We are in violent agreement!
Although I am Span customer and āfan boyā, there is no evidence that Span can provide a better view of non-Span components than those components can (and do) provide themselves.
If I were āking of the worldā, I would mandate that all these components support an optional āMQTT APIā where each publishes statuses/states to MQTT topics, and would subscribe to various ācontrol/inputā topics as well, so that multiple components/subsystems donāt have to continually poll the same APIs. For example, If the Tesla GW published to MQTT, and the Span panel(s) could subscribe to those topics, AND HASS could also subscribe to the same topics, then everyone would know everything.
But for now, it seems to work OK when multiple components query each otherā¦
My issue was until I moved the networking for the Gateway I wasnāt able to get the data at all other than the not-so-public Tesla cloud API. I really always wanted it from the Gateway, but wasnāt able to until I was able to put it on my LAN rather than internal to the Panel.
Heck, my dealer didnāt even know how to enable Modbus TCP on my (Solaredge) inverters. I had to do it myself. So Iām feeding those into HA directly as well as now pulling from Panel and the Gateway directly.
@danswett I had a similar issue when I first configured gdgib/span. I had to remove the entries completely and then open my Panel door three times (really just open it and slowly depress and release the button in the middle top of the Panel) and then re add the Panels into the config.
At the risk of a tiny sidetrack:
Anyone here also a Universal Devices (ISY / Polisy / eisy) user?
Iāve got the PG3 nodeserver Iāve been working on for SPAN Panels almost ready for a beta / collaboration.
I hear there are some folks that use both HA and ISY, but not sure exactly where theyāre hiding, or if there is really much to be gained using that over this straight HA integration.
Is controlling circuit breakers via API possible yet? I have a use-case that I havenāt seen mentioned here:
My EV charger is in the driveway, and thereās some concern about unauthorized access when weāre away. So the plan is:
scan the wifi network for presence of the Teslaās MAC address
turn off the breaker that feeds the charger, when MAC is not found; turn it back on when itās found
I could also use the Tesla API for location, but that would make this dependent on internet access, and Tesla cloud.
Has anyone tried something like this?
Yes you can turn breakers on and off. Thays been available since I got my panels last year.
There is an issue with the integration (due to the way the API currently works changing the load shedding setting for a given circuit but you can do that in the Span app and doubtful youāll need to change that often.
Where do you see in Spanās documentation that the feethrough lugs can be used to feed solar inverter power in? I would like to do that.
Also, if itās a dual mode inverter with battery, where is the documentation on how to wire it to control SPANās grid isolation relay to isolate the grid when the grid goes out?
I donāt know of any such documentation, and I canāt imagine it is good/feasible idea, and I don;t know if doing so would be up to (electrical) code.
AFAIK (and I am not a definitive source) a PV system can/should connect to a Span panel on regular breakers. The bottom two breaker spaces on left/right side are designated for āgenerationā IIRC, and are different from the other breaker spaces, in that they donāt have relays and possibly donāt have current sensors. At my house, the output of my Enphase PV ācombinerā lands on a two-pole breaker on a pair of these bottom/generation spaces on the Span.
My ESS system is of the āwhole house backupā architecture, so my ESS sits between the utlity meter and the Span panel. The output of the ESS connects to the input lugs at the top of the Span panel.
The Span panel is provisioned/configured to know about the ESS, and I am pretty sure the Span firmware needs to support the ESS, so that it can monitor the ESS for an āoff gridā notification. In my case, my ESS is a Tesla Powerwall, which is supported by the Span firmware.
Iām pretty sure the Span firmware also supports the Enphase Combiner, and my Span panel is configured to know about that, so the Span software can query the Enphase API for information about my PV system status as well.
I have multiple Span panels, and they are connected in a ādaisy chainā, the input lugs of Span panel 2 are connected to the feed-thru lugs of Span panel 1.
AFAIK all the technal installer docs are on the installer site and require installer access.
But yeah thatās the standard use of the feed through lug (how mine is setup too) and in my panel we reserved the bottom two breaker slots on the left for future battery/solar inverter expansion. The panel knows how to handle it if you wire in a supported inverter in those bottom slots.
I did not see your questions until just now, sorry.
āDo you have you SPAN to MQTT server made available for others to use?ā
Currently the code is not public, but with a bit of work I could clean it up and make it available, if there was interest. My current code requres a JVM (Java Virtual Machine), and so it is unlikely to work on a H-A Pi, ATM I run it on another server on my network, it queries my three Span panels (discovered via mDNS), publishes to MQTT topics, and I configured my Home-Assitant to subbscribe/publish to thsse topics.
āDo you still need names for local APIā
I do not understand this question.
ATM, I acquire an API token for each of my Span panels in a manual setup step, and then save them in a config file. When my daemon starts up, it finds all Span panels via mDNS, and looks up the auth tokens from the config file. Then it has threads that continually query each panel, and each circuit in each panel, publishing both panel and circuit level info to MQTT. Another thread subscribes to MQTT topics for the relay state, and when the MQTT topic for a relay state changes, uses the Span REST API to change the circuit relay to the indicated state (open or closed).
Just starting my solar journey and was looking into getting a smart panel if Iām required to upgrade my panel. I had a couple questions.
@donaldcjackson I too would be interested in your codeā¦ I think? I noticed there is also a HACS plugin. Is thereās a reason you decided to set up your own SPAN to MQTT server over using the HACS one I saw up in the thread?
I noticed several people mentioning they had multiple panels. Is it just that you ran out of breaker slots or is there a different reason for requiring extra panels? Iām only using 28 out of 30 slots in my existing panel.
Is thereās a reason you decided to set up your own SPAN to MQTT server over using the HACS one I saw up in the thread?
Several reasons: First, I started me effort before the HACS Span integration effort. Second, I am not experiienced with HASS intergratons. Third: I have a bias for open integrations via MQTT, so they can be used by multiple subscribers, not just HASS.
Is it just that you ran out of breaker slots or is there a different reason for requiring extra panels?
Lack of breaker spaces was the driving factor for me.
Previously I had a large main panel stuffed full with many quad breakers, and a sub-panel. Way more than a single Span can handle
I had (prior to span) a main entry /breaker (where they split off most of my 220 for some reason and therefore put in a breaker box)
And a sub panel off that for all internal residential breakers (which my jurisdiction requires the breaker reset to be under the same cover as the residence - you shouldnāt have to go outside)
It was going to be more expensive to move the main and 220s to consolidate panels. I also ultimately needed the smart panel on the main outside where battery /solar will be.
Iāve read this thread and I have a question for those that are running Span. Iām getting started on a new house out in the country and plan to have solar and battery backup. My build will require more than one panel.
Would you still go this route given what you know now?
if not what other option would you do? Standard panel? Something else?
Do you believe Span will get there and support the HA community with the development and delivery of features discussed in this thread?
