Automatically Changing of Inverter Settings based on Eskom Load Shedding Level

This video is the installation of an automation to automatically change your inverter settings when the load shedding level from Eskom Changes.
You will require the Eskom Se Push integration and the ESP32&RS485 for this to work.
Eskom Se Push
• EskomSePush Home Assis...
ESP32
• Setting up your ESP32 ...
Yaml code - no notifications
drive.google.com/file/d/1mlF5...
Yaml Code - with notifications
drive.google.com/file/d/132-I...
I am still working on another automation that will message you using the Home Assistant app on your phone when the Load Shedding levels change and then give you the option to change your battery settings or not.
00:00 Introduction
02:20 Test Entity Setup
05:10 Scenes Setup
10:39 Automation Setup

[@jarobertsrsa007]

I’m so chuffed I found this channel.

[@SolarIntegrations]

Thanks @jarobertsrsa007 , I am glad it has helped you :-)

[@vaughanza]

Thanks for another great video, super helpful. Busy adding it to my HA and very excited. So what you saying is the higher the Stage, the higher your SOC charge should be? So the Grid or PV will charge the batteries to SOC % ? Question why not keep your SOC at 100% Thanks

[@SolarIntegrations]

If you keep the SOC at 100%, the inverter has to pull all power from the grid whenever there is a heavy load rather than using battery power to power the spikes and then recharging it when the load stops. Would make more sense to keep the SOC setting at say 90% to give the inverter some space to use battery power

[@vaughanza]

@SolarIntegrations That makes sense thanks . We need to create a automation that looks at what stage is planned and adjust soc accordingly.

[@SolarIntegrations]

@@vaughanza Agreed, I would like something that looks at how much power is forecast by Solcast, how much power is needed in the battery to make it through load shedding at the time load shedding is scheduled and then adjusts the setting as required. Still trying to get my head around it though as it is getting rather complicated

[@vaughanza]

@@SolarIntegrations Awesome thanks for your time and effort you put into your videos, so helpful

[@muaawiyahdadabhay926]

Hi there ! Any chance of ever doing some NodeRed automations following similar suite?

[@SolarIntegrations]

Hi @muaawiyahdadabhay926 , I am not an expert in the Node Red automations. The best would be to speak to Bloubul7 on the Powerforum.co.za who started the whole integration thing of about 3 years ago with a Node Red setup. There is a long thread there with details of how to set it up as well.

[@vaughanza]

Any chance you have added a device that measures your water consumption ? If so can you share what device and how. Be great to create a card etc.

[@SolarIntegrations]

Nope sorry, I have seen a few about though, check out the Home Assistant forum

[@SolarIntegrations]

I remember seeing a sensor that attached to your municipal meter and read it every time the meter ticks over, will have a look and see if I can find it again

[@vaughanza]

@@SolarIntegrations Thanks, it will be awesome to get the Water into the Dashboard

[@donovankruger8131]

Thanks for the video. I'm using the scenes for simple automations based on the time of day. When activating a scene, it changes the SOC for each time time mode and then after a couple seconds it randomly changes random time mode SOC's. Any idea what the issue could be?

[@donovankruger8131]

Sorry something else to add - this only happens when all time mode SOC's are changed at once. If I change hem one by one in automations they maintain the SOC that they were set to

[@SolarIntegrations]

Hi @donovankruger8131, I haven't heard of that issue before. What inverter is it? I would suggest getting onto the Powerforum.co.za, post as much info as you can. Inverter model, firmware version etc. I would also include the YAML code you are using on the ESP32 along with a log file from ESPHome of what happens when you try to write the changes. Lots of guys there that are way more clued up than me on the coding side of things and I am pretty sure that someone will have an idea as to what could be causing the problem.

[@flamingspiral]

For some reaon my UI scene editor does not have entity selection, it only has a way to add a whole device. I suppose it can still work, but its much nicer the way that you have it with just the SOC entities. Do you know why that might be?

[@SolarIntegrations]

Hi @chrismetcalfeza, do you have advanced mode enabled in your Home Assistant profile?

[@flamingspiral]

@@SolarIntegrations Ah! thats what it was. Thanks.

[@SolarIntegrations]

Awesome @chrismetcalfeza , Glad that sorted it out :-)

[@andycrighton]

I have a Deye inverter integrated to HA via mqqt. Is it possible to do this on mine? I don't see the SOC timezone entities on my integration. Please advise, thanks.

[@andycrighton]

My integration is via mqqt Solar Assistant to Home Assistant. I found the entities, they are called Capacity Point 1, 2, 3 etc. However if I try and change the value, I get an error in the logs: Deye Inverter Response changed to Error: updates not allowed. 10:47:18 AM - 6 minutes ago

[@andycrighton]

Problem solved - there is a setting on Solar Assistant to allow this

[@SolarIntegrations]

That's pretty cool @andycrighton , I was not aware that you can write inverter settings back to the inverter using Solar Assistant.

[@andycrighton]

Thanks to you...this is a game changer @@SolarIntegrations