical grid, then the electrical linemen could never work on the power lines. The lines would always be powered up until each house with solar panels was physically disconnected from the grid.

The Controller box handles that automatically in the configuration I’ve got installed.

I’m thinking that a battery pack is probably in the future.

I don’t want the hassle and noise of a gas powered generator running during a power outage.

When the inspection was finished, the solar guy pulled off the protective plastic on the controller box and voila the manufacturer’s logo is now visible. 

I knew I shoulda peeked under that protective plastic film. I’d have been able to have my questions answered a lot sooner!

Now I just have to wait. A couple of months of runtime data and I’ll be in a better position to decide if I need to add a couple of panels and what size battery pack I’ll need to install. 

I’ll also need to figure out if making those modifications will add to the overall value of the house if I decide to sell it.

I also suspect that if I leave California, where-ever I move to, I’ll be installing Solar probably with batteries because I like the idea of being able to sail through power outages without really noticing them.

I don’t like to be inconvenienced!

Call me a snooty, spoiled, first world person if you like!

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It Begins! A PSA

Microsoft account unusual signin activity

The SCAMMERS are out this Holiday Season!

BEWARE of all emails.

If you don’t recognize something or someone delete the email. Don’t click on any buttons, or links.

This email, shown above, is one I’ve been getting over the past few days. It looks a lot like the incessant email that Microsoft will send you if you happen to have an email account hosted by them.

The Microsoft email looks a lot like this, and because they send their Unusual Sign In emails virtually anytime you change networks, if you’re traveling and sign into your Parents WiFi or use a hotel network, you’re likely to have see the real Microsoft version.

This email is bullshit!

If you click on the “Report The User” Button, the handy “Click Here”, or even your own email listed at the top of the email, you’re directed to some website called techconsulting-pay.com not Microsoft.com.

The Indian assholes running this bullshit are targeting Americans who are scared of Russia so that they can rip you off. It’s probably some bullshit “Protection Scam” where they say they’re from Microsoft selling you some obscenely expensive Anti-Virus or “support” package. These “Support Packages” will often screw your computer up more than they help.

Don’t fall for it!

If you’re concerned about some kind of compromise in your email, ask the source!

You can go to www.microsoft.com, log into your account, then look for account management.

Once you’re there Microsoft will ask to send you a confirmation code. Retrieve the confirmation code and enter that into the requested location. From there you’ll be able to check “Security”.

Microsoft will display all the real “Unusual Activity” and allow you to confirm if it was you or not.

In my case, the only unusual activity was from my recent trip across the country. My parents, my brother’s place, and one point when I was using my phone as a hotspot in a hotel room.

There was no record of Russian login.

As noted above, the IP Address these jackasses are reporting is in Delhi India. If this was a real issue, the IP Address would actually track to Russia and there’d be some record of the activity on the Microsoft site.

How? You might ask did these people get my Microsoft email address? That’s easy! They purchased it from one of the numerous job search sites and are now trying to get a return on their investment. This is one of the MANY reasons I hate job search sites! There’s so much scamming on them they are almost unusable!

I miss the old way, the local newspaper and a real address and phone number that was verifiably local to where you were searching for a new job!

Then again, I’m older than dirt!

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What’s with all the hand wringing about Twitter? OH! Right…

I admit that I’m still on the fence about Twitter personally. I did enjoy it and participated in some great discussions with people, in its early days.

Dead Twitter Bird

That being said, I’m “Meh” about it going the way of MySpace. Nobody ran in tight circles or lit their hair on fire when MySpace wound down to whatever it is now. (Is MySpace even still around?)

Celebrities, Pundits, Wags, and all kinds of other people appear to be having a melt down over Twitter “Melting Down”.

Elon Musk probably went too far with his email asking for, (or demanding) fealty to the company long work hours and whatever else he asked for. Clearly he pushed too hard too fast resulting in a lot of his staff resigning.

This makes me wonder though if he’s “souring the milk” just to get rid of self important dead weight.

It’s long been a tactic of employers to make a place a tough work environment that forces employees out the door rather than have a mass layoff. Especially with the WARN Act and all of its constraints, having a mass voluntary exodus works for Elon and the company.

Now he can hire employees to replace those that have quit, and not have to pay unemployment either. This is financially better for the company rather than have to keep those employees around for 60 days and pay them to screw him.

I’d imagine that he’s looking very hard at the H1B1 workers who remain, and considering simply not renewing their H1B1 Status. I don’t know all the ins and out of the visa system but I do know that without sponsorship the H1B1 Visa expires. At that point, the individual is supposed to return to their country of origin unless they’ve become citizens of the US.

Elon may be trailblazing in showing how H1B1 and other visas can be cancelled while limiting liability. I don’t know.

I know that there are a lot of American software engineers that can certainly do the job, who’d be willing to take on the challenge of working at Twitter. I’d guess that American software engineers would be willing to ensure freedom of speech as long as they were from outside the Silicon Valley bubble.

That so many people not involved directly with the company are commenting and wailing about the changes at Twitter is interesting to me.

Journalists specifically seem to be making a lot of noise, and I couldn’t figure that out.

I began to wonder if these journalists are realizing that they’re actually going to have to research what they say instead of relying on “Tweets” to write a story. That could explain why they’re so up in arms.

Are these people saying, “My God, I’m going to have to actually do research!”

