Troubleshooting & FAQ
Troubleshooting
A sensor I turned on doesn't appear
Most sensors need some extra information before they can be created:
| Sensor | Needs |
|---|---|
| Any cost, savings or financial return sensor | an Electricity price on the grid connection |
| Any levelized sensor | Lifetime production and Lifetime cost on the PV system or battery |
| Export sensors on a PV system or battery | Exports to the grid turned on for that device |
| … to batteries sensors | a battery that is allowed to charge from that source |
When you save the options, Power Insight names any device that is missing something. Open it, choose Reconfigure, fill in the missing value and save the options again. See Sensor options & presets.
Values look backwards: export shows as import, charging as discharging
The power sensor uses the opposite sign from what Power Insight expects (see sign conventions). Open the device, choose Reconfigure and turn on Invert power sign. Smart plugs in particular usually need this.
Sensors show unavailable
A sensor is unavailable while any reading it depends on is unavailable: a power sensor that dropped out, or the price sensor. Check the source entities in Home Assistant. Power Insight shows unavailable on purpose rather than a wrong number, and totals simply pause until the reading comes back.
Repair issues
Power Insight raises a repair issue under Settings → System → Repairs when something needs your attention:
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| … needs a grid connection | Add a grid connection: Add device → Grid connection. Nothing can be calculated without one. |
| Check the charging sources of … | A possible charging source was added or removed. Reconfigure the battery and check Charges from. |
| Check the power sources of … | A consumer is restricted to a source you removed. Reconfigure it and pick its sources again. |
| The electricity price … has an unknown unit | The price sensor's unit isn't a price per energy. Use one in EUR/kWh, ct/kWh, EUR/MWh or similar. |
| The electricity price … is in another currency | Power Insight doesn't convert currencies. Use a price sensor in your Home Assistant currency, or change the currency in Settings → System → General. |
| Two devices … share a power sensor | Each device needs its own power sensor; otherwise its watts are counted twice. |
| The meters … disagree | See Metering imbalance warning below. |
| Carried-over savings … need an average grid tariff | Enter an Average grid tariff on the grid connection's Already accumulated section. See Carried-over history. |
Metering imbalance warning
Your consumers drew more power than your grid, solar and batteries supplied, for at least 15 minutes. Meters that update at slightly different moments cause short gaps, which Power Insight evens out by itself; a long-lasting gap usually means:
- a power sensor with the wrong sign: turn on Invert power sign;
- a consumer whose meter sits inside another metered circuit, so its power is counted twice.
Turn on Debug sensors in the options to watch the Metering imbalance sensor on the Combined device while you fix it.
My battery charges from the grid even though I set it to solar only
The selection under Specific devices describes what you expect, not a
hard limit: Power Insight counts every watt your meters report. If the
battery charges at night with no solar available, that power can only have
come from the grid, and it is counted and priced that way. The
restriction_deficit attribute on its Operating cost rate shows how many
watts came from outside its selection. See
When a device draws from outside its sources.
FAQ
Do I need energy (kWh) meters?
No. Power Insight works from power sensors (W, kW or MW) only. Every device you add, and the grid connection, needs one.
Does it work with dynamic electricity prices?
Yes, that is a core design goal. Every calculation uses the current value of your price sensor, so each moment is priced at the price that held then.
How are savings calculated?
In short: cost savings is what your own power kept off your grid bill, minus what the device costs to run. Financial return adds what exporting earned. See How it works and, for the formulas, Costs, savings and the maths.
Why does my battery have negative cost savings?
While a battery charges from the grid, that energy costs money, so its savings go down. They go up again when it discharges and replaces grid power. Over a full charge and discharge cycle, the net result is what matters. See Why does my battery have negative cost savings?
Why is my levelized financial return lower than my levelized savings?
Because exported energy also carries the hardware's cost. If you are paid less per exported kWh than its LCOE, exporting loses a little money. See the explanation.
Can I track two grid connections?
Not in one hub: a hub models one grid connection. Add Power Insight a second time for a second grid connection.
Are there CO₂ sensors?
Not yet. The setup may ask for a CO₂ intensity or footprint, but no CO₂ sensors are created in this release. You can leave those fields empty.
If I turn a sensor off, do I lose its history?
No. Turned-off sensors are hidden and stop updating, but their history is kept, and they come back when you turn the option on again.
How do I carry over my existing totals?
Enter the figures from your PV system's or battery's app in the device's Already accumulated section, when you add it or later under Reconfigure. See Carried-over history.
Why did my PV system's savings drop when I added my battery's history?
Because the solar energy that went into the battery is now credited to the battery, when it discharges into your home. The combined savings drop a little too: a battery gives back less than it takes in (typically 85–92 %), and only energy that reaches your home saves the grid price. See Adding a battery's history.