Assistance please

[wilsoac]

Hi Peter,

I am new to HA and I am trying to set up this configuration in my HA but I am getting a couple of errors. I'm not sure if this is the place to get assistance but I cant seem to find anywhere else with info. Whilst your documentation is fantastic I am too new to fully understand the process and some information I need is assumed knowledge! So far I have added my user, PW and site to the secrets Yaml. Added the solar_analytics_advanced.yaml and tried to add the packages in the default config (I think this is where I am getting the error)

Loads default set of integrations. Do not remove.

default_config:

Load frontend themes from the themes folder

frontend:
themes: !include_dir_merge_named themes

automation: !include automations.yaml
script: !include scripts.yaml
scene: !include scenes.yaml
packages: !include solar_analytics_advanced.yaml

Again, I am pretty green with all of this and also understand your time is valuable. If you are able to give me a hand that would be appreciated. If not could you please point me to a place where I can get some additional information.

Kind regards,

Andrew

[PeterH24x7]

Hi @wilsoac - happy to help. This is an extract of my configuration.yaml. It looks like you've left off a label for the packages (e.g. pack_1 in my case - but other names also work). Make sure you get the indentation right. Also, you may wish to start with the simple 3-phase version (consumption and generation channels only) to prove it's working okay. If you have other channels than those I have configured (i.e. load_air_conditioner, load_hot_water, load_ev_charger and load_stove) please let me know.

Chrs, Peter

homeassistant:  
  external_url: "https://yourdomain.net/"
  internal_url: "http://192.0.0.146:8123"

  country: AU

  packages:
    pack_0: !include gates.yaml
    pack_1: !include solar_analytics.yaml
    pack_2: !include influxdb.yaml
    pack_3: !include weather_extras.yaml

[wilsoac]

Thanks Peter,

I am not at home right now so I cant check but I'm pretty sure what I sent you above is the entirety of my configuration.yaml, it looks very different to yours!

In relation to the packages I will format it so it looks like yours... what is the correct way to complete the indentations on the 'pack' line? and should I be calling this one pack_0 as it my first package?

Again, thanks for your help!

Andrew

[Roving-Ronin]

@wilsoac,

You might have 'ther other way' of doing this, where you can create the directory and just have any yaml within it (and any sub-directories also) be loaded. Doing it this way, if you want to disable any, you need to change the file suffix from .yaml to .whatever-but-not-yaml. Where as Peters version you need to specifically add each yaml.

homeassistant:
  packages: !include_dir_named packages

[wilsoac]

Thanks for your response @Roving-Ronin

Unfortunately I am just beginning my HA journey so I'm pretty clueless!

My Home assistant root directory has a folder called custom_components which houses the yaml files for anything I've added. I did add ESPhome which does sit in the root directory.

this is the entire contents of my configuration yaml

this is what my root directory looks like:

[wilsoac]

ignore the 'S' at the end of yaml

[Roving-Ronin]

@wilsoac NO ! Custom Components is not something to touch (unless you know what your doing and need to edit Integrations).
That directory is where Integrations, like say if you add in the Sunsynk card https://github.com/slipx06/sunsynk-power-flow-card using HACS will install themselves.

Suggest you just do the KISS (keep it simple stupid) approach and make a directory called 'packages' (so /homeassistant/packages) and add this to your configuration.yaml file.

homeassistant:
  packages: !include_dir_named packages

As above, that will then allow you to place any package yaml into that directory, then reload/restart HA and have them take affect.

I assume your also in AU and on a TOU plan with peak/shoulder/off-peak? If so you can:

1. Install Energy Meter using HACS (that will give you an energy_meter that also creates entities to track kWh costs, and it like utility_meter but on steroids): https://github.com/zeronounours/HA-custom-component-energy-meter

2. Copy this yaml file into /packages and restart. Just edit the times and/or prices for the different tariff rates to what your paying (or being fleeced...thanks ALP Bowen).
   https://github.com/Roving-Ronin/myHomeAssistant/blob/main/packages/solar_analytics_electricity_costs_uses_prices_from_inputs.yaml

[wilsoac]

Okay!! Thanks for that info @Roving-Ronin we have had success!!!! I now have a heap of new sensors on my dashboard so thanks so much for your assistance!

I am in Sydney but I am on a single rate plan so dont really need the Energy Meter but I might chuck it in anyway.

thanks so much for your help.

[PeterH24x7]

Hi @wilsoac - I am pleased you worked out the problem - you're doing well for HA new starter.

solar_analytics_sensors_notes_v8-12Oct24.pdf

For more information about each sensor and their use you may wish to review the following notes recently updated for version 8. Again if you have other load types than those defined, please let me know if you need any further help.

