Developed by Luke Ditria and his team at AutoEcology, the PV PI is a plug-and-play MPPT solar charging HAT designed for Raspberry Pi and other SBCs like the Orange Pi, Banana Pi, and NVIDIA Jetson.
Designed for outdoor and remote projects and built around TI BQ25756 charge controller and STM32F103 MCU, it supports LiFePO4 management, true MPPT charging, power monitoring, and automation over the RS-232 UART interface. It also produces 5V output via a high-current buck/boost converter, supports watchdog-based power cycling, RTC wake-up scheduling, and automatic restart at safe voltage levels. With XT30 connectors, stackable headers, and RTC backup, the PV PI HAT is ideal for solar-powered IoT like AI-based wildlife monitors, environmental monitoring, and remote data logging applications.
PV PI HAT specifications
- Compatibility – Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi, Banana Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, etc…
- Main MCU – STmicro STM32F103 Arm Cortex-M3 microcontroller @ 72 MHz
- Charge controller – BQ25756 I2C Controlled, 1 to 14-cell bidirectional Buck-Boost charge controller
- Communication – Serial interfaces, also used for real-time voltage and current monitoring
- Misc
- Configurable power cut-off during downtime
- Automatic restart at safe voltage levels
- Optimized energy utilization for continuous 24h SBC operation
- RTC with backup battery
- Â Power
- Input voltage (Solar Panel) – 8V–55V DC via XT30 connector
- Charging type – True MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) with automatic detection of panel MPP
- Charging current – Up to 10A (fast charging capability)
- Battery compatibility – 12V LiFePO₄ (high-capacity packs supported) input via XT30 connector
- Output power – Independent 5V / 8A regulated supply for Raspberry Pi and accessories
- Dimensions – Raspberry Pi HAT form factor
The PV Pi HAT uses a simple UART interface and works with any SBC using standard Python and the PySerial library, with no custom drivers required. It lets you monitor battery voltage and charging current, control power states, and configure wake-up features directly from your device. Full documentation and example scripts will be provided before the March 2026 delivery, but no specific date is promised.
Previously, we have written about similar solar power supplies for the Raspberry Pi, like the Waveshare Solar Power Manager Module (D), the makerPower Solar power supply/charger, and the PiJuice Battery HAT Module. But none of those are quite like this board, which combines true 10A MPPT charging, a high-current 5V/8A output, and smart power management features designed specifically for long-term off-grid operation.
The Raspberry Pi MPPT solar charging kit is now available via a Kickstarter campain. Shipping is scheduled for March 2026, and the price starts at AU$99 (≈US$65) for a single unit and AU$267 (≈US$174) for a three-pack at a 10% discount. Larger bundles include AU$420 (≈US$274) for five units and AU$790 (≈US$515) for ten, up to a 20% discount. Each kit includes standoffs, a stackable 40-pin header, and XT30 pigtails for quick setup. The team has already validated the prototype and finalized the design, adding 5V and UART breakouts, as well as RTC backup support. A recent update confirms that US backers will pay much lower import tariffs, around 10% instead of the previously estimated 80% because the team shifted manufacturing to a location outside China.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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