Solar Inverter: Kostal Plenticore Plus integration

Third party integrations
41

Hi.

No actually i use the Plenticore Plus Inverter.
Currently I don’t have a battery installed.

Should it work if i remove the battery conditions?

Edit: This works, now i can see the Kostal sensor.
I just get this warning now in the logs, but i guess i can ignore this?

image

1 Like
42

I don’t use websockets. So i guess it has nothing to do with the component.

43

Did you connect the plenticore with Ethernet to the raspi or is it over WiFi?
Still waiting for my installation, but it will be with the kostal smart energy meter. Did anybody have a look how to tap into its values? I saw that it works with modbus on tcp.

44

My Plenticore is conneced via ethernet to my smarthome network.
I have also such a energy meter. Its from B-control.
I also tried to get those data but I missed the battery data and thats why I started with the integration of the inverter.

Everything I need was in there

45

I started with Modbus integration, because of the lack of something better. You can try it, but there is no reason to not use the inverters API values IMO:

modbus:

  • type: tcp
    host: 192.168.1.11
    port: 502
    name: energy_meter

  • type: tcp
    host: 192.168.1.22
    port: 1502
    name: inverter

  • platform: modbus
    scan_interval: 1
    registers:

    • name: Aktueller_Verbrauch
      hub: energy_meter
      unit_of_measurement: W
      slave: 1
      register: 0
      count: 2
      scale: 0.1

  • platform: modbus
    scan_interval: 1
    registers:

    • name: Total_DC_power
      hub: inverter
      unit_of_measurement: W
      slave: 71
      register: 100
      count: 2
      #reverse_order: true
      #scale: 0.1
      data_type: float

  • platform: modbus
    scan_interval: 1
    registers:

    • name: AC-Leistung_gesamt
      hub: inverter
      unit_of_measurement: W
      slave: 71
      register: 172
      count: 2
      scale: 1
      data_type: float
1 Like
46

Hi Lukas, does it mean one ethernet cable goes to the smart meter and the other one to your smarthome network?

47

For me yes. Every device is connected via Ethernet. There is also an additional RS485 Connection between the Inverter and the Smart Meter (which is probably not needed, but then we are independend from the Network).

48

exactly. The Inverter gets many information over that serial connection. Ethernet is optional for operation.
It is just for Update/Configuration or Monitoring reasons

49

New Version adds:
- ACFrequency
- ACL1Current
- ACL1Power
- ACL1Voltage
- ACL2Current
- ACL2Power
- ACL2Voltage
- ACL3Current
- ACL3Power
- ACL3Voltage

50

Hey, your integrations seems great! I do have some questions tho:

  • Does it support battery?
  • Do you maintain the integration?
  • How about security? I’m generally quite mindful about security and not breaking anything. I know that the modbus(tcp) interface of the plenticore is read only so there is no chance of breaking anything!
    => Is there any advantage to using modbus?

Sorry if this seems rude, but I don’t want to mess around when it comes to such expensive equipment!

Have a great sunday, benni!

51

Hello Benni,

yes it supports batterys.
I maintain it (help is always appreciated), I use it myself.
This component dose not use Modbus. It uses the web API (same as the webside). It just dose the authentication and reads the values. It can not break anything.
There is no cloud involved, all your data stay local. But the traffic is http, so its not encrypted.
I personaly use a seperate VLAN for my HA instance and my solar stuff and clients can only connect to HA. Internet connection is also prohibited for my smarthome networks.

Have a gread Day,
Lukas

52

Thanks for the fast info Lukas!

In that case I’m going to give it a try because it sounds really interesting and well made. I personally do not use a VLan as my infrastructure unfortunately doesn’t support it, maybe later on. As for help in developing I would be glad to help, altough I know python and actually use it myself I honestly don’t really like it xD

Are you still trying to make it an official integration? Just out of curiosity

53

yes. I would like to. But at the moment I have not so much time to work on it.
But before, I would like to make it async. But I dont really know how to do it. :smiley:
I hope I can get it to one of the higher scores.

54

Yeah thats the thing… I don’t want to hate on python, but the asnyc stuff really is a pain in the ass as far as I know xD

1 Like
55

Hi Lukas,
thanks for making this.!
Now I managed to setup HACS and added your integration but then I add the sensor:
and check the config I get the following error.
Invalid config for [sensor]: required key not provided @ data[‘platform’]. Got None. (See /config/configuration.yaml, line 44).
what i’m I doing wrong…
HASSOS (odroid-C2 image) Home Assistant 0.113.3
regards. Arnold

Ok asked to fast!! :wink:
Used that sensor: !include sensors.yaml method.
and had sensor: still in that file, alo needed to reformat the sensors.yaml file.
So forget my question.

Ok is not working for my inverter:
Powerstocc Excellent 5.5

56

Great work here! Will soon be adding to my HA. Quick questions:

  • Do I need the KOSTAL smart energy meter for this?
  • Anything special to do when I don’t have a battery connected (yet)?
57

Thanks :smiley:

  • You need just the inverter. Als long as the inverter gets the data from whatever energy meter it will work.
  • Dont add the sensors for battery :smiley:
58

Thank you for the integration. I installed with HACS but getting the following error. Any ideas?

Platform error sensor.kostal_plenticore - cannot import name 'PERCENTAGE' from 'homeassistant.const' (/usr/src/homeassistant/homeassistant/const.py)

EDIT: Can be ignored. Just updated Home Assistant to latest version and everything works fine.

59

grafik
grafik1588×622 280 KB

Little inspiration …

2 Likes
60

Hi Lukas,
the darker days showed up, that the smart battery control isn’t working very well.
In order to minimize the losses on behalf of delayed battery charging, I deactivated smart battery control.
Do you think it would be possible to get a handle out of HA to activate or deactivate this option?

1 Like