Smart Motion Solar & Battery Controller Virtual Power Plant
Streamline your energy management with the Solar and Battery Controller Virtual Power Plant (VPP), designed for seamless integration with Home Assistant. Effortlessly manage wholesale electricity plans like Amber Electric or LocalVolts for optimal efficiency and cost savings through the Solar & Battery Controller when feed into grid prices are negative. It is dynamically triggers a reduction in the solar inverter power output therefore curtailing it when prices are negative. Checkout the blog including real-time savings from our customers.
Overview
Introducing the Smart Motion Solar & Battery Controller Virtual Power Plant—an advanced energy management solution crafted to optimise your solar & battery power system for wholesale electricity providers like Amber Electric and LocalVolts. Fully compatible with leading inverters, including Sungrow, Fronius and Victron, this controller seamlessly integrates with Home Assistant, enabling automated energy control based on real-time electricity pricing. It works through real time monitoring of the wholesale electricity price and reduces inverter power output when feed into grid prices are negative.
Remote Installation and Pre-Configured Device
Installation is completely remote, ensuring minimal disruption and convenience for the user. Our team of skilled engineers handles the configuration process, so when your device arrives, it’s pre-configured and ready to go. Simply connect your inverter and/or battery to your home network, and you’re set to unlock smart energy management with your own VPP.
Key VPP Features
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Dynamic Self-Consumption Mode
- Automatically adjusts your system to prioritise self-consumption when energy prices are unfavourable or your battery is fully charged.
- Prevents unnecessary exporting or importing of energy, maximising cost savings.
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Automated Battery Management
- Force Charge Mode: Ensures your battery reaches full charge during low-cost periods or before peak demand times.
- Force Discharge Mode: Allows you to export stored energy when feed-in prices are high, increasing your return on investment.
- Minimum Reserve Setting: Maintains a user-defined minimum battery level to ensure backup power availability.
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Intelligent Export Control
- Curtails solar inverter feed in when prices are negative, preventing you from incurring costs for exporting energy.
- Automatically resumes normal operation when feed-in prices become favourable.
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Price-Based Automation
- Monitors real-time import and export prices to make informed decisions on when to charge or discharge your battery.
- Integrates with Amber Electric’s and LocalVolts pricing data to provide up-to-date energy cost information.
- Reduces solar inverter output when prices are negative
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Scheduled Operations
- Set specific times to force charge or discharge your battery, ensuring it’s ready when you need it most.
- Automates daily routines like backing up your Home Assistant configuration at predefined times.
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Comprehensive Energy Monitoring
- Tracks daily imported and exported energy costs, providing detailed insights into your energy usage and savings.
- Resets daily totals at midnight for accurate day-by-day tracking.
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Easy Integration
- Compatible with a wide range of inverters including Sungrow, Fronius and Victron models creating your own VPP
- Simple setup through Home Assistant with customisable automations to suit your energy needs.
Benefits
- Maximise Savings: By intelligently managing when to import or export energy, you reduce your electricity bills and increase your earnings from surplus energy.
- Enhance System Longevity: Optimal battery management extends the life of your battery system.
- Stay Informed: Real-time data and automation keep you in control without constant monitoring.
- Environmental Impact: Efficient energy use contributes to a greener footprint.
Stay Informed With Live Savings Data
Curious about your actual savings? We provide a dynamic, real-time look at your daily energy savings and earnings. In just a glance, see how your system takes advantage of off-peak rates, capitalises on high feed-in tariffs—and yes, when prices go negative, that’s money going back into your bank account—while still delivering clean energy to your family through your Virtual Power Plant. Knowledge is power—and now it’s right at your fingertips. Check out how our customers’ systems are performing in the graph below.
Compatibility
- Inverters: Sungrow, Fronius, Victron and other compatible models.
- Software: Home Assistant for automation and control.
- Energy Providers: Optimised for Amber Electric’s and LocalVolts dynamic pricing but adaptable to other providers with similar pricing structures.
Get a quote today!
Upgrade your solar power system with the Smart Motion Solar & Battery Controller Virtual Power Plant and take full control of your energy production and consumption.
Contact Us for more information.
Smart Motion Service Level Options
The Smart Motion Service Level Options provide tiered plans catering to various needs and budgets. Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans offer benefits such as unique subdomains and enhanced remote access for efficient smart home management, ensuring accessibility for all users.
|
Feature or Service |
Go it alone (Free) |
Bronze ($10/month) |
Silver ($20/month) |
Gold ($40/month) |
|
Remote Access via Home Assistant App or Internet |
Local access only or recommend Nabu Casa |
Your unique subdomain6 |
Your unique subdomain6 |
Your unique subdomain6 |
|
Cloud Backups |
None |
Daily backups1 |
Daily backups1 |
Daily backups and Smart Motion managed restoration2 |
|
Maintenance & Patching |
Self-Managed3 |
Self-Managed3 |
Smart Motion managed monthly updates4 |
Smart Motion managed monthly updates4 |
|
Solar & Battery Controller |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Software Evolution Included5 |
- Restore file provided upon request.
- Excludes replacement Home Assistant Green device.
- Smart Motion recommends keeping your device current with all the latest patches to ensure it is secure.
- Monthly patching cycle on the third Saturday of every month to the current Home Assistant version.
- Newer versions of Smart Motions Solar & Battery Controller included within ongoing subscription.
- Unique domain name allowing remote access when you are away from home (https://<unique>.smartmotion.life/)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need technical expertise to install the Solar and Battery Controller?
A: No, all you need is your inverter to be connected to your home network. Our engineers will remotely connect and configure the system.
Q: Can I customise the automation settings?
A: Yes, all automation scripts are customisable within Home Assistant to fit your specific energy usage patterns.
Q: Is it compatible with other energy providers?
A: Yes, Amber Electric and LocalVolts are both supported and can be adapted to work with other providers offering dynamic pricing.
Q: Can I remotely connect to this device over the internet away from home?
A: Yes, you have options for remote access. You can subscribe to Smart Motion Remote Access for a small monthly fee, or choose Nabu Casa for seamless integration and support. The choice is yours.
Q: Is ongoing support available?
A: Yes, Smart Motion has a tiered Service Level model from ‘Go it alone’ to ‘Gold’.
