Fix bug with metric_min_improvement_discharge

What's Changed

Bugs

Min improvement discharge was being rounded to an integer, this caused a value of 0.1 to be read as 0 and hence lots of silly exports.

• Bug with metric_min_improvement_discharge being changed to integer by @springfall2008 in #1733

Documentation

• Rename solar_assistant.yaml to solar_assistant_growatt.yaml by @springfall2008 in #1735
• Update bug_report.md by @springfall2008 in #1734

Full Changelog: v8.8.6...v8.8.7

Further plan optimisations, solar assistant template

What's Changed

Minor fixes related to export planning

NOTE If you use expert mode its recommended you change metric_min_improvement_export to 5

• Fixes related to export planning by @springfall2008 in #1725
• Unit test fixes by @springfall2008 in #1726

Solar assistant template

• Add solar assistant to predbat by @xhemp in #1723

New Contributors

• @xhemp made their first contribution in #1723

Full Changelog: v8.8.5...v8.8.6

Plan optimisations to reduce random exports & charges

What's Changed

In an attempt to reduce random export slots which have little impact the default metric_min_improvement_export has been changed to 5, meaning export must be worth at least 5p/30 minute period to be triggered. At a 3kw export rate this would be 5p for 1.5kWh which is around 3.3p per kWh. You can change this setting in expert mode.

Changed the minimum export slot size to 5 minutes to allow for shorter slots thus preventing false selection of slots where the load is higher in an attempt to get a shorter slot by the backdoor.

Tweaked the metric keep calculations to stop force charges to keep the battery level above keep when its not profitable to do so.

• Unit tests by @springfall2008 in #1711
• Changes to try to prevent random bad exports by @springfall2008 in #1714
• Potential planning improvements by @springfall2008 in #1719
• Tidy up export slots by @springfall2008 in #1720
• Default metric min improvement export increased by @springfall2008 in #1724

Full Changelog: v8.8.4...v8.8.5

Fix for AppDaemon mode and debug_enable

What's Changed

AppDaemon mode can not save Debug YAML, disable it in that mode:

• Disable debug YAML in appDaemon mode by @springfall2008 in #1710

Full Changelog: v8.8.3...v8.8.4

Bug fixes: AC Coupled model, HTML plan, Solis charging

What's Changed

Bug fixes

Inverter service calls were made before updating start/end times:

• Potential fix for not hold charging with Solis by @springfall2008 in #1701

HTML Plan sometimes did not show export slots:

• Bug in HTML report row span, change to model related to metric keep a… by @springfall2008 in #1706

Bug in AC Coupled model leading to export slots being put too early in the day

• Fix bug related to export slot timing on AC Coupled mode by @springfall2008 in #1707

Better way to debug plans

When 'debug_enable' is on Predbat now writes out complete model state into the 'debug' directory. This can be used by the unit test code to reproduce the generated plan and debug the optimiser/model.

• Method to save/restore state of Predbat instance by @springfall2008 in #1702
• Debugging via saved yaml by @springfall2008 in #1705

Full Changelog: v8.8.2...v8.8.3

Reduction in register writes

What's Changed

Changes to try to reduce register writes

• Reductions in the case of force export
• Reduction during low power mode

Fixes include:

• Reduction to register writes by @springfall2008 in #1683
• Unit test updates by @springfall2008 in #1685
• Planned export register write minimisation fixes by @springfall2008 in #1689
• Low power mode fixes/debug by @springfall2008 in #1691
• Low power mode optimisations by @springfall2008 in #1697

Bug fixes

• Catch rest error without crash by @springfall2008 in #1693
• Slot sorting using minutes not slot id by @springfall2008 in #1694

Full Changelog: v8.8.1...v8.8.2

Reduction and reporting of inverter writes, optimiser changes (re-release)

What's Changed

RE-RELEASE of v8.8.0 due to bug with set_charge_rate

CAUTION Some fairly major changes here so its possible I broke something!

Register write improvements

Regarding the potential issue of Predbat creating too many register writes for your inverters flash memory:

• Added a new entity to counter the total register writes so users can check their configuration and report and issues. An average of one every 5 minutes (288 a day) should be fine. If you are seeing much higher than this then please report it.

• Count inverter register writes, reduce writes in some cases, tweak optimiser by @springfall2008 in #1672
• Don't adjust charge/discharge rate if timed pause is supported by @springfall2008 in #1673
• Reduce register writes during low power mode by @springfall2008 in #1676
• Low power mode fixes, new margin control for low power mode by @springfall2008 in #1677

Features

Added a new setting to control the number of minutes margin in low power mode

Optimiser changes

30-minute charge slots are now either on, off or freeze. The charge % target will not be calculated for 30 minute slots. The percentage target is still calculated for larger slots (combine charge = True).

