Solar Powered 18650 IOT ESP8266/ESP8285 Weather Station with UV/Rain and IOT Updates (ThingSpeak)

thingiverse

#Introduction This weather station has evolved over time as I have continuously improved its design. Initially, the roof and solar panels were undersized, resulting in four different versions being created. The first version used a 0.1W solar panel (110mmx60mm), but it was underpowered and only charged up during the late afternoon. My latest version employs a 165mm square solar panel, enabling the device to measure data more frequently (every minute versus every five minutes). I believe this will be sufficient for low-lit areas. The current firmware creates a WiFi access point that you can connect to if the device is unable to connect to the internet via WiFi. This allows you to input your ThingSpeak credentials, the sampling interval in seconds, and the WiFi access point credentials you would like to connect to. To configure this page, connect to the ESP access point (named ESP... something) and navigate to http://192.168.4.1 then click on the relevant buttons. After configuring the ESP's WiFi access point will disappear if it was configured correctly. #Building First, select the roof based on the solar panel you are using and print all the parts. The parts have all the holes necessary so all you need to do is screw them together. #Configuring Create a ThingSpeak account and a channel. Input this channel number and your credentials into the ESP8266 configuration page that appears when you connect to the access point (as discussed above). You can then copy the code for a cool 3D bar graph from my GitHub repository, simple copy this and replace my ThingSpeak channel number with your own. #Issues Solar radiation is a significant problem as it will cause the inside of the structure to heat up. You will need to paint any surface that comes into contact with the sun with many layers of exterior UV-resistant paint (I used high gloss and about 6 coats). The latest design features a large gap below the roof (which holds the solar panel) to allow for airflow. The roof is designed so that water will accumulate and drip off areas away from the electronics - although I am yet to prove it is sufficiently water resistant. This version does not go to sleep, as it needs to listen for external interrupts to measure rain fall. #Weather Issues and Web Interface There were problems with previous versions in wild weather where pressurized air would blow water into the internal Stevenson Screen damaging electronic components. I have since devised a better design which seems to be more resistant to water ingress. However, it is not totally weatherproof and strong winds and rain fall can still cause damages. I have run out of ideas on how to solve this and any input is welcome. You can use my web interface to view public ThingSpeak channels (see link below). It includes the following features: 1. Rain totals by 30 min, 1hr and 24 hr intervals 2. Live feed updates (1min) 3. Auto Absolute to Mean Sea Level Pressure conversion 4. Custom date ranges 5. Custom interval ranges #OTA Weather Station To update your ESP8266/ESP8285 module with the latest firmware, follow these steps: 1. Connect to the access point and navigate to the configuration page. 2. Input your ThingSpeak credentials and sampling interval. 3. Click on the "Update Firmware" button. Note: Make sure you have the latest version of the Arduino IDE installed on your computer. #Parts list - 18650 battery holder - Diode for the solar panel - Any ESP8266/ESP8285 module - TP4056 Battery Charger (or MCP73871 solar board) - 6v Solar panel (165mmx165mm recommended) - BME280 sensor - SHT31 sensor - UV VEML6075 Sensor - Cabling - Hot Glue - Silicon Sealant (optional) - Exterior UV resistant paint - 30mmx30mm Fused Silica UV Transmissible Lens/Glass [View source code.](https://github.com/wilyarti/weather_station "Source code.") [View live data.](https://thingspeak.com/channels/645847 "View live data.") [Use my API viewer.](https://opens3.net/channel-grapher.html "Custom API Viewer")