Complete component list, wiring architecture, supplier links and build instructions for the SmartFlow solar & wind-powered adaptive traffic light system.
| # | Item | Spec / Model | Qty | Unit Price (Est.) | Total | Category | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENERGY HARVEST | |||||||
| 1 | Solar Panel 20W Monocrystalline Growcol / Communica Β· 18.2V Β· 1.1A |
20W Β· 12V Β· 360Γ450mm | 1 | R 380 | R 380 | βοΈ Solar | Communica Takealot |
| 2 | Vertical Wind Turbine 400W DNEA / 5-blade Β· nylon fibre blades |
400W Β· 12/24V Β· 2m/s start | 1 | R 3 500 | R 3 500 | π Wind | DNEA.co.za DIY Geek |
| 3 | Solar Panel Mounting Bracket Adjustable tilt Β· galvanised steel |
For 20β50W panels Β· M8 bolts | 1 | R 220 | R 220 | π© Fitting | Takealot Leroy Merlin |
| ENERGY STORAGE & CONTROL | |||||||
| 4 | AGM Sealed Lead Acid Battery 12V 20Ah Forbatt / NPP Β· maintenance-free |
12V Β· 20Ah Β· VRLA AGM | 1 | R 620 | R 620 | π Battery | Takealot Leroy Merlin |
| 5 | Wind-Solar Hybrid MPPT Charge Controller 800W hybrid Β· LCD Β· IP67 Β· auto 12/24V |
800W Β· MPPT+PWM Β· IP67 | 1 | R 850 | R 850 | β‘ Charge Ctrl | Sustainable.co.za DNEA.co.za |
| 6 | Battery Box (weatherproof) IP65 ABS enclosure for 20Ah battery |
220Γ130Γ170mm ABS Β· IP65 | 1 | R 180 | R 180 | π© Fitting | Sustainable.co.za Mantech |
| SMART CONTROLLER ELECTRONICS | |||||||
| 7 | Arduino Uno R3 ATmega328P Β· 14 digital I/O Β· 6 PWM |
5V Β· 16MHz Β· USB-B | 1 | R 280 | R 280 | π§ Controller | Communica Mantech |
| 8 | DC-DC Buck Converter 12V β 5V LM2596 Β· powers Arduino from battery |
Input 9β35V Β· Output 5V 3A | 1 | R 65 | R 65 | π Power | Communica Takealot |
| 9 | 6-Channel Relay Module 5V Switches 12V LED circuits from Arduino |
5V coil Β· 10A/250VAC contacts | 1 | R 95 | R 95 | π§ Controller | Communica Takealot |
| 10 | 400pt Breadboard + 65Γ Jumper Wires For prototyping connections |
Standard Β· M-M, M-F, F-F | 1 set | R 75 | R 75 | π© Fitting | Communica |
| 11 | LCD 16Γ2 Display with I2C module Shows car counts + timing on display |
5V Β· I2C Β· blue backlight | 1 | R 85 | R 85 | π Display | Communica Mantech |
| 12 | Electronics Enclosure (IP65) Weatherproof box for Arduino + relays |
200Γ160Γ90mm ABS Β· IP65 | 1 | R 160 | R 160 | π© Fitting | Mantech ACDC Dynamics |
| TRAFFIC DETECTION SENSORS | |||||||
| 13 | HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor Detects car distance/presence per road |
5V Β· 2β400cm Β· Β±3mm | 4 | R 35 | R 140 | π‘ Sensor | Communica Mantech |
| 14 | Sensor Mounting Brackets For road-side sensor positioning |
PVC / 3D-printed Β· adjustable | 4 | R 20 | R 80 | π© Fitting | Leroy Merlin |
| TRAFFIC LIGHTS (ROBOTS) | |||||||
| 15 | LED Traffic Light Module (pre-built) Red / Amber / Green LEDs in housing |
5V Β· 3-LED module + housing | 2 | R 120 | R 240 | π¦ Traffic Light | Communica Takealot |
| 16 | 5mm High-Brightness LEDs (spare) Red Γ 5, Amber Γ 5, Green Γ 5 |
5mm Β· 3.2V Β· 20mA each | 15 | R 3 | R 45 | π‘ LED | Communica ACDC Dynamics |
| 17 | 220Ξ© Resistors (for LED current limiting) Protect LEDs from overcurrent |
220Ξ© Β· 1/4W Β· 5% tolerance | 20 | R 1 | R 20 | π© Fitting | Communica |
| 18 | Active Buzzer 5V (pedestrian alert) | 5V Β· 85dB Β· 12mm | 2 | R 18 | R 36 | π Buzzer | Communica |
| WIRING, FITTINGS & HARDWARE | |||||||
| 19 | 2-core 2.5mmΒ² DC Cable (black & red) Main power runs Β· battery to controller |
2.5mmΒ² stranded Β· UV resistant | 5m | R 28/m | R 140 | π© Wiring | Leroy Merlin ACDC Dynamics |
| 20 | 20A Inline Blade Fuse + holder Protects battery output circuit |