Please feedback on this change, if it causes other issues I may need to revert it.

Fixes

• Fix typo in Octopus, catch traceback to status entity debug by @springfall2008 in #1656
• Fix download list by @springfall2008 in #1657
• Fix discharge time bug, unit testing, add missing file by @springfall2008 in #1660
• Don't enable scheduled charge during export by @springfall2008 in #1669
• Fix some warnings with index out of range by @springfall2008 in #1674
• Fix typo with set_charge_rate control by @springfall2008 in #1680

Code improvements

• Split code up into more files, remove old sanity check function by @springfall2008 in #1655
• Coverage run scripts by @springfall2008 in #1658
• unit testing updates by @springfall2008 in #1670

Full Changelog: v8.7.2...v8.8.1

Reduction and reporting of inverter writes, optimiser changes

What's Changed

CAUTION Some fairly major changes here so its possible I broke something!

Register write improvements

Regarding the potential issue of Predbat creating too many register writes for your inverters flash memory:

• Added a new entity to counter the total register writes so users can check their configuration and report and issues. An average of one every 5 minutes (288 a day) should be fine. If you are seeing much higher than this then please report it.

• Count inverter register writes, reduce writes in some cases, tweak optimiser by @springfall2008 in #1672
• Don't adjust charge/discharge rate if timed pause is supported by @springfall2008 in #1673
• Reduce register writes during low power mode by @springfall2008 in #1676
• Low power mode fixes, new margin control for low power mode by @springfall2008 in #1677

Features

Added a new setting to control the number of minutes margin in low power mode

Optimiser changes

30-minute charge slots are now either on, off or freeze. The charge % target will not be calculated for 30 minute slots. The percentage target is still calculated for larger slots (combine charge = True).

Please feedback on this change, if it causes other issues I may need to revert it.

Fixes

• Fix typo in Octopus, catch traceback to status entity debug by @springfall2008 in #1656
• Fix download list by @springfall2008 in #1657
• Fix discharge time bug, unit testing, add missing file by @springfall2008 in #1660
• Don't enable scheduled charge during export by @springfall2008 in #1669
• Fix some warnings with index out of range by @springfall2008 in #1674

Code improvements

• Split code up into more files, remove old sanity check function by @springfall2008 in #1655
• Coverage run scripts by @springfall2008 in #1658
• unit testing updates by @springfall2008 in #1670

Full Changelog: v8.7.2...v8.8.0

Octopus free (power up) event support fixes

What's Changed

• Fix issue with manual API rates and decimal points by @springfall2008 in #1649
• Missing config element for free sessions by @springfall2008 in #1650
• Octopus free scraping from web site by @springfall2008 in #1651

Note: If the Octopus Free Session event sensor is not working due to lack of data (via a 3rd party service) Predbat can scrape directly from the Octopus Web Site, this may
have its own issues due to change of format. If you enable this then sessions will be considered even if you forget to sign-up so be careful!

octopus_free_url: 'http://octopus.energy/free-electricity'

Full Changelog: v8.7.1...v8.7.2

Octopus free (power up) event support

What's Changed

Octopus free (power up) event support

Predbat can automatically detect Octopus free events and adjust your battery plan according.

For Predbat to automatically manage Octopus free sessions the following additional configuration item in apps.yaml is used.

Note: You must have signed up to Octoplus to benefit from these events

Like the electricity rates this is set in the apps.yaml template to a regular expression that should auto-discover the Octopus Energy integration.

octopus_free_session - Will point to the free event sensor that is exposed by the Octopus Energy Integration. This event sensor contains the dates/times of
all the free events.

  octopus_free_session: 're:(event.octopus_energy_([0-9a-z_]+|)_octoplus_free_electricity_session_events)'

Note: This event may need to be enabled in Home Assistant first How to Enable Octopus events

If you normally increase your house usage during a free session then you can change input_number.predbat_load_scaling_free to allow Predbat to assume an energy
increase in this period. E.g. setting to a value of 1.2 would indicate you will use 20% more energy that normal during this period. (Default is 1.2)

If you do not want Predbat to see these sessions then comment out the octopus_free_session setting.

• Octopus free (power up) event support by @springfall2008 in #1647

Full Changelog: v8.7.0...v8.7.1