Energy Manager

🚀 Available since Core version 2026.1.

Energy manager is an intelligent rule (Smart Rule) that automatically turns devices on or off based on excess power and device priority.

How it works

Energy manager monitors data from electric meters and, based on the current energy flow (import/export from the grid), automatically:

• Turns devices on when there is excess energy from photovoltaics
• Turns devices off when importing from the grid
• Regulates power for devices with adjustable power (e.g., chargers)
• Prioritizes devices by importance (1 = highest priority)

You have a photovoltaic system producing 5 kW. The household consumes 2 kW. Energy manager will automatically turn on the boiler (3 kW) to use the excess 3 kW instead of exporting to the grid.

Basic settings

1. Electric meter

Select the meter that measures the power flow in your home. A positive value means drawing from the grid, a negative value means feeding into the grid (excess).

The electricity meter must be installed on the main supply so that it measures the total energy balance in the home (production - consumption).

2. Settings

Setpoint

Setpoint determines how the Energy Manager controls the connected devices. • The value 0 means the Energy Manager tries to achieve zero import and zero export to the grid. • A positive value allows import from the grid up to this value. • A negative value reserves this amount of power for export to the grid.

For optimal use of photovoltaics, set Setpoint to 0 W. Energy manager will try to minimize both import and export.

Maximum imported power

Maximum imported power defines the upper limit for grid import. The Energy Manager will keep the import below this value. If the limit is reached, device power will be reduced or devices will be turned off.

If you set the limit to 5000W and the household consumes 6000W, Energy manager will start turning off lower-priority devices to bring total consumption below 5000W.

Adding devices

Energy manager supports two types of devices:

Devices

1. Priority 1 – Boiler (needs to heat daily)
2. Priority 2 – Electric vehicle charger (important, but not critical)
3. Priority 3 – Pool heating (can wait)

Digital outputs (On/Off)

Devices that can only be turned on or off – they do not have the ability to regulate power.

Power settings

The device operates according to defined power thresholds and power allocation rules. It activates when available surplus power exceeds the switch-on power, and deactivates when grid import exceeds the switch-off power. The rated power defines the maximum device power.

Rated power

Rated power defines the maximum device power (in Watts).

Example: Boiler with 3000W → set Rated power to 3000W

Switch-on power

Minimum surplus energy required to turn on the device.

Example: If you set it to 2500W, the boiler will only turn on when at least 2500W of surplus is available.

Switch-off power

Maximum permitted import from the grid before turning off the device.

Example: If you set it to 500W, the boiler will turn off as soon as import from the grid exceeds 500W.

Boiler with a power of 3000W:

• Rated power : 3000W
• Switch-on power : 2500W (turns on with a surplus of 2500W)
• Switch-off power : 500W (turns off when import exceeds 500W)

Result: The boiler turns on only when the PV produces at least 2500W more than household consumption. It turns off if grid import exceeds 500W.

Run time

Preparation time

Defines the stabilization time after the device is switched on. During this time the device has a chance to reach its steady-state power. No other device will be turned on during this time based on surplus power.

Recommendation: 2–5 minutes for most devices

Minimum run time

Minimum time the device must be on after activation before it can be turned off. This ensures reliable operation and prevents frequent on/off cycling.

Recommendation: 10–30 minutes (to avoid frequent on/off)

Minimum day run time

Minimum time the device must run each day, even if there is no available surplus power.

Example: A boiler must run at least 1 hour per day to heat up – even if there is no sun.

Active times

Time intervals during the day when the device may be on. These intervals must not overlap.

Examples of settings:

Minimum run time

Minimum time the device must be on after activation before it can be turned off. This ensures reliable operation and prevents frequent device switching.

Example: If a device should be on from 17:00 to 20:00 and you want it to run for at least half an hour within this time window.

Analog outputs (Adjustable)

Devices with the ability to regulate power (e.g., Wallbox chargers).

