Hello all,
I came across a product from a company named Plentify that basically let’s your inverter en geyser talk to each other. However it rather expensive.
These are the main functions I would want to try and replicate from there system:
- To switch your geyser off as soon as you pick up that it is loadshedding from the inverter. Without having to run wire to your inverter to create an non essential circuit.
- This is the more tricky one. I want to try and prevent my inverter from tripping due to overload. Now a normal inverter has a max power output just above it’s rated power output however it has a peak power output it can sustain for about 10s of about 2x it rated power output. What my thinking is if you can use Solar Assistant to give live power output information from your inverter to Home Assistant. You would then theoretically be able to use Home Assistant to swith of your geyser using a IOT breaker before that 10s runs out and your inverter trips. Then after 10 or so minutes of the output power being lower then some threshold you can switch the geyser back on.
Now the problems I can see is as follows. Solar Assistant not being able to give the correct information to Home Assistant for this to work thus live info regarding grid power (On/Off) and power output number for inverter. The second thing is that 10 seconds is just not enough time given Solar Assistant will have a delay Home Assistant will have a slight delay and switch the breaker will also have a slight delay.
Now at this stage everything is theoretically as I don’t have Solar Assistant to check what is going on (don’t want to spend money on something that might have already been proven impossible).
My backup power setup consists of a 5kw Sunsynk and 5kwh Greenwich battery. My geyser is currently not connected to the inverter but want expand my system by adding PV in the future and also my geyser.
Thanks in advance for all the feedback and ideas