Once that realization sinks in, I’m guessing they’re going to be pretty pissed off that they’re going to have to pick up the phone and speak to someone, vet their sources, and at least partially verify their facts before running off to write a one sided hit piece on someone or some event.

Social media is hearsay not fact. It’s always been hearsay, rumor, innuendo, and in some cases complete bullshit.

When so called journalists began using platforms designed for social media and conversation as their journalistic sources we got Journalism that looked like social media, instead of fact.

Funny how that works isn’t it?

So journalists… Get to fucking work!

I’m going to be waiting for the want ads to come out to see if there’s a position for me at the new Twitter.

If I could work from home, or in an office outside California I’d work pretty damn cheap. If I have to move to San Francisco, well the job is going to have to be really “Cherry” and the pay will have to be significantly more.

That’s because I don’t see the need to live in a Studio Apartment for 5K a month, to be in a place where I have to step over shit in the streets to go to work.

I absolutely love the thought of all the rainbow colored hair social justice warrior types finding that their “playpen for pay” is being taken away. I’m half tempted to drive up to near San Francisco, take BART to Twitter headquarters and ask for a job application.

I’d fill out the application in the lobby and laugh my ass off watching the tearful goodbyes as the children left the building.

It would be very hard for me not to say to them, “Welcome to the real world, parasites!”

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I’m still on the fence about Twitter

I was on Twitter for a number of years. I kept the twitter account long after I blew away the Facebook account.

Musk and Twitter 2989334710

I don’t remember when I finally got tired of increasing censorship on Twitter, but at some point (Perhaps in 2019 or 2020?) I closed my account and walked away from social media altogether.

At first I really missed the burning bag of shit delivered to my phone all the time, but after 4 weeks or so I didn’t miss it anymore.

Thinking about it now, I didn’t miss the worry. Every time I thought about responding to a post I worried that I would be put in Twitter Jail or banned outright. 

Those of you who’ve read a number of posts in this blog and who are also on Twitter or Facebook can probably see why that would be. I may be wrong in what I post but it’s wrong in innocence, not out of malice. Twitter wasn’t making that subtle distinction so eventually I simply stopped tweeting at all.

There was no speaking out against things that The Majority agreed with, (Even if it was incorrect on its face). Mis-information seemed to become subjective. When people asked about why something was deemed mis-information often they were ignored. 

Some people like Jordan Peterson had their accounts suspended for speaking a simple truth regarding Ellen/Elliot Page. He was told that if he recanted his statement and apologized for speaking the truth, he would be permitted to return to the platform. Peterson categorically refused. He pick this hill to die on, He publicly said, “I would rather die than apologize for speaking truth.”

While I don’t always agree with Peterson, I respected his stance on this issue. Truth is truth!

Since Elon Musk has assumed control of Twitter, there have been changes. Most publicly, there have been Hollywood Types  bailing on the platform. On balance, the actual number of users of Twitter has increased.

Twitter’s moderation seems to be changing a bit. People are saying things that less than a year ago would have gotten them banned. (I’ve been skimming the Twitter website without an account,) some of what I’ve been reading is much like the dumpster fire that Twitter had become prior to Musk’s takeover. Liberals are still able to say horrific things and suffer no penalties. Conservatives are still being fact checked but they’re not being banned as they were.

For me the question is, “has Twitter changed enough?”

I don’t think the changes are sufficient for me to create a new account. 

Frankly, I don’t really want to allow every village idiot from the entire world to spill their bullshit across my phone screen.

 

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There are times when technology can be a pain.

This particular instance of technology pain was caused by an aspiring young film maker. He and a couple of friends were up on the street in front of my house.

JARVIS

They were just trying to get a 1 minute video made to be used as part of his application to film school.

The surveillance camera in front of the house was going nuts because it kept seeing humans and movement.

My phone was dinging every few seconds.

They were using a large round diffuser to soften the sunlight and the surveillance camera was seeing the movement of the diffuser, then re-alerting, then the camera was focusing on the humans in the frame and alerting again.

Software is very cool for routine things, but the software in the camera wasn’t quite sure what to make of this situation.

Cortana

Eventually, the dog heard voices as the filmmaker moved away from his subject and was calling direction from further up the street.

I’d been watching the live feed and had a pretty good idea that they were filming, and the camera was always pointed in the models direction. Once the dog heard unfamiliar voices he demanded to go outside to check it out.

Thankfully, The dog didn’t start barking, these people were on the road and not our property so he just howled softly to let me know he saw something odd.

TheTerminator

At this point the filmmaker turned the camera to the dog who was watching from the side gate.

The other half stepped out onto the porch and asked if there was something these folks needed.

The filmmaker asked if he could take a couple of shots of the dog who is photogenic (and he knows he is), explanations were given and permission was granted.

Skynet

It was one of those times I wished I could converse with the surveillance camera and tell it everything was fine. Unfortunately there’s no way to have that kind of in-depth conversation with the device.

On the one hand I’d like a super intelligent AI like Jarvis in Ironman, or Cortana from the Halo franchise. On the other hand, I’m concerned that a super intelligent AI like that would decide in a couple of milliseconds, that humanity was a lost cause and take appropriate action based on that decision. Skynet from The Terminator springs to mind.

I guess I fall into the Steven Hawking camp. He was apparently concerned that AI’s could or would become dangerous. Even Asimov’s three laws might not protect humanity.