Is there a definitive guide to inverter settings?

Is there a categorical set of definitions or explanations of how Eco, Timed Charge, Timed Discharge and Timed Export settings work in isolation and how they work together? What they do and what they don't do. And is there a commentary of whether they do what GIvEnergy say they are supposed to do? I thought I knew. Recent experience suggests I don't know. It would be good to get something definitive. I have looked on the Wiki. Nothing there - yet. There is a one line explanation for each setting on the portal, but it doesn't go far enough to give a holistic view. There are opinions, some informed and uninformed, on the community and this adds some confusion. I am not asking for a manual just for some clarity. It all feels a bit trial and error - a bit like the Octo R&D scheduler that I am taking a rest from at present.

Dougal Is there a categorical set of definitions or explanations of how Eco, Timed Charge, Timed Discharge and Timed Export settings work in isolation and how they work together?

No. But, the way I think of it (for our gen1 HY5s) is this:

• Eco - minimises grid import and export, charging from surplus PV and supplying house load from PV if available or battery when necessary.
• Timed Charge - If the State of Charge (SoC) is less than the Charge to % at the start of the charge window, the inverter charges the battery up to the Charge to % at the Charge Power rate. If SoC > Charge to %, house load is supplied by the battery (and/or PV) until it drops to the Charge to %. Once at the Charge to % target, the inverter holds the battery at the Charge to % until the end of the timed charge period, the house being supplied from grid. If the inverter was in Eco mode before the timed charge period started, the inverter reverts to ECO mode at the end
• Timed Discharge - Outside of the timed period, the inverter holds the battery charge, charging from PV if available. When the timed period starts, the inverter supplies house load from battery (or PV). When the timed period ends, the inverter sits idle (charging battery from PV if available) and the house is supplied from grid. This is sort of "timed ECO"?
• Timed Export - Same as Timed discharge except the inverter discharges the battery at the Discharge Power rate. If house load is less than this value, the surplus is exported. When the timed period ends, the inverter sits idle (charging battery from PV if available) and the house is supplied from grid.

This is my understanding of how the modes are supposed to work. If they actually behave differently (even on different inverters or firmware levels) then I defer to those with the experience.

Tim
Very nicely written. Gen2 is the same for all but Timed Discharge, behaviour is completely different.

Timed Discharge Gen2 906 - Outside of the timed period, the inverter acts as Eco. Supplies house demand and charges from excess PV.
When the timed period starts, the inverter discharges to house and grid at maximum set discharge rate.
When the timed period ends, the inverter reverts to ECO behaviour, until the next timed period.

justpassing inverter discharges to house and grid at maximum set discharge rate

That feels more like a "timed export", but at least it reverts to Eco at the end.

Tim

Tim on gen 2 the timed window is the same for both Export and Discharge. The difference is what happend outside the window. Export is idle, discharge is ECO like.

To be clear, It does not revert as such, as it it will repeat on a 24hr cycle.

justpassing Export is idle, discharge is ECO like.

Now that is useful!

justpassing Your addition to Tim's very helpful explanations suggests you are someone who really knows what is going on. I guess I am learning that there are different settings or different meanings of settings according to the type of inverter in question. I have a Gen 2 AC3.0 while Tim was talking about his Gen 1 Hybrid 5.0. Are the inverter settings mutually exclusive? By that I mean can one set a combination of Timed Charge and Timed Discharge to create a strategy that optimises the use of battery, PV and grid usage? Or does each have to be set in isolation reverting to ECO until the next 24 hour cycle?

Dougal I can't really comment, as I have a hybrid gen2, not an ac3. However with the hybrid the timed charge is independent of the eco setting. So you can certainly have eco and tined charge. I assume if you have any overlap of the timed charge and timed export/discharge then the invert goes tilt 😊

How do the new web portal settings Export Power Priority, Inverter Max Output Power Percentage and Battery Charge/Discharge Power Percentage interact with the existing settings? Timed Pause appears self explanatory but the interaction of the other new settings with the original settings and the three options for Export Power Priority are not obvious.

MKICampaign Did I miss something? What are these new settings? Is there a web portal update I have missed?

Dougal If you are on firmware 909 (Gen 2) trying clicking on the settings cog in the web portal.

MKICampaign Just tried all the settings on my Gen2 Hybrid. None of them seem to have any effect on my battery charge/discharge... ( Firmware 909 )

justpassing Pause Battery works for me. I currently have it set to Pause Charge for the Octopus Flux peak export period.

MKICampaign

I wasn't setting a time period ! I thought you could set it NOW, or timed period. With the time set appropriately it does all work as you say. Excellent.

Spent some time playing/testing.

In summary Gen2: When set to dynamic discharge (ECO), and the battery charge/discharge limit is set to 0, it actually still charges at about 300W if there is excess PV, and discharges at about 300watts if there is house demand.

The different interfaces and automation are all slightly different.

The portal "remote control"

New Battery Pause does allow [No Pause, Pause Charge, Pause Discharge , Pause discharge and Charge] to be chosen within a timed window. This seems to just do what it says. Charge and or Discharge is disabled.
There is no manulal pause/run option, without setting a timed window (I can see.)
This is new and useful, as otherwise there was no way to completely stop PV charging apart from turning off ECO.
Those Pause settings do not change the charge/discharge limit registers, and do actually take you to 0 watts (ish)

On the APP, (Android):
The pause button sets the discharge register to 0 ( which results in a continued discharge at _300Watts, because that doesn't work ...)
The charge rate register isn't changed, and the battery charges as normal.

GivTCP:
The Temp pause charge/discharge controls set the charge or discharge rates to 0 and after a delay reverts to the current value. So again they actually result in _300W on the Gen2

Givenergy-local
Doesn't have a pause control, apart from turning off ECO, or manually setting the rates as above.

I don't understand why everyone gets so confused. There are multiple interfaces for configuring the inverter, multiple results and terminology for all the actions. Oh , and neither a manual, or any user change notes , or announcements of the new features. How hard can it be ;-)

My definitive guide would be to set the inverter to default on everything including eco mode and leave it there. The system is likely to be able to bump along by itself just fine!

That of course is a tongue-in-cheek comment but with a grain of truth, I think. It is best to change only what is needed in one's circumstance/requirement and not fiddle too much.

justpassing
Does anyone know if this behaviour is coming to Gen 1 Hybrid any time soon?

Reverting to ECO (rather than idle) outside timed period seems sensible. I'm currently unable to properly use R&D Labs Discharge action to export to grid for my flux tariff. I have to manually disable then re-enable ECO around this Flux export period to get the behaviour I require!