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Wattplot, Maker Faire Bay Area 2026, Application

STALE — references the BMI160 IMU (“closed-loop position feedback”) and the 90° verticalize-for-rain tilt behavior. The IMU is disabled in v3.2 and the 90° mode was retired (fails the wind calc). If you re-submit, soften those answers — see firmware/README.md and README §”Status & roadmap” for the current truth.

Curated responses for the Maker Faire Bay Area 2026 Call for Makers. Copy each answer into the form. Notes below each field explain the choice.

Application URL: https://makerfaire.com/bay-area (Call for Makers) Show: Sept 25–27, 2026 · Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo CA Deadline: typically early August, submit by end of week.

Exhibitor Information

Name (Required)

Mohamad

Last Name (Required)

Al-kahlout

Email (Required)

mokahlou@gmail.com

Will this be your first time exhibiting at Maker Faire Bay Area?

Yes

Your Location, City/District (Required)

Phoenix

Country (Required)

United States of America

State/Province (Required)

Arizona

Project

Project Name (Required)

Wattplot

Note: the form default text was “Watt Plot” (with a space). The brand is “Wattplot”, one word, capital W, matching the repo (github.com/mokahlo/wattplot) and the README. Use the one-word form.

Project Description (Required, public, on website)

Wattplot gives a decommissioned solar panel a second life. An 8 ft × 5 ft raised bed with a hinged, ballast-mounted canopy holds an old rooftop panel, the same one that lost its inverter and was headed for the landfill, and uses it for shade, food, and some power. A $30 ESP32 smart controller tilts the panel to follow the sun, folds it flat for high winds, verticalizes it for rain, and shuts the motor off before it stalls. Fits any panel up to 97”×61”, five validated presets from a 12-year-old 250 W residential salvage to a new 620 W bifacial. Open source (MIT), code-first, every drawing and every simulation in the repo.

Rationale: ~280 chars, leads with the upcycling hook (the new value prop), gives the dimensions and the technology, closes with the open-source ask. No jargon. Accessible to a 12-year-old and to a 60-year-old engineer.

What are your plans at Maker Faire? (Required, check all that apply)

Skip “Promoting a product or service,” “Selling at Maker Faire,” “Launching a product or service or crowdfunding campaign”: Wattplot is open source, not a product launch.

Project Website (Required)

https://github.com/mokahlo/wattplot

Primary Project Photo (Required)

Use: renders/wattplot_v2_iso.png (the iso view of the 8×4 full-size model at 35° tilt with tomato plants).

Specs check: landscape, ≥900×600 px (the render is 1200×800 at the source), 3:2 aspect ratio, no text overlay. The render is generated from the parametric FreeCAD model, so you have full rights.

Alternates if you want to swap:

  • wattplot_v2_mini_iso.png, the benchtop version (18×14), more relatable, “I can build this”
  • wattplot_v2_flat_iso.png, storm fold at 0°, the safety story
  • wattplot_v2_side_view_035.png, engineering side view (frame + actuator + hinge detail)

My pick: wattplot_v2_iso.png, canonical, shows scale, the title is the project itself.

Additional Project Photos (up to 5, 10 MB each, jpg/png/gif/webp)

Recommended order (strongest first):

  1. wattplot_v2_iso.png, iso view, 35° tilt, full bed
  2. wattplot_v2_mini_iso.png, benchtop mini (what’s on the booth table)
  3. wattplot_v2_flat_iso.png, storm fold at 0°
  4. wattplot_v2_side_view_035.png, engineering side view with hinge + actuator detail
  5. renders/booth_preview/booth_viewer_preview.png OR renders/booth_preview/booth_sim_dashboard_preview.png: shows the booth itself (3D viewer or sim dashboard)

If you don’t have the booth preview yet, substitute wattplot_v2_pcb_schematic.png (PCB block diagram) for slot 5.

Optional. If you have a YouTube build video, this is the place for it.

https://github.com/mokahlo/wattplot

Project Video (optional)

If you record a 30-second build-time-lapse (the booth materials have a TODO for this), link the unlisted YouTube URL here. Maker Faire features videos on the website.

Primary Category (Required)

Alternative Energy

Additional Categories (up to 4)

If you want to swap one for something more “Maker Faire”:

Maker Information

Who would you like listed as the maker(s) of the project?

Just Myself

Your Website

https://github.com/mokahlo/wattplot

Your Photo (Required, square, ≥500 px)

Needs a headshot of you. Take with a phone against a plain background, crop to square.

