Solar Assistant Software Review - Deye Hybrid inverters

Deye Inverter - SolarMan App Issues

Anyone who has used the Solarman app or software has probably been frustrated by the constant issues and poor user interface, especially with the Deye hybrid inverter range. I’ve had nothing but problems with the Wi-Fi dropping out and failing to reconnect.

Solar Assistant to the Rescue

Fortunately, there is a relatively cheap solution that works really well. I purchased a Solar Assistant module for an off-grid system powered by a Deye SUN8K hybrid inverter, and it’s been a game changer. The monitoring has been flawless so far. There have been no issues with the connection dropping out, and the monitoring data is real-time, far better than the slow (delayed) SolarMan App.

Remote Configuration

However, the biggest advantage of Solar Assistant is the ability to remotely manage and configure the system. All the settings are accessible and changeable via the app, and it works seamlessly. It’s also fully compatible with Home Assitant for complete smart home integration.

Cost?

Unlike the SolarMan App, Solar assistant isn’t free, but it is cheap. The cost for the software only is US$55 (AUD$87). However, it requires a Rasberry pie (tiny, cheap PC) to operate. If you need to buy the whole kit, including a pre-programmed Rasberry Pie, it’s US $180. Considering how reliable and easy it is to use, I think it’s a good investment.

Improvements

My only real criticism of the Solar Assitant App is that the layout is currently designed for grid-tied hybrid systems, not off-grid. The Dashboard only shows grid voltage, it cannot be changed to display the generator status or power. The only way to quickly determine whether the generator is running is to dig into the charts page and go down to the Generator power.

Same story with GoodWe. GoodWe inverters have a WIFI stick which is also famous of dropping the connection. Here the workaround was to create only 2.4GHz WIFI network by disabling the 5GHz WIFI band. Other workaround was to buy a GoodWe WIFI/LAN kit and then you use LAN cable. Actually this new WIFI/LAN kit has a better WIFI module, so people can use with WIFI mode too. Once the connection is stable, one can use it in Home Assistant with its GoodWe integration.