ggza

Thanks for this. It needs a small correction. 
- platform: template sensors: soc_battery_time_left: friendly_name: "Battery Depletion Seconds" unit_of_measurement: Seconds value_template: "{{ ((((states('sensor.battery_soc') | float - 20) /100) * 15960) / ((states('sensor.load_power') | float + 60 ) | float) * 60 * 60 ) | timestamp_custom('%s', 0)}}" soc_battery_time_left_friendly: friendly_name: "Battery Depletion Time" value_template: > {% set time = states('sensor.soc_battery_time_left') | int %} {%- set minutes = ((time % 3600) // 60) %} {%- set minutes = '{} minutes'.format(minutes) if minutes > 0 else '' %} {%- set hours = ((time % 86400) // 3600) %} {%- set hours = '{} hours, '.format(hours) if hours > 0 else '' %} {%- set days = (time // 86400) %} {%- set days = '{} day, '.format(days) if days > 0 else '' %} {{ 'Less than 1 minute' if time < 60 else days + hours + minutes }} 15960 = Is my battery capacity in Wh (Update to match your battery size)
20 = Is the minimum SOC percentage or shutdown percentage
Added 60W to the load  to cater for inverter self power

Template sensors to be created in configuration.yaml:
- platform: template sensors: soc_battery_depletion_seconds_backup_circuit: friendly_name: "Battery Depletion Seconds - Backup Circuit" unit_of_measurement: Seconds value_template: "{{ (((states('sensor.battery_state_of_charge') | float * 9.6 * 10) - 960 - 60) / ((states('sensor.load_power')) | float) * 60 * 60 ) | timestamp_custom('%s', 0)}}" soc_battery_depletion_backup_circuit_formatted_no_ago: friendly_name: "Battery Depletion No Ago - Backup Circuit" value_template: > {% set time = states('sensor.soc_battery_depletion_seconds_backup_circuit') | int %} {%- set minutes = ((time % 3600) // 60) %} {%- set minutes = '{} minutes'.format(minutes) if minutes > 0 else '' %} {%- set hours = ((time % 86400) // 3600) %} {%- set hours = '{} hours, '.format(hours) if hours > 0 else '' %} {%- set days = (time // 86400) %} {%- set days = '{} day, '.format(days) if days > 0 else '' %} {{ 'Less than 1 minute' if time < 60 else days + hours + minutes }} YAML to display:
Battery runtime {{ states('sensor.soc_battery_depletion_backup_circuit_formatted_no_ago') }} at current ({{states('sensor.load_power') }}W) load The above is for a 9.6kwh battery bank.
Edit: Credit to the developer (PilgrimtoHyperion on MyBB) - i just cut and paste 🙂 @PilgrimToHyperion

Well, I hope this is going to help someone in future. YellowTapemeasure (is it Stanley? 😁), LiBMS screen showed normal and proper comms with battery. CAN cable connected to master inverter only. Parallel cable between inverters. All good. Even tested continuity.
Performed manual reset on Hubble by discharging to less than 10% SOC (set in AGM V mode), then charging up again to realign voltage markers with BMS. After this procedure, tested again but charge rate still limited to around 20A or just over 1kW. The BMS current limitation shows 150A - all good, That's what this battery is supposed to be able to handle. Many hours of frustration and a call to Hubble's technical support desk - I decided to check the pinout on the specially made up battery cable. For the AM-10 and Sunsynk pins 2,4&5 are used. Opened the inverter and checked the plug. All good. Pins 2,4&5 - check. Even more frustration. Thought to myself I wasted a trip to site to check a damn cable and there's nothing wrong with it. Just for entertainment purposes, I decided to edulge the very friendly dog and go and lie on my back to check the battery side plug too. It was dark and with an all too friendly and excited dog all over me, pulled the plug and squinted at the pinout. Something looked odd. Could it be? Grabbed the phone for more light - really?? Got up and grabbed the number two reading glasses... Dog got very excited to see me lie flat on the floor again. True as nuts - the battery plug had a different pinout to the inverter.
Just for reference, some inverter battery pinouts have to be different, sometimes even crossed over. The Sunsynk 5kW and Hubble AM-10 however requires a straight through 2, 4 & 5 pinout. Mine was not that...
It turned out that a specially ordered cable was either made wrong or the wrong cable was supplied (albeit marked for Sunsynk/Hubble).
Made up a new cable, plugged it in and went home (loadshedding in progress). When loadshedding ended I was very disappointed to see the same symptoms - slow charge rate. I was so hopeful that the cable was the issue. I then decided to do a remote factory reset once more and re programmed the settings.
The system came online and low and behold, the charge rate picked up, and up, and up! With bated breath I watched the charge power tick up to 5kW, and it settled there, and remained there till the battery was full. I could not believe it. Three days of frustration was over. A simple little thing that was overlooked, and never suspected since we had proper readings on the LiBMS screen.
Goes to show - If your system does funny things, check everything, especially the basics.
 

