Solar PV Monitoring/Automation Thread

NCSolarGarage

I joined this board to say thank you for everyone who helped put this together. I've never done python, or modbus stuff before, and I just installed HA yesterday. I am able to pull data from my inverter to HA after only a day of trial and error 😁

I am using a Megarevo 8K hybrid inverter with LSW3 stick logger that starts with 233.

I had to use the custom yaml because my registers are different than Deye and Solis. I basically just polled the ports and tried to match the results to what Solarman website was reporting, lol. Anyway, I can't find the Megarevo Modbus protocol so it'll be tough to find all the params, but I have a few key ones so far. (battery V, PV1 amps volts and power, daily use/production)

SD_DRACULA

Someone was having issues with pulling data from one of those new solis sticks and this will be handy if you want to skip the whole Solis cloud stuff, some guy just hooked up the modbus adapter to the inverter and bringing the data directly into Home Assistant

https://community.home-assistant.io/t/getting-data-from-solis-inverter/302189/70

Just bought the round adapter thingy myself, will be handy to have (but probably never use)

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119447066#Comment_119447066

Happy with Solarman data logger Modbus passthough for now, but having a spare adapter might be handy for future if it ever breaks so might order one.

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119447183#Comment_119447183

Yeah you can actually just remove the board from the wifi logger and be left with the round plug and a 4 pin plug which will do the job just as well but you can't go wrong with 13 euro for that plug :)

silver_sky

It's nice having the flexibility of access and still keeping the solis access for support/upgrades.

Geeyfds53573

@Jonathan I recall you were looking at changing battery on Solis through Modbus - did you investigate this any further or any thoughts on if or how it might work. Where do you think would the physical switch over happen? at the fuse? Any idea what type of switch to use? Something that supports automation.

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119451636#Comment_119451636

I had been looking previously at remotely changing the battery type to none to get surplus generation earlier on the day. That plan fell by the wayside though once I discovered the Feed In Priority mode.

What is the problem that you are trying to solve?

Geeyfds53573

thanks The feed in priority has been great to me thanks a mill

just interested to know if you could switch between batteries- change Solis to no battery - automatic hardware switch over to battery B - select battery B in Solis (and ForceCharge/ OverDisCharge)

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119451756#Comment_119451756

If you had a way of automating the physical switchover of the DC and CAN cables, yes, you could change all the Solis battery settings remotely via Modbus. Be interested to know how you'd manage the cable switchover though.

Geeyfds53573

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119451795#Comment_119451795

Thanks yea thought that might be the answer alright - would seem like there should be a hardware solution.

connesha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119459647#Comment_119459647

@graememk , to control this via HA, do you need to link via Tuya IOT platform?

Reason I'm asking: I've a bunch of Tuya wifi sockets that I used previously with SmartLife. Now, since all is in HA, to control via HA I had to have a Tuya IOT platform account, which they want to charge for... I got a 6 month grace period last time I asked, and don't want to sign for regular payment for something simple like switching on/off... If there is some other way to do this? I had tried flashing tasmota, but the machines I have don't support WiFi AP mode, and didn't manage to get it working with a usb wifi stick that supports AP mode yet...

(Mods, feel free to move this post if too much for this channel)

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119460765#Comment_119460765

Have moved it over here where it is probably better suited.

I don't have any Tuya devices but is Tuya local any good to you?

https://github.com/rospogrigio/localtuya

mag

finally got my hands on a v2 solarman data stick and have been able to integrate the solis hybrid inverter + battery as well as the zappi/eddi into home assistant. one thing i did notice when comparing the myenergi stats vs solarman is something odd with the battery draw.

both of these are taken at the same time and show solarman reporting 0.92kW draw from the battery with only the house connected and drawing 0.66kW. im wondering what the 0.26kW 'loss' is here..... is that the power required for the inverter/battery to run?

myenergi app is reporting 0.6kW draw from the battery...

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119460765#Comment_119460765

Yeah, through the tuya iot, never had any issues. Had originally signed up for it.. in 2020, when I got some smart plugs that I was looking to control via node red. Never seen anything about a 6 month grace

Then realized that they didn't have power monitoring. And went into a drawer

I do have tasmota on the ener-j smart plugs though.

Will look into the tuya local too.

connesha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119461846#Comment_119461846

Thanks. I signed up for IOT platform at the start of April this year. 1 month later they asked for a subscription, but difficult to see how much (it wasn't going to be free though). I sent them a note asking for more time as I was "evaluating their platform for a project/product" and they gave me a 6 month extension. That'll be done at the start of Nov, so will have to get a different way. Maybe the fact that you were on it earlier put you on a different plan.

Anyone else had similar experiences with Tuya devices in HA?

I use about a dozen wifi sockets around the house, and these have been great as they do power monitoring (I automate off their power consumption in HA), are 13a and are cheap. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09QQCWVNN . May have to try that tuya-local or give Tasmota another go on them.

