Since the integration of IOG within ESS, I’ve been using it at home and it works well: via the API, I get the correct pricing for the two main fixed time slots: £0.07/kWh overnight (23:30 - 05:30) and their fixed day rate £0.264. I also have the flat sell price of £0.15/kWh 24/7.
This is great. Except for one thing: if I plug my car in the day, Octopus will often give extra charging slots in 30-minute increments. This is linked to one of their compatible EVSEs (I have both a Wallbox and use the Tesla API, both which work fine) which tells the car to charge during the window that’s triggered by Octopus. During that time, I benefit from the cheap £0.07/kWh for the whole house (not just the car).
The issue is that these bespoke charging sessions are not picked up by DESS. So when a charging session starts at 7kW (the charging power my car can take), it empties my batteries using the MultiPlus 5kVA, maxing out at over 4kW, pulling the other 3kW or so from the grid.
Of course, the 3kW pulled from the grid is at £0.07 but the issue is I then end up with an empty battery when the charging session ends and so my house can no longer run off the battery at the peak time, until the fixed cheap overnight slot kicks in at 23:30.
So my question is twofold:
Is it possible for Victron to obtain those charging sessions via the API? Maybe it’s not available, I’m not sure (maybe because it’s in effect a custom thing that changes on the fly when you plug the car in).
If an “automatic” thing isn’t possible in DESS, is there a way this could be programmed using the Node Red integration in the Cerbo?
Thoughts?
Currently, I’m having to manually configure a scheduled battery charging session via the Cerbo’s Remote Console for the duration of the mid-day window Octopus gives me, but it’s a bit of a faff and if the whole process could be automated, that would be awesome.
Hi I’m not using DESS but I have the api via home assistant and the charging vehicle does not toggle the intelligent dispatch API I look at my car charging for about 5 or so minutes before the intelligent dispatch triggers PS this is when you are in the am charging window so I don’t believe this is a Victron issue or a problem at all, best bet is to set the system to charge when the vehicle does that way you can get in that extra 30min slot
At the moment, that’s what I’m doing. I just wondered if there was a way to have it done automatically assuming the cheap rate slot was published via the API.
I did search on how to do this with HA but never found a conclusive answer. But if the data is somehow available to HA, I would assume it could be used with NR as well.
Going down the HA route could be an option but I’d need some detailed instructions on how it’s done (I’m an HA newbie). Do you have a guide that allowed you to say it works with HA?
After doing some digging, it looks like getting the Octopus charging session is tricky / not possible because the list of dependencies including GraphQL take up more space than available on the Cerbo’s storage.
I’m now looking at an alternative way: integrating my Pulsar Plus Wallbox EVSE. This is controlled by Octopus and if I get the status from the EVSE unit instead which might be simpler, then this will do
Hi no guide there is an application on HACS for Victron which would pull the entities in if you have an aftermarket charger you would need the charger integration or have an ET device or a Shelly device connected to it so home assistant could integrate the charger I’ve done a screen shot of the app
Unfortunately home assistant is not just one program app you kinda just have to jump in there are lots of videos on home assistant the Victron bit is just and add on which is straight forward and then you configure the things you want it to do
The API still doesn’t allow you to know when the free times are can’t say I’ve ever watched but I’ve never seen it, but I never seen it change on the API my charge is also integrated to Octopus but 30min windows not shown
Here is my automation I’ve disabled it charging from the charger at the mo but might look at it again but really need to sit down and watch it to see to be honest if it does trigger intel dispatch
