I’m requesting an integration or addon for the Anker E1600 Solarbank battery, that can be used for many small solar power installations.
Unfortunately Anker does not provide any API capability yet. However, there are 2 github projects that started some work on it to connect to the Anker and publish the data via MQTT:
The only limitation as I understand is that both, API and Anker App cannot be used at the same time since the only currently available authentication mechanism allows only one connection at a time.
Some additional information about the solarbank and how I use it so far with Home Assistant can be found here:
Update: I managed to convert tomquist’s API approach from Javascript to python. I hope to enhance it with new endpoints I found in the Anker App binaries and tweak it to use it as API for an HA integration once I learned how to develop and test integrations.
This will allow to integrate my python API right away without MQTT needs.
Since I only own the Solarbank, I plan some code to allow anyone with an Anker account to dump an anonymized version of his config to collect examples how other devices like inverters are reported through the API and eventually create sensors for those too.
The API may allow some basic testing by yourself as well on any python installation, thus providing ease of use compared to a docker image. Stay tuned
I published a first version of a Python API based on the work done with javascript on the solix2mqtt library. It cannot be used directly in HA yet, but provides a base for HA Integration development.
The repo contains some sample responses as received from some API queries.
It would be great if user with different system constellations or Anker inverters and Power Units configured in the mobile app, can use the export_system.py tool and provide randomized examples of their system config. Valuable constellations would be:
I think this is possible only via the schedule, therefore you need to pass the whole or at least a schedule slot back to the cloud with the set home load or set device parm endpoints.
I have not explored any of those methods and its not my first prio.
Essentionally I’m not planning to expand the API for changing anything in the device config, since the parameters are mostly unknown.
My first prio is to use the API reporting methods for developing a HA integration and get the device sensors into HA to monitor key values and settings of the solarbank.
You are welcome to explore how to use the API methods for changing device settings and once the parameters are clear, add them as simplified methods to the API.
Depending on how that must be done, those capability could be added later also to an HA integration via switches or selections.
However, I think the home load is difficult for an HA integration since it is no simple entity to change. Its always coupled with a schedule, so can probably be implemented only as service which needs the full parameter set of the respective schedule slot or even the full schedule.
Released a new version of the python Api with enhancements and fixes implemented to support the HA Integration.
It does now also support Anker inverter details (however there are not many unique values from invertes…)
I hope to have the first Integration version ready by mid march, supporting the System Config as well as detailed sensors for solarbank and inverter devices for monitoring
On top of the Anker Solix python library that I released few weeks ago and continue to enhance for HA usability, the HA integration allows seemless integration of your Solarbank or Anker inverter into HA, reporting the values that are also available in the Anker mobile App.
Before you install and use the integration, make sure you follow the README and the usage instruction in the INFO.
You can find the release notes for the initial version in the repository, where you can also start discussions and share experiences.
Have Fun
Right in time for Easter, here is a nice Easter Egg for all of you…
After I spent most of my spare time for another 4 weeks into this project, the new integration version 1.1.0 is now released.
This is a major enhancement release for your Anker Solix integration. It allows modifications for most of the customizable Solarbank settings that are accessible via the cloud Api. To understand the modification capabilities, read the updated INFO prior upgrade and usage of the new capabilities.
Happy Easter!!!