Best way to integrate growatt

Configuration
1

Hello everyone,

I’ve been running the growatt integration for a couple of years, not without issues unfortunately. Its always login issues which I understand cannot be solved on our end. Lately I have been seeing errors on my phone shine app as well, saying I have been banned for 24 hours. I read I should make another user with api key but I cannot do that as I don’t have access to create new users. The company that installed and supplied my credentials is not replying to me - no help there I’m afraid.

So I have been looking at other options. I read I can use a Modbus TCP adapter on the RS485 port (if I have that? Is that what the RF adapter is connected to?) or perhaps use Grott, but I notice there are little updates and docker images are 2 years old. I am afraid a year from now it will stop working after a HA update or something and I am back to where I am now.

Therefore I kind of lean towards the modbus to tcp adapter option, it seems more future proof and less dependent on other projects? I read the downside is that it doesn’t support a splitter to use both the RF adapter and Modbus?

My setup here is Growatt 4200MTL-S using ShineRFStick and a ShineLanBox with wired LAN connection to a switch.

I run Home Assistant on a rPi 4 2GB, Zigbee via TubesZB PoE powered.

Installation method
Home Assistant OS
Core
2025.11.3
Supervisor
2025.11.4
Operating System
16.3
Frontend
20251105.1

I have a x86 min PC running Docker with Portainer. Currently only Unifi Manager runs in it. I can use it to run a docker image for Grott but if possible and not too much hassle, I would rather keep ha stuff together on the HA host.

Any help on what would be the best way to do this?

Thanks!
Boyd

2

The modbus/esphome is definitly the preferred way to go. Everything local and you have full control over everthing. It is rather simple to do also. I have a old and new growatt inverter here. One is connected via rs232 and the other via rs485

On the esphome side you have a few options too. There is a growatt platform for esphome that gives you all the important info you need at a few clicks. But is you want to read all registers and also want to have write access (seldom needed if at all) then you can just use the modbus platform and read/write the registers yourself. Growatt modbus docs are everywhere on the net as do examples.

1 Like
3

Grott is providing data to MQTT and and MQTT will continue to be supported ‘forever’.
I have been running this for 3y now and no issues, it is plain simple and will receive support if/where needed.
And there is this one but I guess that is closer to HA
Growatt Shine WiLan X2 integrated into Home Assistant - Easy Solution - Share your Projects! - Home Assistant Community

1 Like
4

Please note that this is your (!) opinion only, I disagree. The existing stick will do the trick with grott

5

It is your opnion (!) also and it is you right to disagree with it. No need to point this out so directly. Sure, it is a good thing to give the thread owner multiple options. Even if it requier to run an additional grottserver. The thread owner shared that he preferred not to be depended to other projects.

6

Thanks both!

Appreciate both options, I don’t think there is a best way to go, both have their own pro’s and con’s.

I will start with Grott simply because I can without spending money. Any idea why the docker images aren’t being updated?

7

I think I broke my LAN shine box. In a moment of mindlessness I thought it was a good idea to check for a new update. It went down and never came back. I have now attempted a hard reset (hold for 5 or 6 seconds all leds turn on) and power cycles but it remains dead.

Any suggestions on an affordable RS485 adapter on Amazon or a local EU shop?

Apparently it takes a very long time. Its back up this morning.