Solar assistant: do you use it?

[Will Prowse]

Solar Assistant is a solar system monitoring and remote control app. It can also be used for home automation and load control.

I am using this poll to measure it's popularity on the forum. I have never used it before, but am curious how many people are using it.

 

[Shawn Hayes]

Yes. I prefer it over the PV Pro app Sol-Ark offers.
Vote cast ?

 

[wattmatters]

Have had it running for over two years (August 2021). It turned a cheap AIO inverter into a far more capable unit, not just for monitoring but particularly through the inverter control automations I have set up with Home Assistant (and Node Red).

My automation controls when it switches between utility pass through and SBU modes (based on how our grid-tied PV system is running and to avoid grid imports), as well as control if, when and how much supplemental battery charging it uses from my grid-tied PV system.

 

[webbbn]

I'm considering it, but I'm not a fan of Raspberry Pi. I have a whole box full of arm-based SBCs, but no Orange Pi 3 LTS, and I much prefer x86 SBCs. I also don't see a try before you buy, and the idea of a locked-down Pi running proprietary software just rubs me the wrong way.

The price is not an issue, and I would have no problem if I could run it wherever I wanted, but I'm currently working on Home Assistant integration to see if that is good enough.

Just to throw one more dart, I don't see any indication of where this software comes from, the only contact information is an email address, and the domain registration is almost entirely redacted.

 

[houseofancients]

Yes, used it for my mpp's and voltronics in the past, now for my sunsynk/Deye/sol-ark's and my seplos Mason batteries

 

[wattmatters]

I don't see any indication of where this software comes from

The developers are from South Africa.

 

[houseofancients]

I'm considering it, but I'm not a fan of Raspberry Pi. I have a whole box full of arm-based SBCs, but no Orange Pi 3 LTS, and I much prefer x86 SBCs. I also don't see a try before you buy, and the idea of a locked-down Pi running proprietary software just rubs me the wrong way.

The price is not an issue, and I would have no problem if I could run it wherever I wanted, but I'm currently working on Home Assistant integration to see if that is good enough.

Just to throw one more dart, I don't see any indication of where this software comes from, the only contact information is an email address, and the domain registration is almost entirely redacted.

A raspberry pi is a different manufacturer than the one that makes the orange pi

 

[webbbn]

A raspberry pi is a different manufacturer than the one that makes the orange pi

Of course, and I have some orange Pi's, just not that one, and I really don't need another one.

 

[houseofancients]

The developers are from South Africa.

Well, not entirely..
The guys from sa created the drivers for inverters and batteries and packaged a collection of open source software packages together to make a complete solution

 

[houseofancients]

Of course, and I have some orange Pi's, just not that one, and I really don't need another one.

Well can only comment that I only use and have used raspberry's for SA

 

[Crowz]

Its all I use with my various inverters.

 

[Pierre]

I would use it if it was Windows based and could run on my local network. Both my Growatt and Victron inverters are remote.

 

[n2aws]

I'd consider it if my inverter was supported. Unfortunately, I've emailed them several times asking how I can help get it supported (I have the modbus maps, and programming experience.. However, they've never even replied to say "no thanks"

 

[Crowz]

I would use it if it was Windows based and could run on my local network. Both my Growatt and Victron inverters are remote.

You can run it on windows via a virtual machine setup. I have done it to test stuff. Its just not supported that way.

The pi's are not but $60 turn key. That means you get an orange pi 3 lts board, case to put it in and a power supply.

So complete computer to run it on for $60.

It has to run 24/7 to be useful. There isn't a windows machine that will run at the low power levels of a pi setup. So its cheap to buy, cheap to run and bulletproof for the most part. You can also buy a 12 volt dc power supply for it so it can run off the dc part of your setup if you have 12volts. This means its automatically battery backed up with a power failure. This is how mine is running.

Its just the right way to do it all things considered.

Its accessible across the network from a pc too and also accessible via pc or your phone from anywhere in the world if the internet is reachable by the pi which has built in wifi too so that is easy to get on the net.

 

[Crowz]

I'd consider it if my inverter was supported. Unfortunately, I've emailed them several times asking how I can help get it supported (I have the modbus maps, and programming experience.. However, they've never even replied to say "no thanks"

I'm waiting on the epever to be supported which is supposed to come out this year. I want to add a SA setup to my 12 volts stuff too.

 

[OffGridForGood]

You can also buy a 12 volt dc power supply for it so it can run off the dc part of your setup if you have 12volts.

or the multi voltage DC-DC inverter they sell, connects right to my 48 volt batteries and runs the Pi uninterrupted.

 

[timselectric]

I wouldn't want a system without it.

 

[timselectric]

or the multi voltage DC-DC inverter they sell, connects right to my 48 volt batteries and runs the Pi uninterrupted.

That's what I am doing.

 

[HalfBaked]

I am SA-curious. I have heard great things about it, and I do enjoy data, but I'm not sure it would give me anything I can't already get from the smartshunt and the Morningstar Liveview that comes built-in to my TriStar mppt.

 

[Watts Happening]

Use it, love it, and it doesn’t void my warranty lolz