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

REPORT BACK:
Okay, it's been a month or so since Hubble came out did my firmware on my battery (and the other 3 we bought).    I was furious, there was a problem, and I set my media team on dismantling them, but decided to give them a chance first.  
So, what is the outcome?   The batteries (at least in my batch) definitely had a firmware bug, and SOC would disappear overnight and I was left with a useless battery - one which died with 5 x Philips Hue GU10 bulbs killing it in 30min during loadshedding.    The guys who came out explained that the global chip shortage necessitated a change in controller or something, and this was the issue, and also that SunSynk blah blah.   
They updated the battery and I was promptly out of the country for two weeks, then back for a week that all looked good, then I travelled again, but upon checking both via loadshedding, and the Inverter running off battery during the night, all looks good.  I have no idea on the 110ah vs 105ah argument (above my skill set) but I'm getting the hours and percentages that make sense to me, and it looks like the firmware is good.    I want to add another battery, and I'm satisfied enough (currently) to call up Steve here on PowerForum and order another AM-2.     Granted, the red flags on alternate chemistry of the batteries, the changing ah values and the double cycle counts are worrying, but I figure since it's already installed and working, I'll take the chance.  
I do think however Hubble has handled this VERY poorly.   Instead of turning it into a total brand win and loyalty building exercise for almost no money, they dug in and took me ranting online to solve the issue (seems solved at least, which means my pitbull of a team is chilled).    But it's a small batch (apparently) and they should be hiring a team of two, giving them a branded vehicle, laptop and getting lists of where it's sold and setting a schedule to GO TO people and have it sorted.  Dont put it on your installers (who already told me that they are using other batteries) or consumers.   Two dudes, fuel and a car is super cheap to bury a problem, that with literally 2 people and effort could zero demand for your brand.
Build on your product, offer the right service.  Hands on service.   You'll kill everyone else.
TL;DR version.   New firmware fixed the draining SOC problem.   Happy enough at the moment to buy a second battery for my house installation.   Suggest that they hire a proper brand managenent / customer care consultant to fix their awful approach to handling a PR disaster.

This is a very neat install. Consider getting the Sunsynk data logger to complete the installation. It beats the solarmann setup by far and allows one to adjust your settings when needed.

This install is really Pure art!! That trunking really is gorgeous! 
Luckily my stuff is hid away under the stairs😅

Guys - anyone who can pitch in?

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Yip, just updated my Solar-Assistant and all the sensors for the energy dashboard are there!
 
 

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Interesting that you had all the monitoring and control in place before the install, this is pretty rare, the average SA citizen struggles to remember their previous months' bill in kWh. There are ways to work around this, but it's still mostly all theoretical until about 1-2 months after the install. I guess that it gave you a level of comfort knowing that what you had ordered was definitely going to work, and the data would have given both Steve and yourself solid information with which to model the system on.
Also interesting is your approach to lifestyle / usage changes, quite refreshing, and I am sure that your wife appreciates it. Some things in life are are clearly more important than others, it is good to hear that you have your priorities in the right order. 
 

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Hi Guys
This is resolved in the latest beta version: https://solar-assistant.io/help/updates/beta
It includes energy sensors with all the properties required by the HomeAssistant energy module:

Ok, time for an update.
10 x JA 540W panels are installed! Pictured is the west side. East is the same setup. Requested a quote on some additional panels, so the installer did not trim the rails on the left hand side.
Most of the wiring is complete. The sprag was incorrectly supplied at 32mm and not 20mm, so the sprag needs to be changed in the trunking and run all the way to the invertor. I have ordered an additional battery for commissioning in the new year. The isolators will move the above the trunking to make space for the third battery.
Will post my thoughts on the whole solar experience in a separate thread.

It's not JUST for stability, though that is a big driver in SA. A mate of mine in Belgium just went solar. He did so as a cost saving measure. In his case the savings are substantial because of local government subsidisation, but why would government subsidise? Because it takes load off their grid and because it reduces carbon footprint. So solar is a thing all over the place for reasons other than ensuring a stable supply to your home.

I know that I was thinking of stability and continuity when I got my system, but not exclusively. I could see prices escalating and was thinking about costs as I got closer to taking a pension, and I thought playing my small part in reducing emissions was a good thing. So even if Eskom manages to get itself sorted out in the next couple of years, there will still be a case for solar power.