20A Β· ATC blade type | 2 | R 35 | R 70 | π© Protection | ACDC Dynamics Leroy Merlin |
| 21 | M8 Galvanised Bolts, Nuts & Washers Mounting turbine + solar bracket |
M8Γ60mm Β· hot-dip galvanised | 1 pack | R 55 | R 55 | π© Hardware | Leroy Merlin |
| 22 | Steel Pole / Conduit 50mm Γ 2m Traffic light mounting pole |
50mm OD Β· 2mm wall Β· galvanised | 2 | R 180 | R 360 | π© Structure | Leroy Merlin Hardware store |
| 23 | Cable Ties + Spiral Wrap Wire management + UV protection |
100Γ 200mm cable ties Β· 3m wrap | 1 set | R 65 | R 65 | π© Fitting | Leroy Merlin |
| 24 | Anderson SB50 Connectors Quick-disconnect battery connections |
50A Β· 2-pin pair | 2 pairs | R 45 | R 90 | π Connector | Sustainable.co.za |
| 25 | Waterproof cable glands PG7 + PG11 Cable entry points into enclosures |
PG7 Γ 4, PG11 Γ 4 | 1 set | R 45 | R 45 | π© Fitting | ACDC Dynamics Leroy Merlin |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED BUILD COST | β R 7 900 | ||||||
Erect the wind turbine on a 3m+ galvanised pole in an open area. Mount the solar panel at 30Β° tilt facing north using the adjustable bracket. Both should be in clear air and sunlight β at least 1m apart.
Run the 3-phase AC output from the wind turbine to the WIND input terminals of the MPPT controller. Connect the solar panel (+ and β) to the SOLAR input terminals. Use the correct cable gauge (2.5mmΒ² minimum) and waterproof cable glands.
Connect the 12V AGM battery to the BATTERY terminals on the MPPT controller using Anderson SB50 connectors for easy disconnect. Red = positive (+), Black = negative (β). Store the battery in the IP65 box.
Connect the battery's 12V output to the DC-DC buck converter input (12V in). The converter outputs 5V which connects directly to the Arduino's 5V pin (not VIN). This powers the microcontroller efficiently from the battery.
Each ultrasonic sensor has 4 pins: VCC, GND, TRIG, ECHO. Connect all VCC to Arduino 5V, all GND to GND. Then assign individual digital pins for TRIG and ECHO for each sensor. Mount each sensor 30β50cm off the ground facing the road.
The 6-channel relay module is controlled by Arduino digital pins. Each relay switches the 12V power to each LED (Red, Amber, Green) for each intersection. Wire a 220Ξ© resistor in series with every LED to limit current to ~20mA.
The 16Γ2 I2C LCD uses only 4 wires. Connect VCC to 5V, GND to GND, SDA to Arduino A4, and SCL to Arduino A5. The display will show live car counts and green light timers.
Connect Arduino to a laptop via USB and upload the SmartFlow sketch using the Arduino IDE (free download). The program reads all 4 sensors every 500ms, calculates proportional green light timing, and drives the relay outputs accordingly. Test each component before final installation.
Electronics, Arduino, sensors, LEDs, resistors, breadboards. Best for all microcontroller parts.
communica.co.za βComponents, enclosures, tools, cable. Multiple SA branches including Pretoria.
mantech.co.za βSA's largest wind turbine importer. Vertical and horizontal turbines, MPPT controllers.
dnea.co.za βSolar panels, batteries, charge controllers, wind accessories. Full off-grid systems.
sustainable.co.za βIn-store Pretoria (Moreleta Park). Solar panels, batteries. Visit in person.
macsell.store βPoles, cable, hardware, mounting brackets, battery boxes. Wide SA footprint.
leroymerlin.co.za βIndustrial electronics, fuses, cable glands, connectors, enclosures. Pretoria branch.
acdc.co.za βConvenient online delivery. Good for batteries, Arduino starter kits, DC-DC converters.
takealot.com β