Beta Testers Wanted: Enhanced SunPower Home Assistant Integration
I’m seeking beta testers for my enhanced fork of the Home Assistant SunPower PVS integration.
Looking for both:
- Fresh installers - Users who want to monitor their SunPower system for the first time
- Upgraders - Users currently using Keith Baker’s original integration who want enhanced features
Whether you’re new to SunPower monitoring or looking to upgrade from the original integration, this enhanced version provides professional-grade solar monitoring with 20+ advanced features.
CRITICAL: Backup Requirements
This is a one-way upgrade. Once you switch from the original Keith Baker’s (krbaker) integration to this enhanced version, there is no rollback option. There might be a way, but I’m not going to invest time investigating why my rollback failed on my test VM.
MANDATORY before testing:
- Create a full Home Assistant backup (or even better, backup your VM if running virtualized)
- Understand how to restore from backup if needed
- Be prepared for possible issues during beta testing.
You assume all risk - this is beta software and could potentially cause system issues. Did I mention doing a backup?
Requirements for Beta Testers
- SunPower PVS5 or PVS6 system (should work with PVS5, tested on PVS6)
- Average Home Assistant knowledge with HACS installed, and can find your log files.
- Studio Code Server or similar would be helpful for quick patches.
- Ability to backup and restore your system in case of issues, and no angry forum posts if this fails.
- Willingness to read the documentation and provide feedback on improving the manual
- Comfort with troubleshooting integration issues
- Looking for both users upgrading from Keith Baker’s version, or fresh installs. I’ve tested both upgrades, and fresh installs many times without issue.
Especially Helpful:
- Users with SunVault battery systems, this is untested as my system is solar-only.
Why Choose This Fork Over krbaker’s Original?
- Active maintenance - The original is no longer actively supported since the developer switched to Enphase monitoring
- Intelligent sun elevation polling - Users without battery systems won’t unnecessarily poll the PVS during nighttime hours, reducing hardware stress
- Comprehensive notification system - Alerts for individual panel failures, PVS connectivity issues, firmware updates, plus optional debug mode for troubleshooting
- Mobile notification support - Critical alerts sent directly to your phone with smart fallback
- Improved sensor reliability - Enhanced sensor implementation with better error handling and status reporting
- Advanced network support - Automatic route detection and repair for VLAN setups
- Enhanced diagnostics - Real-time monitoring of integration performance and PVS health
- Perfect for HA tinkerers - polling data is timestamped on storage, and frequent restarts of HA will not hammer your PVS.
What Gets Preserved During Upgrade
- All device history and statistics - No gaps in your energy dashboard data
- Existing entity names - Your automations and dashboards continue working
- Energy dashboard configuration - No need to reconfigure solar production tracking
- Device relationships - All inverters, meters, and diagnostics maintain connections
The upgrade process migrates everything automatically - you won’t lose historical data or need to rebuild your energy monitoring setup.
Testing Expectations
This is beta testing. I’ve spent nearly a month working on this in my spare time, testing it running 24/7 on live and testing VMs. But until more people test this, there could be issues. Expect:
- Potential bugs and issues
- Need for troubleshooting and log collection
- Multiple installation attempts may be required
- Possible system instability
If successful, please share:
- Your hardware configuration (panel count, battery system, network setup)
- Any issues encountered and how they were resolved
- Feedback on documentation clarity
- Overall experience compared to the original integration
Installation Notes
- Follow the upgrade instructions in the README carefully
- Install during daylight hours for proper validation and initial polling
- Remove the original integration completely before installing
- Force refresh your browser after installation
Repository: GitHub - smcneece/ha-esunpower: SunPower PVS monitor for Home Assistant