17-9-2024: This topic is closed now, check here for the new post on Dynamic ESS for UK Octopus users.
We’re thrilled to announce that beta VRM now supports the much-anticipated Octopus API, enabling you to use Dynamic ESS with any Octopus-supported energy contract.
Setting up Dynamic ESS in the UK is simple. All you need is your Octopus API key, which you can easily obtain by following the steps in this video.
In addition to your API key, VRM will need your account number and information about your payment method (e.g., direct debit), as these factors influence your energy pricing. Once you’ve entered this information, you’ll be able to see your Octopus energy prices displayed in the Dynamic ESS graphs on your dashboard.
We encourage everyone to explore the benefits of Dynamic ESS. If you have any feedback, we’d love to hear it - feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Note: If you’re living in the UK but don’t have a dynamic energy contract, you can still use Dynamic ESS with fixed prices. Learn more about this option here. Note: For now, this is only supported on BETA. On live VRM, selecting the UK as a country doesn’t trigger the additional Octopus fields. ~This is expected to go live on the 10th of September.~ This will go live on regular VRM on the 17th of September.
@dfaber what can i do with it as I’m on Octopus intelligent Go so only get cheap rate at nights and when ever they see fit sometimes in the day. Will it see saver sessions, When they give me cheap electric some times in the day?
@Daza Not too sure. I assume that, if your account at Octopus comes with an API key and account number, we should be able to fetch the correct price data. Please do test, if that is the case. If not, I can look further into it after the weekend.
@dfaber Ok great ive done all the API stuff but i have an issue when this is enabled i can’t discharge my batteries via NodeRed as i condition them nightly by exporting to the grid until they drop to 40% buy 2330 they are around 20 odd to 30% that’s when they fully charge every night on my low rate.
I need to check out a few things with this like i like all of my solar during summer going to the grid and i’ll like to see if when charging my car on the smart part of Octopus if it picks up on this and realises that its cheap rate and starts to charge the batteries
@dfaber Not good i turned it on at 2227 and it started charging the batteries for me that is normally peak rate i had to disable it as i have no idea if they are giving me reduced energy or not how do i know if its pulled my API and account data is there some kind of confirmation that we could get or a push note to say reduced rate?
I tried again at 2330 when my reduced rate started and it pulled 1400 for the battery looking at the prediction I’ll be using grid energy for a lot of the morning which is probably right if it’s only charging the battery at 1400W. The tariff I’m on with octopus it’s better for me to fully charge at night and have excess solar go to the grid so for now I’m gonna revert to my old ways
Am receiving the ENTSO-E error banner also. The error doesn’t always display the text in the red bar so just come back to edit this post with the correct error!
The one thing I have noticed is that the rates have been slightly wrong a couple of times (perhaps rounding but sometimes appears to be the ex / inc VAT rate?) but generally, the rates appear exactly an hour behind which I believe is due to how Octopus present the rates owing to BST time difference?
Left DESS disabled on Controls when in BatteryLife but left it enabled globally so I can track the tariff for any patterns or provide anything debuggy that may help. Great work though!
Hey Daza - apologies for speaking on behalf of Victron however I’m not aware Octopus distribute all saver sessions via API at the moment…… but I could be wrong! There have been recent additions. I think Victron are maybe looking at the key tariff data to start.
Hi @rprie saver sessions are via the API the only one that isn’t seems to be the Power Up Sessions, ive got a NodeRed running the winter saver sessions
Nah mate I still want to know if it picks up smart charge but I’ll try this out when at home for a bit to see if it sees it and starts charging the battery or just sees my schedule and thinks it’s still peak rate. Will update this topic once I have chance to test it
Looking at your system dashboard you appear to be exporting 4533 Watts to the Grid, using 365 Watts for loads and generating 1088 Watts from your PV and pulling 4533 wats from your battery. This seems a bit strange, am I missing something?
So on Green mode - DESS - I get:
DESS error code: ESS functionality not available (This is after a graceful cerbo reboot)
If I go into trade mode, the Target SOC completes and the system starts exporting (that said, it only exports the specified value in Export as expected)
@dfaber leaving it off completely now started charging the battery in peak time even when I’ve got enough to see me through to off peak rate. Would have ended up costing me more and not saved me at all
I have 4 systems using the Beta API from octopus and more to add after testing, great work btw and thanks for this update, will really help sales!!
The only issue noticed at the moment is the times are out by the famous 1 hour, DESS is scheduling for 3pm instead of 4pm for export dump etc. Cerbo set to GMT London and VRM location set correct.
