Hybrid inverter with good local integrations

Hardware
1

Hi,

I hope I am posting in the right group.

I am looking for a hybrid inverter to be installed outdoors ideally with no need to connect to the OEM cloud for authentication so I can choose when to let it connect to their servers (without breaking something) and with good local integrations or at least exposes its data so integrations can be made.

Also something nice but not essential would be if it payed nicely with energy companies like Octopus to take advantage of smart tariffs etc. I think the ones Octopus currently support are:
Enphase
GivEnergy
Solaredge
Are there any other energy suppliers that are doing something similar?

TL; DR I want to be able to control the system entirely locally and choose when/if I let it connect to the cloud.

I am looking forward ti what everyone has to say!

2

I’m not aware of an inverter where you could selectively control when to allow it to connect to its manufacturer’s cloud.

However you can certainly go the “local only” route whereby your inverter does not have internet access and never connects to the manufacturer cloud.

I have a Solax and a Sofar. Both are connected to my WiFi with the standard WiFi dongles that came with them but I have restricted their network access at my router so they have no Internet access. The Solax has a local HTTP API, the Sofar has a Modbus TCP API. I have my own code that fetches the grid tariff, solar forecasts and calculates/implements the best decision but I expect many people use something like Home Assistant. You only really need to be able to access the SoC, PV Power and Charge/Discharge mode over the API. Both my inverters and most of the others I looked at support Modbus (RS485) so you don’t even have to connect it to WiFi if you don’t want to.

I took the view to buy cheap inverters. Considering their low cost in light of the electric savings I see them as disposable - when they break I’ll stick a new one up. Of the two, the Solax has an easier and better documented API so I’d chose that. I’m 3 years in with no problems yet but others may favour a more “quality” brand at a higher price point which I think most of the ones you’ve mentioned might be.

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