PVOutput - Idiot's Guide for auto-uploading required

Ageing_Stick_Insect

Hi Jimmy,

I've had a reply from my installer about the API key. He's looking for some layman's instructions on how to set this up for me. Fair enough if he's not been asked before.

Can you give me a step by step guide on what he needs to do after making the request and getting the key back? I imagine after that he just makes it known to me and I put it in the relevant section of the PVOutput settings page.

Thanks.

jimmyboy420

Hi Ray,

Once he's got the API key, then yes, pretty much, hopefully that's what it will be. But PVOutput will also have to do some work to be able to connect with the API before you can do anything

The instructions on how to get an API key are pretty straight forward. They're included in the following PDF, which I think you should have access to?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4KHAs9P5uH7VDBSaWE4WGdrT1k/edit?usp=sharing

Cheers,

James

Ageing_Stick_Insect

Hi James,

Yes, that's the document I'm looking through. There are several APIs. I'm guessing he should request Site Power (Site power measurements in a 15-minute resolution).

In the Security section does he request it for Account User or Site?

Is the Response Format csv? That seems correct from the PVOutput help.

Thanks for all your help.

jimmyboy420

I think your installer just needs to request an API key, I assume for site as it's for your individual site, whereas I think account would be for all SolarEdge systems that he has installed. Then he just needs to give that API key (long string of letters and numbers) to you.

In the Site Admin > Site Details tab > API Access section:
1 Acknowledge reading and agreeing to the SolarEdge API Terms & Conditions.
2 Click Generate API key.
3 Copy the key.
4 Click Save.
5 Use the key in all API requests

Once you (Ray) have that, you could try contacting Bankstownbloke on the Get Satisfaction/PV Output support site and offering to be a tester. In fact, we might do better if you respond to my post there backing up my request

Then I guess to start with, we can give Bankstownbloke our API keys (though my installer is very slow to respond to requests) and hopefully we can help Bankstownbloke get it up and running without much difficulty.

I agree that site power is probably the right API to be using, but I think that is up to the pvoutput guys to implement.

jimmyboy420

Did you ever get the temperature working with wunderground? I've got it working; but only if I upload the live data from SolarEdge on the same day (i.e, I can't wait until the next day!)

I anticipate that won't be a problem if live loading gets implemented automatically.

Ageing_Stick_Insect

Thanks for all that Jimmy. Posting it to him now. One concern was that first link. It didn't work for me. Maybe only available to installers?

https://monitoringapi.solaredge.com/

The only way I can see to upload weather data is once you have a Live Output automated. I have received an API Key from WU but until I can upload live there's nowhere to put it.

I'll add my comment to your volunteer thread on PVOutput.

jimmyboy420

Hey Ray,

Well, I'm in exactly the same circumstances as you but I have got WU working OK. As long as I load live data on the day, then the temperature data comes in automatically a bit later!

jimmyboy420

I just have, under automatic uploads:
Primary device: Weather
Weather Station: ISURREYR6
Weather API Key (MY WU API KEY)
Temperature unit: Celcius

Then I clicked save. This updates the temperatures whenever I load new data for the current day... If I do it late and load for "yesterday" then it won't update temperatures...

Ageing_Stick_Insect

I might try that again this evening. It's a bit galling you can do it and I don't see able when I run a weather station! :eek:

Cheadle Hulme Weather.

Ageing_Stick_Insect

Well done Jimmy. I've followed your instructions and just uploaded today's data to 15:00.

Follow this link and in the next few minutes it should show.

http://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?userid=30882

Time for tea and a piece of cake.:D