Rgds, Peter

[wilsoac]

thanks @PeterH24x7. The only minor issue I now have is that the energy dashboard requires the power measurement sensor to be a certain type of measurement ie kWh etc when SA outputs its measurements in W - therefore the live data coming from SA will not work with the built in energy monitor in HA. I assume I have to convert it somehow or find another card/dashboard that will ingest the Watt readings?

Also, I have SA reporting use for a number of ccts in my house, where do I look and how do I determine which ccts these correlate to in the data presented by the integration?

[PeterH24x7]

@wilsoac - per the list of sensors solar_analytics_sensors_notes_v8-12Oct24.pdf there are a range of Power (default in Watts) and Energy (default in Watt-hours) sensors defined for display and graphing. The other so-called "raw sensors" are for calculations and if you change their units then you will introduce errors in any derived sensors.

You can change the units (e.g. to kW and kWh) via the sensor settings in LoveLace.

The HA Energy dashboard shouldn't care about the energy units and does energy conversions as required. See HA-energy-configuration-screen.JPG for what should be configured.

Regarding the loads you are monitoring, what do you see in your Solar Analytics dashboard. Where everyone has energy_consumed and energy_generated sensors, the load's I monitor in HA are load_air_conditioner, load_hot_water, load_ev_charger and load_stove and are in SA as following. What do yo see? If something different then I can help you do some reconfig to suit.

I hope this helps. Chrs, Peter

[wilsoac]

Thanks @PeterH24x7 re your first point re the sensors, I did set that up however this displays the cumulative total for the day not the live flow. There is a graphic that is generated which shows the flow directions however it is actually displaying the daily accumulation of each direction of flow not the current flow state at that moment in time.

These are my sensors however I do not use the 'lighting' or 'other' clamps at this time so they can be ignored

[PeterH24x7]

@wilsoac - So the solar analytics produced, consumed, air conditioning, and oven-or-cooktop should be working as expected. The others (e.g. pool) we can work on later after addressing the other questions.

When you say flow do you mean power that's either being drawn from the grid or exported/fed-into the grid? Assuming so, then the sensor "Power Import Export" (unique id = sa_import_export_power ) shows minutely updated power as a +/- value depending on whether you're exporting or importing.

Here's my power history for yesterday including Power Import Export, Power Generation and Power Consumption. If you go to the HA History page you should be able to create the same by adding the respective entities to the view.

From the top-right HA vertical "..." menu you can then add as a card to your dashboard.

If this is not what you mean can you please provide the specific graphic you mention.

[wilsoac]

this is the graphic generated by the energy dashboard. On my instance it shows the figures as a total for that day rather than a representation of what the energy flow looks like at that point in time. This may well be its intended function however and i am misinterpreting its purpose!

[Roving-Ronin]

The HA Energy Dashboard, well.. shows 'Energy' (not Power).

If you want Power Flows you need to install the Power Flow Plus card: https://github.com/flixlix/power-flow-card-plus

Conversely if you want to setup your own Energy Dashboard, then look at installing Energy Flow Plus card: https://github.com/flixlix/energy-flow-card-plus

Or, if you have solar and want to track it all (Power and Energy) and devices, then look at installing: https://github.com/slipx06/sunsynk-power-flow-card, like:

[wilsoac]

Oh yeah, these are great. Thanks for the suggestions!

[PeterH24x7]

As an energy graphic your example is working as expected. I think you're expecting the same, but power (won't include gas). As per my graph above, you have the required sensors, but I've not made such a display graphic myself. Maybe others can help.

Per the included examples, there is HA-Lovelace-SA-power-guage-setup.JPG which is using Power Import Export to show the power flow in/out.

There's also a Apex Chart card (installed via HACS - https://github.com/RomRider/apexcharts-card) and there's included yaml code here. It shows 5-min average power for each SA channel for the last 2:20 hours.

Hope this helps some more.

[saltydog256]

Sorry to barge in here, but I had the 3 versions working fine (at different times), and then that stopped after the SA site lost the devices. After 3-weeks SA fixed it, but the HA integration didn't work. Rolling back HA didn't help. Now I am using the 3-phase version and get:

I have two SA IDs and both give the same result. No entities are reporting a fault. The SA ID/login works fine otherwise in a browser. The sa-auth-token suggests it is connecting.
Suggestions please.
Very useful information here! Great work!