Any recommendations for other brands that do power monitoring, 13a, (ideally locally) controllable in HA, and won't break the bank if need to buy a load of them? I think some are using the Tapo ones. I assume they give real-time power monitoring in HA?

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119462265#Comment_119462265

Meross ones, make sure you get the one with power monitor, available on amazon.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119462265#Comment_119462265

I picked these up at the local co op (Topline) last year ENER-J SHA5264

https://gist.github.com/en4rab/6bc83b2c9f850ea29eeaa5f1833a21fd

was able to flash them with tasmota. They also have a 16 amp fuse inside them.

mp3guy

How's everyone's inverter temperature fairing in this weather? Mine peaked at 43c, just 2c below the throttling point.

con747

I have seen my Solis go up to 58-59c with no issues before I turned on a fan to bring it down a bit. In truth it probably went higher unnoticed. Am I wrong in thinking it is ok up to 65-70c then allowing the 20-30c it mentions in the app up to a max of 105c? I will leave it up to the experts to educate me now. 😂

Inverter internal operating ambient temperature

45.6℃ 

 (up to 105℃)

https://www.soliscloud.com/static/img/question-default.ed4553e.png

IGBT (Core) Temperature

IGBT is the device with the highest temperature inside the inverter. When the temperature is lower than the maximum withstand temperature, the inverter can operate stably and reliably.

Inverter Ambient Temperature

The inverter ambient temperature is the air temperature inside the inverter.

Note: normally, the IGBT temperature is 20°c to 30°c higher than the internal ambient temperature of the inverter

silver_sky

Mine hit 68.5c internal temp today. Attic temp got up to 31.4c.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119465089#Comment_119465089

You need to get a fan on it at that range if you can.

silver_sky

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119465100#Comment_119465100

I was up there at one point to tweak some settings on the Eddi, and the fan on the inverter was running.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119465247#Comment_119465247

I think the general consensus is the Solis inverters don't have a built in fan, it sounds like a fan but is something else that kicks in when it's under high load. I couldn't find any specs on them that mentioned a built in fan. It was debated for a while in one of the threads somewhere.

tnegun

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119464840#Comment_119464840

I hit almost 65c yesterday on a Solis-1P3.6K-4G but no obvious scaleback on power output. I stuck a fan on it today and it never went above the mid 40's and the power curve remained the same. Going by the docs I'd have expected a serious reduction in output so not sure what's happening.

graememk

Peaked at 63 today and no sign of throttling,

Its in a loft (upstairs in a barn for the townies) so sorta outside. Highest ive seen is 65 in June. The panel temp is for sure reducing output though.

Bass Cadet

Hello...

I'm looking for some help with a Sofar inverter (HYD-6k-EP) and Dyness battery system (9.6kWh in 4 x 2.4 units). Solarman Smart monitoring.

The battery is not showing on the app or on the desktop Solarman Smart software. It is charging and discharging no problem and is shown on the inverter LCD screen.

I've tried resetting the data logger to factory settings, resetting the system, used solarman Pro but does not help to show battery. Not even the graphic for the battery appears. It just shows PV Production, Consumer Load and Grid import/export

Any help and/or advice is greatly appreciated...

stephenchilds

Hi all, just got system up and running with solis s6 gr1 p6k inverter.

Seeing energy generated on solis cloud but was wondering is there any way to see the household consumption? Would be nice to know how much of the generated electricity I am using.

I have no battery installed, just grid tied. There is a CT socket on the inverter but this seems to be just for export power management.

championc

Export management is reading of the grid and allowing you to block exporting, so get a CT for that. It should read import and export and work out the house load

susheel

Hi,

I have a solis hybrid inverter with batteries installed in my attic and is a bit difficult to access due to my mobility issues. The inverter does have a Wi-Fi stick installed and I can monitor the power generation and use it via the solis app and online.

I am currently on a standard variable tariff but will be moving to a day/night tariff next month. I am hoping to set up the Solis inverter to charge the batteries during the night, but to my difficulties to access the inverter control unit, I was wondering whether someone has been able to access and configure the inverter remotely?

I’m fairly capable of coding and was wondering whether this could even be set dynamically based on the next day’s rough solar forecast so I don’t overcharge the batteries unnecessarily and maximize the solar PV charging for the next day.

I’ve already done some work to get the solar and cloud forecasts via APIs on a raspberry PI and should be able to convert them to optimal overnight charging times for the inverter to charge the battery.

What I’m struggling with is how to gain access to solis inverter settings remotely so I can set them without needing to climb into the attic every time.

Has someone been able to access the solis inverter control panel settings remotely before? If so could someone please help, advise, or give pointers on how I could achieve this. I’m happy to open source my complete work in case it helps others.

Thanks

Susheel

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489318#Comment_119489318

Have moved your post here to where it is best suited. Have a read back through this thread and you'll find the answers. 🙂