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Solis App - not fit for purpose

Forty_Two

New Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2023
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31
Location
England
I have had this (small) system (8 panels x 1 battery) for 3 weeks. The Solis app – is simply not fit for purpose.
The ‘app’ does not show correct information and they admit it is not correct, they are telling me that what I see on the app is not what is happening. 2. The user manual for the app does not look like what I see on the app screen. I ‘raised a ticket’ with Solis and the agent is unable to explain to me what is going on possibly (?) because his English (reading/writing) is not adequate.

How can they sell a system knowing that the app to control the system is not fit for purpose?

Solis sales/service etc., Bootle, Liverpool don't answer the phone ever, every day, never!!

Disgraceful service
 
The App and website aren't perfect, I know. Some of the figures are plain incorrect. But it's good enough to get a general idea of what is going on.

Solis sales/service etc., Bootle, Liverpool don't answer the phone ever, every day, never!!
I have spoken to them a few weeks ago about a spare part I needed. They answered the phone after about 25 minutes on hold and raised a ticket which got processed in a few days.

What particular issues are you having with the app? There was a recent fix that corrected the usage from battery being shown as imported.
 
Welcome to the world of China products.

The good news is the app isn't needed for anything functional and your inverter can be programmed and values read from the front panel, so while it isn't convenient, you can get the production values from the unit it self.
 
Thanks for the helpful replies.
First is - I don't know if I can do anything / change anyting in the app. I raised a ticket and got an reply telling me to go to 'advanced settings' but I can't find 'advanced settings'.
Next is - what is the point in having an app if I can't reply on what I am seeing as being correct. e.g. the app tells me it is randomly charging the battery from the grid - is it / why is it
 

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To change things with the app you need to have Remote Control enabled by Solis. You also need a recent (S3) datalogger. Once Solis have enabled it you need to log out and log back in to the app. Then go to the Inverter Details screen and tape the three dot menu button. You should have "Control Inverter" there.

What is the charge level of your batteries when it is randomly charging? If the level goes too low (usually set to 15%) the inverter will top the batteries up a bit from the grid to stop them shutting down.
 
1. Is this the 'Inverter Details screen'?
2. Where is the 3 dot menu?
3. How do I know it I have Remote Control enabled by Solis?
4. How do I know if I have a recent (S3) datalogger?
 

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1. That's the Soliscloud website, not the Android App, but it is the correct screen.
2. The "..." menu is for the Android App. On the screen you are using you will get an extra button in the top right - once you have got the Remote Control enabled.

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3. You have to ask for it. Raise a ticket with Solis as per these instructions Inverter Remote Control application : Service Centre. They usually get it done within one working day.
4. The serial number of your datalogger starts with "5A12", the same as mine, which I believe means it is the correct version.
 
1. That's the Soliscloud website, not the Android App, but it is the correct screen.
Thanks again for the helpful reply . . . .
From the date of commission I chose to have the 'app' loaded onto my Windows 10 PC (solely because I prefer the big screen and proper keyboard (I have a iPhone 12 but I hate the small screen and my fingers are bigger than the letters/numbers - hate it) . . . the question now is, am I seeing something different because it is on my PC?
 
The screenshot I posted with the buttons is of the PC version from my laptop. I use both the phone and the PC versions, but prefer the laptop.
 
The screenshot I posted with the buttons is of the PC version from my laptop. I use both the phone and the PC versions, but prefer the laptop.
I don't see what you see and I do see 'add data logger' so I must conclude that I do not have a data logger (whatever that is)
 

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I don't see what you see and I do see 'add data logger' so I must conclude that I do not have a data logger (whatever that is)
The picture you posted earlier showed The datalogger serial number and three of the four buttons that I see. You get the extra button when Solis have enabled remote control.

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I got a call from a Solis agent who told me:
1. The page on the app which is showing kwh going to the grid . . that's in reality isn't happening !!
2. The Inverter screen I had been looking for (on the app (pic posted above) is NOT on the app it is the (tiny) screen on the front of the inverter (see attached pic) . . . . is that correct?
 

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I'm a bit lost here. However I'll try to make some sense.

The pages on the app or website show snapshots of readings taken very five minutes. The readings are all taken individually, so a lot of the time they don't add up as they have changed while reading. Your inverter does a fast juggling act with the power coming from PV, battery and grid and the power being used. It tries to keep on top of it, but it can take a second or two while it balances things. During that second you may sometimes see a large export figure. It doesn't last long enough to worry about, but it may show on the app for 5 minutes or more.

Which screen were you looking for? My inverter has a big screen with graphics on it a bit like the app, but I don't want to go up into the loft to look at it, which is why I use the website on my PC.
 
Thanks again for trying to help . . .
I suspect what has happened to me is - I have lost trust. When I am seeing black and white and they are telling me to ignore the black because in reality it is white can't trust anyting I see or anything I am told. In this last round with Solis they offered and I accepted a call from an 'engineer' and apaert from him telling me to ignore the screens I am seeing saying kws going to the grid because those kws are not hoing to the grid - I asked him about the emails I had had from Mohammed instructing me on how I control when the battery is charged and where on the app is the edvanced settings and he told me 'that screen is not on the app, that screen is on the inverter.' (My inverter is in the garage (asy access)) Above is a pic of the screen on the inverter and the screen measures 8cm x 2cm. I feel like I am being fobbed off with bull ****. Attached here is anoth screen clip taken today (sunny here) at about 11am and it shows ann the kwh coming in going to the grid !!
 

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This morning (about 10am) iut of the blue a new circle appeared with a name 'Grid Side' and the bottom right circle also got a name added 'backup side' and . . . . the 'lightening' logo that was on the bottom right circle (supposedly home) now moved up to the middle circe and the bottom right circle (supposedly home) now has a 'leaf' logo . . . .. . what's that all about???
 

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2.30pm and the circles have changed colours - it's all happening but exactly what is happening is anybody's guess!
 

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Solis have been meddling with their web site it seems. A number of us in a Facebook group noticed it went offline around that time.

The "Backup" circle is for your AC backup port - if you have anything connected to it. That's the one that can provide power to essential appliances when you have a power cut. You're probably not even using that feature. Annoyingly I don't get that circle and I am using my backup port as of about 45 minutes ago.
 
The numbers on Solis Cloud are wildly different to my suppliers numbers. Yesterday my energy imported according to my energy suppliers half-hourly data was 15kwh Solis cloud has 46kwh consumption with 42kwh imported. The same for export, half-hourly said 2.4kwh Solis Cloud said 0.12kwh. Are the numbers known to be this wildly different or is there something wrong, if so what would it likely be.
 
The numbers on Solis Cloud are wildly different to my suppliers numbers. Yesterday my energy imported according to my energy suppliers half-hourly data was 15kwh Solis cloud has 46kwh consumption with 42kwh imported. The same for export, half-hourly said 2.4kwh Solis Cloud said 0.12kwh. Are the numbers known to be this wildly different or is there something wrong, if so what would it likely be.
My Solis Cloud import figures are usually within 0.5kWh of the supplier's meter readings. The export readings from the Cloud are about 60% of the metered export, although at this time of years my exported power is very low, so the figures are tiny.
 
My Solis Cloud import figures are usually within 0.5kWh of the supplier's meter readings. The export readings from the Cloud are about 60% of the metered export, although at this time of years my exported power is very low, so the figures are tiny.
Mine are massively out, I assume it's the CT clamp that gives the figures maybe it's faulty. It appears to be installed correctly and the right way round with the arrow pointing to the grid and in-between the meter and the main incoming fuse. I've logged a call with Solis to see if they can shed some light on it.
 
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