How AI helped build a solar power system
Good morning/evening
I remember the days that all I used AI for was for generating thumbnails for my articles, I remember because it was only a couple of months ago, since then I have used it to code a bot, but also for a real life physical project.
The solar panel system we have now set up to reduce our energy bills. AI firstly told us the best location in the garden to set up the solar panel frame based on our location and pictures during different parts of the day. The AI told us what angle those static panels needed to be at and then It then helped source all the parts needed from within the country, matching up the correct panels with the correct inverter and what items were in stock and where. It sourced the metal work needed to fit our panels. It also sourced the smart meter we need to control zero export. (I have not gone down the bureaucratic route of applying to send excess power back to the grid, so the smart meter stops the backflow). Now this was in fact the wrong smart meter for our inverter but my husband thinks it is because he put the wrong inverter model down so possibly a human failure rather than the AI.
Because at the time neither of us realised it was the wrong smart meter, we spent 12 hours troubleshooting why smart meter was not communicating with the inverter, the AI would say change this setting, try that setting and all we would get was error code after error, finally after many uploaded pictures and about to do an exasperated factory reset the AI gave a 50% probability that the smart meter was the right brand but the wrong model!
I have obviously not quite grasped how to ask the right questions, or when because really 12 hours of troubleshooting.........But this one is the kicker, when asking the AI about wiring up the smart meter to the main incoming power cable, it got it wrong, my husband did not think what it was saying was right, even with just basic electrical skills so he said are you sure? Yes, said the AI ....twice, until my husband explained his reasoning of why he thought it was wrong, then the AI said, yes he was right! Disaster averted but it does go to show, it is not right all of the time (that little disclaimer you see about mistakes).
The biggest lesson from all of this was that AI is a fantastic assistant, but a terrible replacement for experience. When it was helping us compare products, estimate costs and source materials, it was incredibly useful. The moment we started treating its answers as absolute fact, that was when problems appeared. Looking back, the best results came when AI and human knowledge worked together rather than one replacing the other. My husband questioning the wiring advice probably saved us from an expensive mistake, and that's something worth remembering whenever an AI sounds overly confident.
Ai also forecasted the estimated savings on our electricity bill, month by month but I wont know if that is correct until I have months of data with different seasons so we will have to wait for that one but so far it is looking good.
Why did we even attempt to do a DIY installation? Well 4000 Euros is the answer, I did not want to pay 4000 Euros for an installation (that leaves more to buy Bitcoin with, and it looks like a good time to buy!) Plus I do have a bee in my bonnet about the BGL to Euro conversion most places have which was to just swap the number from Leva to Euro.
The AI was good where it could be and probably saved us a lot in transport/delivery costs as well as the installation fee, but there was a lot AI couldn't help with, such as:
Dig a trench from the house to the bottom of the garden.
Lay the conduit for the cables and put cables through the conduit
Cover up the conduit with the soil that was just dug up!
Dig the foundations for solar panel structure
Pour concrete into the foundations
Build the structure
Add the metal frame to hold the panels in place
Put six 32kg solar panels onto the structure
Wire up breaker in waterproof box
Wire the smart meter to the main house fuse box
So far I am really happy with the solar and it will be interesting when we have more data and a bill to see how much we have saved, it was hard doing all the groundwork, but these days it is more difficult to get a general handyman, or even a skilled worker for a day or two.....So it was down to us, it is done now though so all good. I was impressed with the AI part in all this, so AI is not just for thumbnails lol.
If somebody had told me a year ago that I would be using AI to help design a solar installation, source components, troubleshoot inverter settings and calculate future electricity savings, I probably would have laughed. Yet here we are. Despite the occasional mistake and a few moments of frustration, it genuinely helped us complete a project that otherwise might have cost thousands more. Just don't expect it to pick up a shovel and dig the trench for you... at least not yet.
What are your thoughts? Have you used AI to help with a real life project rather than something online so to speak? As always, thank you for reading and feel free to comment.
