# Springhouse: Off-Grid AI Cluster & Automated Greenhouse

## 1. Project Summary

Springhouse is a closed-loop, off-grid technical ecosystem built around solar power, local automation, and edge AI. The full build plan includes 2,800 watts of solar capacity. The current live deployment is now 500 watts on the 24V system plus 200 watts on the primary 12V system, for 700 watts actively in use while the remaining panels wait on permanent ground-mount placement.

The project is transitioning toward a standalone DC microgrid that can power environmental sensors, cameras, greenhouse and coop automation, pumps, fans, tool charging, and compute loads including an Intel i9 + NVIDIA GPU cluster. The SFF Home Assistant node is already running directly from the 24V battery bank through the charge controller’s DC load circuit.

As of the late-April build logs, the 2x 8D Duracell lead-acid batteries are topped up and recovering after winter, the first 5-panel solar string is installed on a temporary ground mount, and permanent placement testing is underway. The coop and greenhouse build have also moved from layout into field construction: posts and footings are going in, the coop has been moved into place, and the old flat roof is being reshaped into a curved greenhouse-plastic canopy.

## 2. The Green-Powered Solution: DC Distribution

The core problem with running traditional tech off-grid is the DC-AC-DC penalty. Solar panels output DC, batteries store DC, and many sensors, cameras, controllers, and small computers ultimately run on DC. A conventional off-grid setup often sends that energy through an inverter to make AC, then through wall adapters to convert it back to DC.

Springhouse is built to avoid that wherever practical.

Current power architecture:

- Harvest: 500W live on the 24V system, 200W live on the primary 12V system, with 2,800W total panel capacity in the project plan.
- Storage: Reconditioned 24V lead-acid battery bank using 2x 8D Duracell batteries, currently topped up and recovering capacity after winter.
- Distribution: DC rails and DC-DC converters for low-voltage loads such as sensors, cameras, automation nodes, and control hardware.
- Heavy Compute: Larger compute loads remain isolated through a pure sine wave inverter path while the DC transition continues.
- Field Work: Solar is already supporting practical build work, including cordless tool charging through a smaller inverter.

The goal is not just to prove that solar can blink a light. The goal is to run a working rural technical system from harvested energy: automation, documentation, security, compute, and fabrication support.

## 3. Pushing the Limits: The Solar AI Cluster

Many solar projects aim for “least power.” Springhouse also asks a “most power” question: how much useful local AI and automation work can be done from a solar-powered, off-grid system?

The current cluster and control stack includes:

- Main compute node: Intel i9 desktop-class system with NVIDIA GPU hardware for local AI inference.
- Automation hub: SFF Home Assistant node now running directly from the 24V battery bank.
- Local AI command surface: software for local-first AI operations, planning, documentation, and workflow coordination.
- Edge terminals: Laptops and rugged field hardware for project work and greenhouse/coop documentation.
- Sensor swarm: Raspberry Pi and ESP32-class nodes for local monitoring and automation.

The software side is advancing alongside the physical build. The local-first command surface is being tested as a practical control layer for AI planning, reports, charts, photos, build logs, hardware documentation, and longer overnight planning runs.

The purpose of the software stack is to keep the project usable without depending entirely on cloud services. It supports local project memory, local reports, local automation notes, field documentation, and AI-assisted planning while the physical system continues to grow.

## 4. The Automated Green Space

The harvested energy is being put to work in the physical site.

Current late-April field progress:

- The coop and greenhouse layout has started.
- Posts and footings are being installed.
- Swale excavation has begun near the steel container to help manage runoff.
- The chicken coop has been moved into place.
- The old flat coop roof has been removed.
- A new curved canopy profile is being test fit for greenhouse-plastic coverage.
- Solar-charged tool batteries are already supporting the outdoor build work.

Planned and staged automation includes:

- Greenhouse temperature and humidity monitoring.
- Soil moisture sensing.
- Water level monitoring.
- Ventilation fans.
- Submersible pumps.
- Coop and perimeter cameras.
- PIR motion sensing.
- Door and entry sensors.
- LED alert lighting.
- Solar-aware dashboarding and power monitoring.

## 5. Local-First Documentation and Resilience

Springhouse is not only a hardware project. It is also a workflow resilience project.

The local software stack exists because cloud-only workflows are fragile. Springhouse uses local-first tools for project memory, reports, image handling, charts, tables, build logs, and technical notes. The notebook and report layer is being built so real project photos, spreadsheet-derived data, generated diagrams, AI-assisted visuals, and written analysis can live together in a local publishing workflow.

This matters because the project itself is meant to keep working under imperfect conditions: rural infrastructure, cloudy weather, hardware reuse, limited power, and unreliable cloud access.

## 6. Why This Fits The Green Powered Challenge

1. Fully Self-Powered:  
Springhouse is being built to run from harvested solar energy, with 700W live now and a 2,800W panel plan.

2. Efficient DC Architecture:  
The system moves low-voltage loads toward direct DC distribution instead of wasting energy through repeated inverter and wall-adapter conversions.

3. Real-World Use:  
This is not a bench demo. The system is being used to support a greenhouse, chicken coop, security network, local documentation stack, and AI edge cluster.

4. Reuse and Repair:  
The project intentionally uses salvaged, reconditioned, and accumulated maker hardware: lead-acid batteries, existing solar panels, Raspberry Pis, ESP32 nodes, older laptops, rugged field terminals, and shop tools.

5. Local Resilience:  
The software layer extends the green-energy goal into the digital workflow: local AI, local reports, local project memory, local automation records, and less dependency on cloud services.

## 7. Current State

As of the latest April logs:

- 500W solar is live on the 24V system.
- 200W solar is live on the primary 12V system.
- The 24V SFF Home Assistant node is running from the battery bank through the charge controller DC load circuit.
- The 2x 8D Duracell lead-acid batteries are topped up and recovering after winter.
- The first 5-panel temporary ground mount is installed.
- Permanent solar placement testing is underway.
- Coop and greenhouse field construction has started.
- The coop has been moved into place.
- The curved canopy roof conversion is being test fit.

Springhouse is still under active construction, but the important transition has already happened: this is no longer just a plan. The solar power path is live, real loads are running, and the field build is underway.