Manual · Energy Meter App

# Content 1. [Introduction](#Einleitung) 2. [Devices - View](#dashboard) 1. [Devices / Overview](#dashboard) 2. [Devices / Plotter](#plotter) 3. [Devices / Instantaneous Values](#momentanwerte) 4. [Devices / Measure Grid-Consumption](#consumption_measurement) 3. [Solar Power Flow](#energyflow) 1. [Solar Live](#energyflow2) 2. [Solar Power Flow Chart](#energyflowchart) 4. [Settings Dialog](#settings) 5. [Supported SMA Devices](#supporteddevices) 6. [Modbus Communication](#modbusactivate) 7. [Communication with Inverters via Modbus Protocol](#modbusactivate) 8. [Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)](../../faq/en/) ## 1. Introduction <a name="Einleitung"></a> The Energy Meter iOS app is an application for monitoring and exploring your SMA solar plant. The app shows you live data of the electrical power sensors (Energy Meter or Sunny Home Manager (V2.0)) and your inverters (new starting with app version 1.9) in near real-time without any cloud delay. The focus of the app is live data but not historical measurement values. For this, the app communicates directly in your local network with SMA devices of your solar plant via WiFi and is therefore very fast in presenting live data values. The app is able to automatically detect your devices and sensors, including SMA Modbus acitivated devices. Devices are detected via the SMA Speedwire protocol (Energy Meter) and inverter devices via Modbus protocol. For Modbus communication, this protocol must be activated once manually in the inverter. Supported SMA Modbus devices are automatically recognized by the app, assuming that they are supported by the app. For a list of supported SMA devices please check list here: [Supported SMA devices](#supporteddevices) ## 2. Devices In the device view, individual devices / sensors are displayed. ## 2.1 Devices - Overview <a name="dashboard"></a> In the device overview current power values of the device are shown on a colored wheel. The direction of the energy flow (consumption or feed-in) is taken into account: A green color on the wheel to the left symbolizes the positive power of the device (e.g. grid feed-in, 'created power' ). An orange color of the wheel showing you a negative power of the device (e.g. feed-in or battery charging). The view switches the direction automatically from grid-consumption back to solar generation and vice versa if needed. For different device types, different view variants are used. For battery devices e.g. special battery values are displayed and for solar inverters the current DC power of the strings are shown. <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/dashboard-hybridinverter-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Devices - Overview"> In the case of an Energy Meter or Home Manager, the electrical phases are displayed below the color wheel: <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/dashboard-energymeter-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Devices - Overview"> Depending on the device type, various sub menus for further functions are arranged in the bottom area of the view: * [Plotter](#plotter) * [Instantaneous values](#momentanwerte) * [Measure grid-consumption](#consumption_measurement) (only available for Energy Meter or Sunny Home Manager) ### 2.2 Devices / Plotter <a name="plotter"></a> In the device chart, the main data values of the device are plotted in a chart. Depending on the device type, different data values are displayed. Here is an example of the view showing an Energy Meter device: <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/dashboard-chart-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Devices / Plotter"> * Energy Meter: * Overall power of all phases L1 - L3 (balanced) * Active Power Phase 1 * Active Power Phase 2 * Active Power Phase 3 * Solar String Inverter (& Hybrid): * Solar power creation ( power of the string inverter ) * Battery Inverter (& Hybrid): * Battery charging and discharging ### 2.3 Devices / Instantaneous Values <a name="momentanwerte"></a> In the view "Instantaneous Values", the current live data values are shown in tabular form. Depending on the device type, different data values are shown. Here is an example of an Energy Meter sensor: <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/dashboard-momentanwerte-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Devices / Instantaneous Values"> ### 2.4 Devices / Measure Grid-Consumption <a name="consumption_measurement"></a> In this view, it is possible to measure grid-consumption with an SMA Energy