[PeterH24x7]

Hi @saltydog256 - it doesn't look like the token refresh/timer-restart is working properly. Mine looks like the following. Do you have a code or formatting error before the timer definition of sa_token_expiry_timer? Given your trouble with all recent versions, the problem could be in your secrets.yaml file. As a test remove the reference to !secret sa_site_id and replace with your site id number - e.g. "36306".

Your secrets.yaml file should look formatted like as shown here - secrets.yaml.

I hope this helps. Chrs, Peter

[saltydog256]

Hi Peter, I have checked everything, and even started with the script in a “clean” configuration.yaml, and tried both site IDs. There are no errors in the log and the Developer Tools report the Configuration is good.  No errors on the log. I have tried all 3 versions, including the one I has working.  Reloading that from backup didn’t work either. So, this is the latest: I note that the first few lines on configuration “automation:” clash with the automation in your script, so I used “: I also used – #  It's recommended that the #   previous version solar_analytics.yaml should be deleted/renamed, HA restarted, the new solar_analytics.yaml #   copied to the <config> folder and then HA restarted again. The sensors should start repopulating #   within their refresh timecycles. If any duplicate sensors happen to be created, go to HA Settings -> #   Devices & Services -> Entities and delete any "sa_..." prefixed sensors showing as unavailable or #   disabled, then restart once more and the correctly named sensor and its data should be restored #   to normal. Alternatively go to 'Developer Tools -> Services' and select 'Recorder: Purge Entities' #   and then 'Choose entity' and select all the "sa_..." entities needing to purge immediately. # But there is no Recorder: Purge Entities in my version but I used settings. Cheers Grant From: PeterH24x7 ***@***.***> Reply to: PeterH24x7/-Solar-Analytics-integration-for-Home-Assistant-Energy-monitoring ***@***.***> Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2024 at 8:10 PM To: PeterH24x7/-Solar-Analytics-integration-for-Home-Assistant-Energy-monitoring ***@***.***> Cc: saltydog256 ***@***.***>, Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [PeterH24x7/-Solar-Analytics-integration-for-Home-Assistant-Energy-monitoring] Assistance please (Discussion #26) Hi @saltydog256 - it doesn't look like the token refresh/timer-restart is working properly. Mine looks like the following. Do you have a code or formatting error before the timer definition of sa_token_expiry_timer? Given your trouble with all recent versions, the problem could be in your secrets.yaml file. As a test remove the reference to !secret sa_site_id and replace with your site id number - e.g. "36306". image.png (view on web) Your secrets.yaml file should look formatted like as shown here - secrets.yaml. I hope this helps. Chrs, Peter — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[PeterH24x7]

@saltydog256 - my hunch is that there's something wrong with your configuration.yaml or your secrets.yaml . Happy to set up a web/video chat session to share screens and work out what's otherwise wrong. Maybe later Friday or the weekend if that suits your schedule.
Chrs, Peter

[saltydog256]

Hi Peter, Yes, Friday or the weekend is fine. I am in Auckland (for the time zone). I assisted Zoom to perfect comms via satellite but have used most remote access systems, but I am on OSX.  But’s it’s just a browser. I do have a Windows laptop. I did have it working until SA lost my comms, and that just worked first time – except I had to wait overnight for it to produce any data but was okay after that. So, it should be something simple I have overlooked. I had a similar problem with the Electricity Authority API for the spot electricity price, but it was a space in the YAML file. Many thanks – I have 4 x battery/inverters and 4 EV chargers on 1/3-phase so SA brings everything together. Chrs, Grant From: PeterH24x7 ***@***.***> Reply to: PeterH24x7/-Solar-Analytics-integration-for-Home-Assistant-Energy-monitoring ***@***.***> Date: Thursday, 24 October 2024 at 12:27 AM To: PeterH24x7/-Solar-Analytics-integration-for-Home-Assistant-Energy-monitoring ***@***.***> Cc: saltydog256 ***@***.***>, Mention ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [PeterH24x7/-Solar-Analytics-integration-for-Home-Assistant-Energy-monitoring] Assistance please (Discussion #26) @saltydog256 - my hunch is that there's something wrong with your configuration.yaml or your secrets.yaml . Happy to set up a web/video chat session to share screens and work out what's otherwise wrong. Maybe later Friday or the weekend if that suits your schedule. Chrs, Peter — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[PeterH24x7]

Problems raised by @wilsoac (packages inclusion) and @saltydog256 (disabled sa_site_id) now fixed. Thank you to @Roving-Ronin for the help. No code issues found. Will now close this discussion.
Chrs, Peter