Solar assistant: do you use it?

[timselectric]

I hope to use it in the future, but there is some information I can´t seem to find.

I have a Voltronic inverter that SA should be able to connect to, I also use the diybms which I assume that SA will be able to connect to using pylontech protocol, although I have yet to get this confirmed but I believe that should be pretty straight forward.
What worries me though is that I haven't been able to find information on if SA is able to also connect to stand alone MPPT chargers as well (connected to the same battery bank). My array will be larger then what my AIO inverter could handle alone and all I can find on SA homepage is compatibility for inverters, not simple chargers.
Maybe someone here can advise if SA can handle this?

You can only choose one model of AIO or SCC. (If compatible)
So unless the AIO and SCC are the same brand and use the same protocol. You can't connect both to the same instance of Solar Assistant.
You can add another AIO and use it just as a SCC.

 

[Flygare83]

You can only choose one model of AIO or SCC. (If compatible)
So unless the AIO and SCC are the same brand and use the same protocol. You can't connect both to the same instance of Solar Assistant.
You can add another AIO and use it just as a SCC.

I see, that´s unfortunate.
Would be too expensive to use an AIO as only SCC unless I need the added power output another AIO would provide if used in parallel.

 

[wpns]

I’m running it on my own Pi4 and it seems pretty decent. The developers added drivers for my particular GoodWe inverters within a couple of weeks of my request, so pretty responsive, and seems to be under fairly active development, though the latest official release is from August.

Looking forward to seeing how it does on my EG4 ESS once that arrives.

Not sure if I’m going to do the Home Automation integration, but I pointed it at an MQTT server on my own box and I’m logging from there, so very impressed.

 

[42OhmsPA]

Would be too expensive to use an AIO as only SCC unless I need the added power output another AIO would provide if used in parallel.

That depends on the the AIO and SCC / tier 2 vs tier 1...

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

I hope to use it in the future, but there is some information I can´t seem to find.

I have a Voltronic inverter that SA should be able to connect to, I also use the diybms which I assume that SA will be able to connect to using pylontech protocol, although I have yet to get this confirmed but I believe that should be pretty straight forward.
What worries me though is that I haven't been able to find information on if SA is able to also connect to stand alone MPPT chargers as well (connected to the same battery bank). My array will be larger then what my AIO inverter could handle alone and all I can find on SA homepage is compatibility for inverters, not simple chargers.
Maybe someone here can advise if SA can handle this?

Yeah, I think SA's website is a little misleading, because they just generally say "inverters"- but my understanding is it's really only compatible, specifically, with AIO units, not withstanding some Victron equipment like the battery shunts.

I'd be curious what you find out. I really love the data you can collect via Solar Assistant, its a million times better than relying on questionable Chinese-vendor provided software that only runs on Windows with a GUI.

You can only choose one model of AIO or SCC. (If compatible)
So unless the AIO and SCC are the same brand and use the same protocol. You can't connect both to the same instance of Solar Assistant.
You can add another AIO and use it just as a SCC.

Jeez, is that really the case? That's kind of unfortunate. I know you can run something like an MPP along with a Victron SmartShunt, but that's obviously a little different than having another separate AIO of a different brand.

My shot in the dark was that it would have worked, since you can just specify a different protocol for every USB device you have plugged in.

 

[timselectric]

Yeah, I think SA's website is a little misleading, because they just generally say "inverters"- but my understanding is it's really only compatible, specifically, with AIO units, not withstanding some Victron equipment like the battery shunts.

I'd be curious what you find out. I really love the data you can collect via Solar Assistant, its a million times better than relying on questionable Chinese-vendor provided software that only runs on Windows with a GUI.


Jeez, is that really the case? That's kind of unfortunate. I know you can run something like an MPP along with a Victron SmartShunt, but that's obviously a little different than having another separate AIO of a different brand.

My shot in the dark was that it would have worked, since you can just specify a different protocol for every USB device you have plugged in.

You can only select one type (brand) for inverter and battery monitor.
This is why I am currently running separate instances for AIO's/shunt and BMS's.

 

[Detritalgeo]

If your battery runs LI-b protocol the current driver does not support pack temperature values and it does not support viewing data for each pack.. only the nominal average values of the stack.

This goes for Ruixu for sure.

SA support didn't respond when I highlighted this feature request.

 

[MaikaiLifeDIY]

I know my input isn't related to SA, but the Victron Cerbo line of devices can connect directly to Home Assistant with MQTT and I believe it also allows for two-way communication. The point is, that while SA is great for some purposes, Home Assistant can be an alternative to SA, you can add similar graphs and build a completely customized interface depending on how much effort you want to spend.

Home Assistant integration with Victron - Victron Community

community.victronenergy.com

I have my Victron system connected to HA, but I only use it for monitoring, I don't make two-way connections, I then also have Solar Assitant feeding my other Sol-Ark system into HA, so I basically have both of my solar systems integrated into a single platform.