Meter. Depending on the system configuration, this can correspond to the house consumption. In case of an solar self-consumption plant, only the grid-consumption is measured, but not the house-consumption itself. <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/dashboard-measurement-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Devices / Measure Grid-Consumption"> A new measurement can easily be started by tapping the red "+" or stop measurement by tapping the "x". ### 3. Solar Power Flow <a name="energyflow"></a> ### 3.1 Live - View <a name="energyflow2"></a> Starting with app version 1.9, the Energy Meter app supports a combined energy flow display that is obtained from live data of solar sensors and devices of your plant. Producer and consumer plants are supported, including plants with battery inverters. The view can be reached via tab bar "Solar Plant" on the bottom of the app. <img src="../../images/v19/LiveEnergieFlow-en.png"> For the display, it is necessary for the app to be able to determine the solar generation power. There are two ways to achieve this: 1. Each inverter is requested for that data. 2. A separate Energy Meter measures the solar generation. For the first way, the Modbus communication protocol must be activated in the inverter devices (please check here: [Activte Modbus](#modbusactivate) ) The protocol is not activated in the default setting of the inverters and must be switched on manually. If it is switched on, the app then finds the inverters automatically. If the app finds the inverters, it sums up all devices and takes the solar power for the display. In case you want to use an specific Energy Meter, you can manually adjust that property in the app settings (activate the "Energy Meter" in 'Solar generation' to be used): <img class="bigimage" src="../../images/v19/solar_creation_settings1_en.png" /> <img class="bigimage" src="../../images/v19/solar_creation_settings2_en.png" /> This Energy Meter has to be installed in the supply line to the inverter and not on the grid-connection point. A Sunny Home Manager installed at the grid-connection point, for example, unfortunately does not determine the solar generation power (since the consumption of the house has to be subtracted from it). ### 3.2 Live Power Flow / Chart <a name="energyflowchart"></a> The chart view can be accessed by swiping to the left (or tapping the right arrow). The solar - power flow chart clearly shows you all solar plant values in a single chart. Only the last 5 minutes of the values are displayed. The chart menu can be shown by briefly tapping on the chart. It disappears automatically after a short time. The 4 individual chart components can be added or removed separately via symbol buttons: * Solar Creation (green bubble) * House consumption (gray bubble) * Battery values (charging & discharging) if available (dark green bubble) * Grid (consumption & feed-in) (red bubble) <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/energyflow_chart-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Live Power Flow / Chart"> ## 4. Settings Dialog <a name="settings"></a> In the settings dialog some few properties can be adjusted. <img class="screen" src="../../images/v19/settings-1-en.png" alt="Screenshot: Settings Dialog"> * Electricity tariffs: * Grid feed-in tariff: Price for the compensation of a kWh. Used for the calculation for the device overview. * Grid consumption tariff: Price for the purchase of a kWh. Also used for the calculation for the device overview. * Solar Power Flow : Here, adjustments can be made for the power flow view, in particular the way in which consumption and feed-in are measured and how the solar generation is determined. * Web interface of the SMA devices / sensors: The web interfaces of all found SMA devices and can be accessed here. Tapping on the list entry jumps directly into the web interface of the device. * Network: Adjustments to access the SMA multicast communication groups. By default, the multicast group 239.12.255.254 is used always. If your Energy Meter uses a different group, you can append this group here. Note: Multicast addresses are special IP addresses. Only multicast addresses can be entered. These are different to singlecast addresses. * Show on external display: Shows the power flow on a connected display, see [External Display](#externaldisplay). (Default: "on") * Energy Meter Simulator: This simulates an Energy Meter within the app for demo purposes. The simulated sensor is only visible within the app, but not on the network itself. ## 5. External Display <a