Tips for the shot:

Maker Bio (Required, public, on website)

Mohamad is a maker in Phoenix, Arizona. Wattplot started as a backyard experiment to grow tomatoes in a small space and ended as a code-first agrivoltaic system, a parametric 3D model, an annual sun simulator, an ASCE 7-22 wind load analysis, an ESP32 PI controller on motor current, and a Home Assistant dashboard, all in one open repo. The project pivoted in 2026 toward upcycling decommissioned rooftop panels, a single Wattplot planter fits any panel up to 8×5 ft, with five validated presets from 12-year-old 250 W residential salvage to new 620 W bifacial. He builds it to learn; he shares it so others can build it too. First time exhibiting at Maker Faire Bay Area.

Exhibit Logistics

Space Size Request (Required)

Standard Full Booth (10’ x 10’)

Do you need Tables and Chairs? (Required)

Yes please

Number of Tables (Required)

1

Number of Chairs (Required)

2

Do you have a hands-on activity for attendees? (Required)

Yes

Please describe your hands-on activity (Required)

Visitors press a button on the booth table to tilt the panel between three modes: storm fold (0°), mid (15°), and power (35°, the structural max). The Mini v2.4 on the table responds in real time. Kids see the engineering, a PI loop on motor current, an IMU for closed-loop position feedback, a priority-ordered decision stack. Adults see the agrivoltaic loop, sun → MPPT → battery → tilt, all under $200 in parts.

Location (Required)

Either

If you have a preference: outdoor is better for a solar demo (the sun lamp is for indoor backup). The Mini v2.4 has its own 12V 7Ah battery, so it works either way. Pick “Either” if you want the producers to choose based on layout.

Noise

Normal - does not interfere with normal conversation

Does your exhibit require power? (Required)

Yes

The Mini v2.4 has its own battery, but you’ll want power for the 24” live-sim dashboard monitor and the laptop running the 3D viewer. Standard 120V outlet, ~200W draw.

Does your exhibit use or disrupt radio frequencies?

No

ESP32 is WiFi + BLE, these are license-free ISM bands, not “disruptive.” But the form only gives Yes/No, and you can leave it No. The booth’s WiFi comes from the venue.

Will you be giving away, selling, or sampling food?

No

You’re not handing out food, but you might mention tomatoes grown in the bed. That’s information, not food. “No” is correct.

Do you have any additional special requests?

No

Availability, Are you able to exhibit for the entire event? (Required)

Yes

Friday 9/25 through Sunday 9/27

Mobile Phone Number (Required)

+1 6235653273

Safety

Does your exhibit contain fire, chemicals, or dangerous materials? (Required)

No

12V only. No propane, no welders, no open flames. The Mini’s solenoid is a 12V DC valve on tap water, not a hazmat.

Do you have an interactive exhibit including using tools, riding, climbing? (Required)

Yes

The “interactive” here is the press-the-button-to-tilt-the-panel demo. Visitors touch a momentary pushbutton; the panel tilts in response. No tools, no climbing, no riding. The “Yes” is honest because the form is asking about any interactive element.

Will your exhibit produce any waste? (Required)

Yes

The Mini runs clean, but visitors will leave coffee cups and take-home cards. “Yes” is honest (the form is about the whole booth). Bring a small trash bag. The booth’s net waste is minimal, paper cards and plastic cups, both recyclable.

Optional Information

Upload additional supporting documents

Optional. If you have a 1-page project PDF, drop it here. The README.md + one-pager in this repo are sufficient.

Is there anything else you want to tell us? (Optional, use this!)

Wattplot’s primary use case is upcycling decommissioned solar panels that would otherwise be landfilled. ~10M tons of panel waste globally by 2050 (IRENA). Most panels are removed because the racking or inverter failed, not the cells. A 12-year-old 250 W panel is still a 235 W panel: perfect for shade + some power, and you delay recycling by 10-20 years.

The build is parametric: wattplot_params.py is the single source of truth for the 3D model, the annual sun simulator, the ASCE 7-22 wind analysis, and the engineering drawings. Change one number and the whole pipeline updates in ~10 seconds.

Five panel presets are validated: longi_620W (new bifacial), residential_60cell (12-yr-old salvage, 235 W derated), residential_72cell (8-yr-old, 288 W), commercial_96cell (6-yr-old, 388 W), and large_format_1m65 (4-yr-old bifacial, 392 W). A custom-panel API is one function call: apply_panel_preset(name).

The Mini v2.4 on the booth table is a working validation prototype: real 10W panel, real MPPT, real actuator, real sensors, real soil. The firmware is the same ESPHome YAML that runs the full-size build. Every drawing, every simulation, every line of code is in the public repo under MIT license.

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Pre-submit checklist

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After you submit

If you get rejected