Controlling Loads via a Time Period

You can configure time periods for loads that communicate with the Sunny Home Manager via a switching device. Within these time periods, the Sunny Home Manager automatically switches loads on and off. You cannot make any settings in Sunny Portal for loads that communicate directly. All necessary information can be exchanged directly if the directly communicating load has been configured according to the manufacturer's specifications.

The configuration differentiates between the following types of time periods:

• Load MUST be switched on

• Load CAN be switched on

Load MUST be switched on

The load must have a defined operating time.

Sunny Home Manager switches the load on and off within the configured time period.

You should select this option if the load should be operated in any case, for example on a specific day.

The load is also switched on if there is not sufficient self-generated PV energy available, i.e. energy required for the load to operate may be drawn from the utility grid.

Load CAN be switched on

You can only select this option if you have a self-consumption system and use the self-generated PV energy in your own household.

Optional loads cannot be used with zero export.

The load must have a flexible switch-on time. The Sunny Home Manager switches on the load within the time period you have configured. However, the configured conditions must be met. You choose among the following conditions for configuration:

Proportion of the PV energy

You can set the load to be switched on only when a certain minimum amount of PV energy is available for its operation or is expected for a certain period of time (ecological optimization).

If the set proportion of PV energy is not attained or the set maximum permissible energy costs are exceeded, it is possible that the load will not receive any energy and that the load will not be switched on at all in the defined time period.

• 100% PV energy not fed into the grid

  If limiting of the active power feed-in is activated, you can also set the proportion of PV energy not fed into the grid that would otherwise be curtailed.

  If your system has active power limitation, active power can only be fed into the utility grid up to a predefined threshold (e.g. 70% regulation in Germany). If this value is exceeded, the PV and hybrid inverters will be regulated down. As a result, any PV energy generated above this threshold is lost as "PV energy not fed into the grid". PV energy not fed into the grid, however, can be used effectively if it is available when a load happens to be switched on. The PV energy not fed into the grid is free (0 ct/kWh) since it would not have been fed into the utility grid anyway due to the active power limitation requirements.

  Sunny Home Manager also considers PV energy not fed into the grid in its PV power generation forecast. If 100% PV energy not fed into the grid is set, the load will only be switched on if the forecasted PV energy not fed into the grid can cover the total power consumption for the configured minimum switch-on time.

• Maximum permitted energy costs

  You can specify that the load should only be operated if the energy costs to operate the load are below a predefined cost limit (economic optimization).

  The energy costs are calculated from the grid electricity price and the feed-in tariff. The calculation of energy costs is based on the combination and proportions of both factors. A mains current that exceeds the maximum permitted energy costs can also be used. The combination of grid electricity and self-generated PV electricity means that the costs are still lower than the grid electricity price, provided that the feed-in tariff does not exceed the grid electricity price.

  • In the case of exclusive use of energy from the utility grid, the costs correspond to the electricity tariff in Euro/kWh for the grid-supplied electricity that was set in the system properties.

    Since grid energy is always available, the load can be operated within the time period without any restrictions.

  • In the case of exclusive use of self-generated PV energy, the costs correspond to the feed-in tariff in Euro/kWh that was set in the system properties.

    You do not receive a feed-in tariff for PV energy if it is consumed by a load in your home instead of being fed into the utility grid. Put another way, the PV energy that could otherwise have been fed into the grid "costs" as much as the feed-in tariff.