Reporting and Monitoring

Spies

So it sits between the shinelan and the growatt servers but it requires a connection to the growatt servers as the proxy doesn't currently emulate the responses, if the shinelan box is unable to connect to growatt, it simply doesn't send the data until it returns, so it's usefulness, other than piping data into, say, pvoutput like I am, isn't really there. 

I think growatt inverters do support modbus so that would be something else to look in to for true local data but my Google fu is failing me on that point 

ggmf

support for modbus - that's my understanding too, however getting any support from Growatt UK is proving really difficult. All I want to do is connect a RS485 data cable (RJ45 presentation)  from the inverter into my Tigo data logger and then go from there. 

The inverter clearly send slots of interesting data to the shineweb server (and presumably out via as RS485 as well), but as a user you just cannot download the raw data. To quote UK support when questioned about the RS485 port "never tried connecting to or look at the data from the RS485 output", seems they don't like providing raw data to users.  I cannot get them to confirm the RJ45 presentation for the RS485 data, pin layout!

Why is this all such smoke and mirrors, it's our data as users, that is hosted overseas, What happens if the overseas suppler goes belly-up?  I'd quite like to hold my data so that I can analyse and compare.

I've experienced similar problems with Optimiser manufacturers too! I had cause to question way something was not working correctly, response was "we looked and have changed something on your device, It works now", ok what did you change? "we changed something" yes but what? {hits head on wall}

Maybe I'm asking too much, but my old technical skills and data interests are keeping the grey cells active in retirement! 

Spies

Might be worth posting on the diysolarforum as they seem quite clever on there. 

I agree that it's our data and we should have local access to it, all they need to do is enable mqtt on the shinelan.

Can't even export data in csv format from the growatt site from what I can tell! I've had to manually backfill Feb's data in pvoutput 

Will this work for you, it says it supports SPH

https://solar-assistant.io/explore/growatt#hero 

ggmf

Yes I'm aware of Solar-Assistant. the USB port of the SPH is for firmware updates only (I'm advised), hence attempting to source info on the RJ45 presented RS485 port. I did post on diysolarforum with no response, still researching...

mcn99

Prior to a recent solar install I did some research, and was rather disappointed in what could be done. All the manufactures try to push you to use their cloud solution, and that was what i wanted to avoid at all costs.

So as i don't have any battery storage yet, I decided to get a cheap PI kit (mainly because i wanted to play with it but could never think of a practical project)

So i currently use this to monitor and log my solis inverter output in real time, and I intend to get a Hildebrand device when they become available again. This will give me import/export and solar generation in 1 place using a PI, and i will eventually buy a ct clamp for the iboost diverter.

Spies

ggmf said:

Yes I'm aware of Solar-Assistant. the USB port of the SPH is for firmware updates only (I'm advised), hence attempting to source info on the RJ45 presented RS485 port. I did post on diysolarforum with no response, still researching...

One thing thats a plus, is that now I have set the update frequency on the shinelan to 1 minute, I'm seeing more granular power within home assistant.

ggmf

@Spies, how have you got home assistant connected to your Growatt please? I take it you have the Shinelan rather than the ShineLink?

Spies

I have a ShineLan-X

I previously had it connected via the growatt integration which uses the api to pull the data from the growatt site. 

Now I use a docker called grott, which is acting as a proxy, this docker than publishes mqtt to another docker called mosquito which is then configured in home assistant and that's how it's currently set up. 

Spies

The grott docker has added server emulation now

https://github.com/johanmeijer/grott/discussions/98

ggmf

hmm, does not look possible with the ShineLan solution. Wish I'd not google'd 'grott' now (not advisable!)

Having  had a very quick look at the MIN 3600TL-XE data sheet, it seems that there could be RS485 being output from the Sys Com port.