Power settings

The device operates according to defined power thresholds and power allocation rules. It activates when available surplus power exceeds the switch-on power, and deactivates when grid import exceeds the switch-off power. The rated power defines the maximum device power, while the minimum power defines the minimum operating power for devices with adjustable power.

Rated power

Maximum device power (in Watts).

Example: Wallbox with a maximum of 11 kW → set Rated power to 11000W

Minimum power

Minimum power at which the device can still operate.

Example: Wallbox minimum 6A × 230V = 1380W → set Minimum power to 2000W

Switch-on power

Minimum surplus energy required to switch on the device.

Example: If you set it to 3000W, the charger will turn on only when the surplus is at least 3000W.

Switch-off power

Maximum allowed import from the grid before turning off the device.

Example: If you set it to 500W, the charger will turn off if the import exceeds 500W.

Example: A Wallbox charger with a rated power of 11 kW can be configured to operate only when there is available surplus solar power. You can set the rated power to 11000W, minimum power to 2000W, switch-on power to 3000W and switch-off power to 500W. In this configuration the charger will automatically start when surplus is at least 3000W and stop when import exceeds 500W.

Power Allocation Mode

Power allocation mode determines whether the device uses the available power to maximize its own draw or provides power to other devices. Devices that have met the minimum daily runtime and the minimum runtime during an active time interval can automatically provide power to other devices.

Devices that have met the minimum daily runtime and the minimum runtime within the active time interval can automatically provide energy to other devices.

Run time

Same settings as for digital outputs:

• Preparation time
• Minimum run time
• Minimum day run time

Active times

Same settings as for digital outputs – allows defining time windows for device operation.

Step by step: Setting up Energy Manager

Step 1: Create a Smart Rule

1. Open the Smart Rules section
2. Click on Add Rule
3. Select Energy manager
4. Enter a rule name (e.g., “Photovoltaics Management”)

Step 2: Set the meter

1. Select Electric meter , which measures the energy flow
2. Verify that the meter shows:
   • Positive values for import from the grid
   • Negative values for export to the grid

If you do not have a meter, click Add electricity meter .

Step 3: Set the setpoint and limits

1. Setpoint : Set to 0W (recommended)
2. Maximum imported power : Optional – set the maximum allowed import

Step 4: Add devices

For each device:

1. Click Add device
2. Choose the device from the list
3. Assign a priority (1 = highest)
4. Set power parameters:
   • Rated power
   • Minimum power (only for analog outputs)
   • Switch-on power
   • Switch-off power
5. Set times:
   • Preparation time
   • Minimum run time
   • Minimum day run time
6. Define Active times (optional)

Step 5: Save and activate

1. Save the configuration
2. Activate the Smart Rule
3. Monitor device behavior

Important warnings

The control unit can store data for several hours without an Internet connection and will send it to the cloud after the connection is restored. In the case of a long outage, older data must be deleted to avoid memory overflow. This functionality therefore requires a reliable Internet connection.

For critical data, we recommend using an alternative data collection solution.

Error messages

When configuring Active times you may encounter the following errors:

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know Energy Manager is working correctly?

Monitor the meter and observe:

• On sunny days: devices turn on gradually according to priority
• On cloudy days: devices turn off to minimize import
• Import/export: the value should be close to the setpoint

Can I manually turn devices on/off?

Yes, manual control always takes precedence over Energy Manager. After manual switch-off, the Energy Manager will temporarily skip this device.

What does “priority” mean?

Priority determines the order in which devices are turned on:

• Priority 1 = the most important (will turn on first)
• Priority 10 = the least important (will turn on only if there is enough surplus)

How often does Energy Manager respond to changes?

Energy Manager evaluates the situation every 10–30 seconds and responds to changes in energy production and consumption.

Does Energy Manager support 3-phase devices?

Yes, but the meter must measure the total three-phase balance (sum of all three phases).