This project is developing a way to process files generated by the Aurora Power-One inverter. These inverters are commonly utilized to invert DC to AC for small scale renewable energy production such as home solar installations (5 kW max power or less).

This program currently takes two text files that are produced by the Aurora Power-One inverter, parses them, and outputs a human readable report file giving an overview of the power and energy performance metrics that had been captured in the raw files. The program returns the minimum, maximum and average power over the period in the file, the total energy (Wh), and the total carbon reduction impact (see below if interested in the carbon aspect).

Full rdoc documentation can be found here: github.com/kewpiedoll/AuroraPowerOne/lib/doc/index.html

To generate a file (NOTE: THIS IS ONLY IF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE INVERTER. FOR GENERIC TESTING, SEE FUTHER BELOW)

• Overview here: http://www.power-one.com/renewable-energy/insights/technical-corner-how-communica
• I was able to connect through a USB, though it took awhile to get it set up between the Aurora software and and few sets of drviers. Find the online manual and follow the directions CAREFULLY. Their real-person support was helpful, as info.
• Once data is logging right click on the Power graph and select "Export Chart." Do the same for Energy. The files can have any name though they will be loaded through the command line so no spaces is best.

Running the program to generate a report:

• If native files are unavailble they can be downloaded at github.com/kewpiedoll/AuroraPowerOne/lib. The file names are "energy.cht" and "power.cht".
• Place the files in a directory and navigate in terminal to that directory
• For the gem: install aurora_file_processor
  • Run this command --> $: aurora_file_processor
  • The order the files are loaded does not matter
  • The program produces the human-readible report "Energy Report" in the same folder
  • Note that running the program again will overwrite the report
• To run from the source code:
  • After cloning, in a terminal, go into the lib directory
  • make sure the two text files that are to be parsed are placed there
  • Run this command --> $: ruby run_program.rb
• To run in irb:
  • In a terminal, go into the lib directory
  • make sure the two text files that are to be parsed are placed there
  • at the command line type $: irb

  • load 'aurora_file.processor.rb'

  • f = AuroraFileProcessor.new("energy.cht", "power.cht")

  • f.read_file

Carbon impact detail: The current average amount of carbon emissions resulting from the generation of 1 kWh in the US is ~600 g. A renewable technology such as PV Solar is closer to ~50 g (most of which is a calculated number using such factors as the carbon intensiveness of the production, installation and removal of such a system, and then averaging this over its service lifetime). Therefore 1 kWh of generated by PV Solar will result in 550 g of CO2 not being produced as compared to the national average. Different renewable systems have different CO2 ratings, for example, hydroelectric is ~4 g per kWh.