Victron System in HA


Sol-Ark with SA as the bridge (currently offline, for work in progress)

 

[timselectric]

I have my Victron system connected to HA, but I only use it for monitoring, I don't make two-way connections, I then also have Solar Assitant feeding my other Sol-Ark system into HA, so I basically have both of my solar systems integrated into a single platform.

One day, when I get the nerve to try it. (I'm technologically challenged)
I will connect my 3 instances of Solar Assistant to Home Assistant.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

One day, when I get the nerve to try it. (I'm technologically challenged)
I will connect my 3 instances of Solar Assistant to Home Assistant.

I have been building out my HA environment for years prior to getting into solar... Getting the SA instances connected to HA isn't the hard part, as that's just setting up the MQTT options in both SA and HA, but integrating all of the various data streams into something that's both usable and pleasing to look at is hard.

I am really hoping as HA continues to evolve, there will be better integration with solar. Currently, the only "built in" integration is adding a some basic sources for energy monitoring. To me, it seems like it's designed around grid-tied systems.

 

[timselectric]

I have been building out my HA environment for years prior to getting into solar... Getting the SA instances connected to HA isn't the hard part, as that's just setting up the MQTT options in both SA and HA, but integrating all of the various data streams into something that's both usable and pleasing to look at is hard.

I am really hoping as HA continues to evolve, there will be better integration with solar. Currently, the only "built in" integration is adding a some basic sources for energy monitoring. To me, it seems like it's designed around grid-tied systems.

I really don't care for the look of HA. (Don't ask why, I don't know lol)
But it appears to be the only way I can get everything in one place.

 

[MaikaiLifeDIY]

One day, when I get the nerve to try it. (I'm technologically challenged)
I will connect my 3 instances of Solar Assistant to Home Assistant.

Connecting those is really easy, and as far as the look, you can make it look however you want, cards, gauges, backgrounds, colors, etc. It's basically a canvas and it ties everything together, lights, locks, doors, alarm, weather, music, movies, solar, etc in one open-source project that is the most active and expansive system available wordlwide.

 

[timselectric]

I'm a simple man. I just want to monitor and adjust my solar system.
If Solar Assistant would give us the upgrades we have been asking for, I wouldn't need anything else.

 

[wattmatters]

Currently, the only "built in" integration is adding a some basic sources for energy monitoring.

The MQTT integration with SA is more than monitoring, it enables control of AIO functions from Home Assistant. With HA I can change any of the following parameters:



I have various automations running to change the mode of operation of my AIO depending on various factors (grid tariff period, battery SOC, solar PV forecasts etc), when and how much supplemental battery charging to add from the grid, a storm mode option.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

The MQTT integration with SA is more than monitoring, it enables control of AIO functions from Home Assistant. With HA I can change any of the following parameters:

View attachment 203335

I have various automations running to change the mode of operation of my AIO depending on various factors (grid tariff period, battery SOC, solar PV forecasts etc), when and how much supplemental battery charging to add from the grid, a storm mode option.

Yes, I'm doing the same on my end using MQTT bi-directionally. I find myself not using it very often within HA, as I haven't set up a dashboard that looks prettier and than SA's.

 

[wattmatters]

My off-grid monitoring:



My battery is a hybrid LiFePO₄ (daily cycling) + SLA (reserve capacity), with 57% being my normal low SOC setting hence the battery SOC indicator being in the "red zone". I would only be going below that in a grid outage.

Battery is monitored with Victron shunt via Solar Assistant.

 

[jsmithtx]

It doesn't support the 6000xp inverter without using the very insecure wifi adapter, so I will use it as soon as they have an RS485 solution for monitoring . Always broadcasting an unsecured wifi endpoint that anyone can connect and modify settings is a no-go for me!

 

[AZ Solar Junkie]

It doesn't support the 6000xp inverter without using the very insecure wifi adapter, so I will use it as soon as they have an RS485 solution for monitoring . Always broadcasting an unsecured wifi endpoint that anyone can connect and modify settings is a no-go for me!

Or if they would just change the firmware in the ethernet dongle so the needed port(s) are open, that would work too, eh - though then I'd have to buy the ethernet dongles. Argh. Seems crazy to me that they have different port blocking rules on the ethernet vs the wifi adapter - you would think they would be the same other than the network medium (ethernet vs. wifi). I'm just not willing to give up solar assistant as I really like the way it presents the data. I must say though, with the evolving features on the EG4 monitoring portal (and the recent iOS app update), it is becoming more useful. I COULD live without SA, I just don't want to have to!

 

[timselectric]

I don't plan to ever change my equipment. But if I did, compatibility with SA would be a requirement.

 

[timselectric]

Right now I have 3 instances of SA.
Main system
BMS's
DC loads

When I put the Deye on the garage, that will require a 4th.
At that point I will definitely need to get all of the information in one place.