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ENLARGE
The Sunny Buddy program, written by Johns Powers for the Palm OS handheld device, allows him to monitor the output of the solar system on his 25-acre spread off Kentucky Flat. Powers is now selling the program commercially.
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ENLARGE
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The Sunny Buddy software program displays numerical and graphical performance data in real time, enabling the user to constantly monitor the performance of a solar power generating system.
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John Powers is an old dog who has learned new tricks. While he isn't old in human terms (he's a vigorous 64), Powers is practi- cally pre-historic by the ever-changing standards of the computer software industry he has worked in all his life.
Remember Atari home computers? Powers was director of software development for the PC pioneer.
How about Convergent Inc., one of the first developers of high-end desktop computers? He was the manager of business development.
The Learning Company? Powers was vice president of research and development for the innovator in educational children's software.
Then there's his work for Apple Computer, where Powers was software architect and lead engineer for Apple Guide, on-screen help technology introduced in the Mac 7.5 operating system.
Remember Atari home computers? Powers was director of software development for the PC pioneer.
How about Convergent Inc., one of the first developers of high-end desktop computers? He was the manager of business development.
The Learning Company? Powers was vice president of research and development for the innovator in educational children's software.
Then there's his work for Apple Computer, where Powers was software architect and lead engineer for Apple Guide, on-screen help technology introduced in the Mac 7.5 operating system.
Now, as "The Grand Poohbah" of Poohbah Industries near Nevada City, Powers has developed Sunny Buddy, a software program for Palm handheld devices that makes it easy to monitor and record the performance of solar power generation systems.
Introduced last October at the Solar Power 2000 Conference in San Francisco, Sunny Buddy is starting to draw attention from system installers and end users.
Sierra Solar Systems of Grass Valley has included the product in its catalog, and SMA-America, Inc., of Grass Valley is actively promoting the software with its Sunny Boy inverters.
Jon Hall, owner of Sierra Solar, believes there is a market for the $95 software program.
"It's quite a bit less expensive than other (monitoring systems) that will give you the same information," he said. "I think it's great. It will definitely help people keep in touch with their systems."
Not bad for a man who says he's a retired software engineer who spends 90 percent of his time working on the 25-acre spread he and his wife, Janey, own off Kentucky Flat.
Introduced last October at the Solar Power 2000 Conference in San Francisco, Sunny Buddy is starting to draw attention from system installers and end users.
Sierra Solar Systems of Grass Valley has included the product in its catalog, and SMA-America, Inc., of Grass Valley is actively promoting the software with its Sunny Boy inverters.
Jon Hall, owner of Sierra Solar, believes there is a market for the $95 software program.
"It's quite a bit less expensive than other (monitoring systems) that will give you the same information," he said. "I think it's great. It will definitely help people keep in touch with their systems."
Not bad for a man who says he's a retired software engineer who spends 90 percent of his time working on the 25-acre spread he and his wife, Janey, own off Kentucky Flat.
But Powers hasn't lost his interest in the intricacies of software programming, an exercise he said is "still fun." It was his interest in programming the Palm OS handheld that led to the formation of Poohbah Industries.
To learn the operating system, Powers decided to write a program in 1998 that would help him keep track of his wine collection.
The Internet was just starting to take off, and he thought the Web would be a good way to sell the program, which he named Wine Master. "It's like a bazaar," he said. "You show your wares and people check them out."
Wine Master was priced at $29.95 - fairly expensive for the time - but found an instant market. "It was very well received, particularly internationally," Powers said. "It was quite exciting, I thought."
One of his European customers asked Powers if he had a similar program for cigar aficionados. Powers has never smoked a cigar in his life, but he decided to pursue the project and came up with Cigar Master. That was followed by Beer Master and Whisky Master.
Powers has sold thousands of copies of the programs to customers in 46 countries, marketed as "software for the connected lifestyle." (Beer Master now sells for the "beer budget" price of $14.95, the others for $19.95.)
To learn the operating system, Powers decided to write a program in 1998 that would help him keep track of his wine collection.
The Internet was just starting to take off, and he thought the Web would be a good way to sell the program, which he named Wine Master. "It's like a bazaar," he said. "You show your wares and people check them out."
Wine Master was priced at $29.95 - fairly expensive for the time - but found an instant market. "It was very well received, particularly internationally," Powers said. "It was quite exciting, I thought."
One of his European customers asked Powers if he had a similar program for cigar aficionados. Powers has never smoked a cigar in his life, but he decided to pursue the project and came up with Cigar Master. That was followed by Beer Master and Whisky Master.
Powers has sold thousands of copies of the programs to customers in 46 countries, marketed as "software for the connected lifestyle." (Beer Master now sells for the "beer budget" price of $14.95, the others for $19.95.)
The decision to install solar panels on the roof of the Powers' barn - the work was done by Sierra Solar - inspired Sunny Buddy. Powers wanted to monitor the output of electricity, but didn't want to hook up a computer to the solar system's inverter.
So, of course, he wrote a program for his Palm OS. "It was fun, but technically it was a very challenging project," Powers said. "It was something I did for myself that ended up being commercial, just like Wine Master."
He borrowed an inverter, which converts DC power into standard household AC current, from SMA-America and conducted 10 months of field testing and evaluation before Powers decided the software was ready to market.
Sunny Buddy displays numerical and graphical performance data in color on a Palm in real time, and saves a detailed performance history of the solar system in spreadsheet format for display on a PC.
The software monitors and records system status, power output, solar panel voltage, accumulated power output, and accumulated hours of operation. It can also monitor data from up to 100 additional solar inverter data channels.
Sunny Buddy has been approved for its rebate program by the California Energy Commission, and Powers is waiting to see how the product is received by installers, system integrators, and other who move the solar energy market.
So, of course, he wrote a program for his Palm OS. "It was fun, but technically it was a very challenging project," Powers said. "It was something I did for myself that ended up being commercial, just like Wine Master."
He borrowed an inverter, which converts DC power into standard household AC current, from SMA-America and conducted 10 months of field testing and evaluation before Powers decided the software was ready to market.
Sunny Buddy displays numerical and graphical performance data in color on a Palm in real time, and saves a detailed performance history of the solar system in spreadsheet format for display on a PC.
The software monitors and records system status, power output, solar panel voltage, accumulated power output, and accumulated hours of operation. It can also monitor data from up to 100 additional solar inverter data channels.
Sunny Buddy has been approved for its rebate program by the California Energy Commission, and Powers is waiting to see how the product is received by installers, system integrators, and other who move the solar energy market.
"It's a totally different market for me," he said. "People don't browse the Internet for stuff like this. ... It's a matter of getting penetration in the market."
In the meantime, Powers will continue to work on his spread - they won a conservationist of the year award in 2003 from the Nevada County Resource Conservation District - and spend what time is left in his role as The Grand Poohbah.
"Poohbah" was popularized by the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera, "The Mikado," and has come to mean somebody who needs to maintain full control. That description doesn't fit Powers.
"Customers enjoy the name," he said. "I try not to take it too seriously."
ooo
Poohbah Industries can be reached at www.poohbah.com on the Web.
In the meantime, Powers will continue to work on his spread - they won a conservationist of the year award in 2003 from the Nevada County Resource Conservation District - and spend what time is left in his role as The Grand Poohbah.
"Poohbah" was popularized by the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera, "The Mikado," and has come to mean somebody who needs to maintain full control. That description doesn't fit Powers.
"Customers enjoy the name," he said. "I try not to take it too seriously."
ooo
Poohbah Industries can be reached at www.poohbah.com on the Web.
