Mandatory enrolment in the Victorian Backstop Program
Limited/No flexibility with VPPs or third-party energy management platforms like Amber SmartShift
What I have managed to do so far:
Inverter has a wired Ethernet connection
Modbus TCP enabled and accessible on port 1502
I can read registers via Home Assistant successfully (e.g., current export limit in watts)
Amber feed-in tariff data is already integrated into my Home Assistant setup via Amber integration
The Problem:
Modbus TCP write access is disabled by default
There’s no option in the web UI to enable write access as an end user
SolarEdge support have confirmed that write access must be enabled by the installer
My installer has been contacted to request this change, but I’m still awaiting a response or resolution
Has anyone successfully enabled Modbus TCP write access on a post-2024 SolarEdge inverter (in Victoria) to allow dynamic export control via Home Assistant?
Were you able to convince your installer to enable it? Or is there a workaround I’m missing? So far there has been a little bit of pushback from them but they are at least talking about it amongst themselves and asked me for further clarification so that they can talk to SolarEdge.
Is anyone using a SolarEdge inverter under the Victorian Backstop Program with write-capable Modbus TCP?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has made this work or hit the same wall.
Essentially anyone who had their SolarEdge inverters installed prior to Oct 2024 would not be experiencing this kind of issue
Apologies, I thought I mentioned it in my post but it wasn’t clear.
SolarEdge inverters only support a single VPP enrollment so the mandatory Victorian Backstop Program enrollment that went into effect in Oct 2024 means any SolarEdge installs since then can’t use Amber Smartt Shift.
This leads me to try to do it myself with HomeAssistant.
You can’t really use modbus write when the inverter is enrolled in a power program. Even if it is enabled, all of your write requests will get quickly reverted. Your site needs to be unenrolled for write commands over modbus to stick.
You should browse through my discussion archives, I know people have talked about it but I don’t recall exactly where.
I do not really know the technicalities on how the Victorian Backstop Program works. From what I understand it just turns on curtailment as a last resort when exports are too high (daytime when the sun is out?) and causing instability in the grid and then turns off curtailment when the problems go away.
My goal is to be able keep exports curtailed by default and and only start exporting when the feed in tariff is unusually high (gets higher than a defined price usually in evening peak hours) and then go back to being curtailed when the price drops again.
It doesn’t seem like any of these events will coincide or clash so ??
I had a look though your github discussions but could not find anything specific.I’ll keep reading and hopefully keep learning!
The feedback I see from people using my integration is that being enrolled in any energy program overrides all settings. If you set them it will revert back within a minute.
I was thinking about this some more and realise that what I am trying to achieve is nothing more than functionality that already currently exists in the SolarEdge app.
Using the SolarEdge app I can put the battery on “Manual control” with a schedule to pause everything everyday, a pseudo curtailment if you will.
if I want to I can change the schedule to “Discharge only” which initiates exporting (above and beyond the current house load).
So if I can already do it via the app and there is no conflict with the Victorian Backstop program then I should be able to do it via Home Assistant provided SolarEdge and the installer agree to give Home Assistant write access to the inverter.
That request has been with them for a week and I should hopefully have an answer Monday or Tues.
If this works then i am not intending on enrolling in Amber Smart shift even when SolarEdge get their act together and update the firmware to allow it.
Hey @TheRealNCG - have you had any success or feedback since your last post here?
I am in a nearly identical situation to you (VIC installation post Oct 2024 with the same inverter & battery - the difference is my hass instance is running on it’s own device), and have also been hitting a brick wall getting commands I issue to the inverter to be accepted.
I’ve yet to reach out to my installer - this will be next on my list depending on how successful you’ve been…
My installer put me on to a SolarEdge contact and after going back and forth with them a few times I have given up completely. There is no way that SolarEdge will allow write access for Modbus TCP anymore.
The only way its possible is if you have an older inverter with older firmware where it was possible but SolarEdge have locked things down on all the recent stuff.
Interestingly enough there is a widespread SolarEdge issue where the inverters are not coming out of sleep mode after commands issued by the Victorian backstop program (the inverter remains frozen/unresponsive) so be sure to be checking your battery level and status (wether it’s charging and discharging when it should be) on a daily basis. Inverters have to be power cycled remotely or in person to get out of the frozen state.
It’s been happening on a weekly basis for the last 4 months to me and I have a complaint in with Consumer Affiars about it. Both my installer and SolarEdge have admitted that it’s a widespread problem.
