I’m reasonably new to HA YAML etc - but am getting my head around the use of automations using data coming in through entities and also making my own entities in the config file etc…
I have a Enphase Solar system that is capable of producing 8Kw. I also have a fronius system that sits beneath this original system and that system, currently anyway during the summer here in Australia, generates enough power to fill my battery and run the house. So during the day, my Envoy is shipping out power to the grid up to the max allowed which is 8Kw (I’m on two phases).
The issue I have is related to the fact I’m on a variable tariff for my export (and import) power. At the moment, with it being sunny down here, the export feed in tariff is quite often below zero! - meaning I am paying to export my power. (Today I’ve exported 30kWh and it’s cost me $4 to do that. I know it’s not a lot - but everyday that mounts up and I’d rather not pay given the amount of money I’ve paid to get off grid in the first place and be self sufficient.
The envoy provides entities - so I can see when I’m exporting etc in HA - and I can see the live tariff I’m paying so I can tell exactly when I’m going into the time where it’s costing me money to export.
What I’d like to do is set up an automation that checks for a net zero value of export (can do that easily with an entity created in config ) but then I want to be able to access the envoy control somehow and tell it to “stop exporting - only supply any top up needed by the house and no more - export zero”. Then create a second automation that looks for the price going back positive and then turning on the Envoy to recommence exporting.
The list of entities that the envoy provides doesn’t include anything “controlling” - just data feeds. Is there anything that could be done with this ? I know Enphase installers can set a flag somewhere that says “zero export” or “max export” (but I’m not an installer and that may be a physical setting rather than something accessed by an interface with HA or the like ) but is there anyway to control the envoy from HA as as first point of call? In the event that powerprice is negative for feed in there is a really good chance that my fronius system will be coving the needs of the house anyway - so just turning off the envoy would be a reasonable compromise. (for power to be free or lower, the network has to be saturated - which means it’s sunny - which means my fronius will be more than capable of feeding the house need - if the envoy was turned off I wouldn’t need to import (and again even if I did, if the network is flooded the variable price is really low anyway).
Anyone have any thoughts on how this might work or even if it could work?
Entities are sensors that provide values.
Service calls are commands to perform an action.
You need to see what service calls your integration provides.
Sometimes the HA Developer Tools can be used with the Service tab to figure out the service calls available and the data needed to make a successful call.
I’ll have a look to see what service calls are allowed / available.
I’ve only used service calls once before - I have a BroadLink remote that I’ve set up in HA with their integration to fire off commands related to my blinds ( which have a remote )
I have to admit I did that one by copying via YouTube so didn’t really understand what was going on.
Your comment has “turned a light on” in my understanding so thanks for that.
If you have an Ensemble/iQ system with battery storage and/or the Enpower/iQ System Controller there are some entities that will let you control parts of that system, but unfortunately it doesn’t currently support modifying power export limits.
Thanks for the info. I don’t have the enphase batteries (my battery (BYD) is linked to a second, Fronius inverter) and the enphase envoy is, I think, the one you mention second.
What kind of controls are possible to do ? I can see power consumption/ production (live, today total and lifetime total). 6 entities only ( plus the 30 micro inverters also generate entities - perhaps I could switch them off ? Or some of them ?
If you only have panels and the Envoy I don’t think there’s any control options available (at the moment at least) - most of the controls relate to the battery storage and load shedding controls that are part of that system.
Thanks for the info. I think you are right - I can’t seem to get any control. I used your suggestion to go through the editor and see if I could get any actions to trigger but it shows as “no actions available” when I try and target the envoy entities/ devices.
I was hoping I might be able to get to the actual micro inverters and “switch them off” but it appears that it’s just data that the integration is providing.
Shame. Im sat here at the moment with my battery full, my Fronius system backing itself off as the demand from the house is less than they can produce (and they are not allowed to export to the grid - which in this case is a good thing) and my provider is charging me $0.06 per kWh to export. Whilst this is happening my Envoy is happily blasting 8.05 kWh at the grid every hour - as there is no demand from the house and the sun is shining. I’m tempted to just go into the garage and turn it off at the switch board. I don’t need the power from this older system on days like today - once the sun gets going the Fronius covers the demand and fills the battery. All the Envoy does is produce and export - if it was selling the power at a rate above zero then all good - once it goes dark I need to draw from the grid as the battery is only on one phase, so any “profit” I can make in the sale of 8kWh per hour during the day can offset the “0.5 - 1.5kWh” I have to import through the hours of darkness to support the phase not covered by the battery,.but when I’m paying for the export I’d be better just to turn it off. That’s why I wanted to see if I could automate it based on a price feed and a sensor entity that tells me if I’m exporting (both of which Ive got). Shame I can’t control the on off switch remotely.
Hey, newbie to HA, as well as enphase. However i have an idea that should work for you. First off, you can easily create an enphase installer account and access your system. I have set up my own system and also have been using the no export profile. It works well. It uses the production and consumption current transformers and ajusts the output of the microinverters. It keeps wattage around 10-20 watts importing.
Sense the enphase system already can adjust output to a target, my suggestion is to not try to figure out how to send messages to the inverters to do it. My idea wouod be to set the system profile for no export. You would then let the system run normally whenever it costs money to export. Then, during times that you can export, you would fake the envoy out by disconnecting the consumption relay and injecting your own signal that would make the envoy think your using a ton of power, then it would set the inverters to max output.
You would have to figure out how to monitor for the 8k max and then reconnect the CT, but should be doable.
Sorry I’ve not responded - I missed this post somehow.
What you are saying sounds interesting-how to I control the relay you mention?
I have sensors and entities that tell me everything regarding:
Current sale price of export
Current amount of power coming from grid
Current demand on each phase in the house
And I have enough HA knowledge to use this info to then trigger something to happen.
So the only lacking piece is knowing what to trigger, and how to access it.
Would be interested to understand if you have time.