SOLYSTOPIAProject Hearthmind
Hearthpower
Measure and eventually offset the Spark's electricity draw with on-site generation.
Progress
0% complete
Objective
What this quest sets out to do
Instrument the Spark's power draw with a metered smart plug, establish a real kWh/month baseline, and evaluate whether solar or battery offset makes financial sense for this specific household.
Why it matters
Why Solystopia cares
The whole "household electricity bill, not a datacentre one" claim needs a number behind it, not a vibe. Hearthpower turns the site's ≈170W estimate into a measured, defensible figure and tests whether renewables close the gap further.
Components
What this is actually made of
Initial UK planning BOM · 2026
Hearthpower 01 — measurement hardware
An initial measurement and control BOM for one property, designed to make compute, storage and household energy visible.
| Subsystem | Component | Notes | Approx. price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI node meter | Shelly Plug S Gen3 UK / Plus Plug S UK | Per-device power and energy telemetry for the Spark. | £17–£25Indicative Source
|
| NAS meter | Shelly Plug S Gen3 UK | Separate measurement keeps storage load attributable. | £17–£25Indicative Source
|
| Network meter | Shelly Plug S Gen3 UK or TP-Link Tapo P110 | Measure switch/router overhead rather than hiding it in the total. | £17–£25Indicative Source
|
| Whole-home monitor | Shelly EM / Pro 3EM | CT monitoring for main feeds and renewable fraction; exact model and install price need selection. | Price to verifyNeeds vendor research |
| Compute UPS | 1000 VA line-interactive UPS (APC BV1000I or similar) | Keep the node running through short interruptions and record graceful shutdown behaviour. | £78–£120 generic; £380–£670 branded APCIndicative Source
|
These are initial UK 2026 planning figures, not purchase receipts. Prices move, vendor stock changes, and unpriced lines remain deliberately visible rather than guessed.
Milestones
Where this quest stands
Metered smart plug installed
Will replace the independent reviewer estimate with a household-measured figure.
PlannedFirst full month of kWh logged
PlannedLocally relevant metrics defined (tokens/kWh, renewable fraction, heat reused)
Per the evidence base's section 9.2 research priorities.
PlannedOpen design questions
What is not yet decided
- Does a shared household solar array need a dedicated sub-meter to keep the "renewable fraction" figure honest, or is a proportional estimate acceptable?
- How well, in practice, can AI inference jobs be deferred to periods of surplus generation without degrading day-to-day usefulness?
- What is the real payback period, if any, for adding dedicated battery capacity specifically to smooth the Spark's load?