name="externaldisplay"></a> Starting with version 3.0, the Energy Meter App also shows the power flow on a display connected to your iPhone or iPad. The display shows the same view as the power flow in the app. You can use it, for example, as a permanent display mounted on the wall. #### Connection * iPhone or iPad with Lightning connector: Lightning to HDMI adapter (Lightning Digital AV Adapter) * iPhone or iPad with USB-C connector: USB-C cable to the display or USB-C to HDMI adapter The feature has been tested with wired displays. AirPlay, for example to an Apple TV, has not been tested. #### Setting The setting "Show on external display" is turned on by default. As soon as a display is connected, it shows the power flow. If you do not want this, turn the setting off in the [Settings Dialog](#settings). #### Usage The display shows the power flow independently of the iPhone or iPad. Meanwhile you can open other views in the app on the device. The display stays on as long as the app is in the foreground on the iPhone or iPad. For a permanent wall display: * In iOS, set **Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock** to "Never" so the device does not lock. * Use an adapter with a charging port so the device stays powered. * With Guided Access in iOS (**Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access**) the device stays locked to the Energy Meter App. ## 6. Supported SMA Devices and Sensors <a name="supporteddevices"></a> The Energy Meter app supports a number of SMA device types, but not all. #### Supported SMA Devices: * SMA Energy Meter V1.0 ("EMETER-10") * SMA Energy Meter V2.0 ("EMETER-20") * Elgris Meter Counter (=> It has been reported that the SMA Energy Meter compatible meter from Elgris runs with the app too) * SMA Sunny Home Manager 2.0 ("SHM-20", only the data values of the built-in Energy Meter!) * SMA Sunny Boy Storage 2.5, 3.7, 3.8, 5.0, 6.0 - (via Modbus protocol) * SMA Sunny Island Storage 3.0, 4.4, 6.0, 8.0 - (via Modbus protocol) * SMA Sunny Tripower 8.0 - 10.0 (via Modbus protocol) * SMA Sunny Tripower Smart Energy (Hybrid) (via Modbus protocol) #### NOT supported devices: * SMA Sunny Home Manager 1.0 (SHM-10) * SMA ennexOS Data Manager * ... ## 7. Inverter Communication (via Modbus protocol) <a name="modbusactivate"></a> For communication with the inverters, the app uses the Modbus protocol. The protocol is **not** activated in the default setting of the inverter. So it may be necessary to activate the protocol in the inverter once. For this, it may be necessary to access the device via installer access rights to turn on the protocol support. After activation, no further setting is required in the app. The app recognizes the SMA Modbus devices automatically in the local network if everything works. The easiest way to turn on the Modbus protocol is via web interface of the inverter. The the web interface of the inverter can be accessed via browser (iPhone or other clients): http://SMA(Serial_number_of_the_string_inverter).local For newer inverters, you can also scan the QR code on the nameplate with your iPhone and access the inverter's Wifi access point. After connecting to the inverter access point, open a browser with the following address: http://192.168.12.3 or https://192.168.12.3 When the device web interface is shown, you have to log-in with installer rights. Unfortunately, simple user rights is not sufficient. In 'device parameters' you can activate Modbus TCP for your inverter: <img class="bigimage" src="../../images/v19/modbus2-en.png" /> The **port** should remain at **502** and the **Unit ID** at **3** (all default settings). If everything has been set correctly, the Energy Meter app should find the inverters automatically, without any further settings. Please note the secutity instructions from SMA when activating the Modbus protocol. These can be read here: [SMA Security Notes](https://manuals.sma.de/STPxxx60/en-US/1129302539.html) ####Actions for data security with activated Modbus interface: If you activate the Modbus interface, there is a risk that unauthorized users can access and manipulate the data of your solar plant device. To achieve data security, take appropriate protective measures, such as the following: * Activate a firewall. * Close unused network ports. * Enable remote access only via VPN tunnel * Do **NOT** set up port forwarding for communication ports (TCP port 502) #### Trademarks * SMA and Sunny Boy are registered Trademarks of SMA Solar Technology AG. * Modbus is a registered Trademark of SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC USA, INC.