Back to my mate in Belgium. People who are fond of the notion of privatisation should watch what is happening in the EU. Here in SA our utility tariffs are overseen and in most cases there is an annual increase. In most EU countries the utilities are privatised, and my friend in Belgium has seen his utility bill nearly double in the last two months. Which may reflect the real cost of supplying energy. If we go down what is being presented as the sensible route of a single grid, with privatised generation and supply to premises then it may be that we will find ourselves looking at a very different financial picture. 

This I know: Electricity isn't going to get cheaper any time soon. So you will get multiple benefits from your solar system.

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Hello
First, thank you to everyone for their help, comments, criticism, and questions along this journey. As a complete amateur with all things solar, this forum has been a source of information in helping me along the journey. Also, a big thanks for Steve for all the chats and advice along the way. 
Current Install
1 x 8 KW Sunsynk Invertor
2 x Hubble AM2 5.5
10 x JA 540 East, West Tile roof
Reason for Install
I am a work from home employee and has been for the last nine years already.
I live in PMB on the border of the suburbs of Clarendon and Prestbury, and with PMB being in the current situation, we suffered outages more than 5 hours quite frequently. So not only did load shedding cause issues, but so did the lack of maintenance on the current electricity supply. To make matters worse, when the power goes out, the cell phone signal drops as well, so I cannot work at all.
Scope of Install and selecting an installer
The initial plan was to only install the invertor and batteries, but after chatting to Steve, I agreed to add panels to help me recover some of my investment at least. In terms of sizing, I knew our house uses quite a bit of electricity, so I went as big as the budget allowed in terms of batteries and invertor. The panels I decided on the JA 540's since roof space is limited.
On the selection of installer, my first port of call was calling an electrician that previously ran neutrals to my light switches. He recommended an installer that recently left a large solar install company and started his own business. He came out and quoted and seemed very keen. However, he was not an electrician, and was not a certified installer. After chatting to Steve, he recommended Hendrik from HGP electrical. Hendrik is a qualified electrician and a certified installer. Hendrik made contact, quoted me on the install, and explained all the SANS regulations that needed to be complied with to issue a COC at the end.  Hendrik quoted for the install, and I accepted. Disclaimer: HGP's quote was much higher than the quote received from the non-certified installer. However, I received a full breakdown of material and labor costs, so there was a reason for this higher quote.
 
Install Process and 1st Load Shedding
After the receiving the Invertor and batteries, arrangements were made with Hendrik to start the install. Hendrik and an assistant arrived, and the install was a go! My whole house is on essential load, except for a 24 000 BTU AC unit in my living room. Hendrik did not want to exceed 32Amps on the invertor, so we played it safe. I am however monitoring the load with Node Red, and have some automations configured to reduce load, should we get close to the invertor rated capacity. Once again, with Node Red, I power off the geyser and pool pump, should we have a loss of grid.
The first night of load shedding, and the invertor installed, was pure bliss! We had the over going, load shedding kicked in, and the house kept on running without any dips. The oven ran for 35 minutes, and after load shedding, we used about 30% of the battery capacity. Last weekend we were blessed with a 5-hour outage, and once again, no issues. To say that I am impressed, is an understatement.
With the initial install of batteries and invertor complete, and the panels still awaiting delivery, Hendrik was scheduled to complete the install this week. After about two days, the panels were fitted, and I could see some black magic happening between the sun and the panels. I am posting some screenshots below from Solar-Assistant below.  Today is raining and overcast, so the yield is iffy.

 
Future Expansion
A third battery has been ordered, and I am awaiting a quote on some additional panels. My panels are facing east and west, and I would like to decrease my reliance on the grid. Please note, I am decreasing my grid reliance without any changes on the household. I am not asking the wife to not run the tumble-dryer at 6am in the morning, nor I am scheduling the geyser on a timer.
 
Final Thoughts
I was warned that this a rabbit hole, and it's so true. The feeling of not having to be worried about the electricity supply is refreshing. At the same time, it is incredibly sad. Having to install expensive equipment for the sake of having stable electricity, should not be the norm! 
 
Ok, enough ramblings. Hopefully, someone finds this post helpful.
 
 

Ok, time for an update.
10 x JA 540W panels are installed! Pictured is the west side. East is the same setup. Requested a quote on some additional panels, so the installer did not trim the rails on the left hand side.
Most of the wiring is complete. The sprag was incorrectly supplied at 32mm and not 20mm, so the sprag needs to be changed in the trunking and run all the way to the invertor. I have ordered an additional battery for commissioning in the new year. The isolators will move the above the trunking to make space for the third battery.
Will post my thoughts on the whole solar experience in a separate thread.

Ok, time for an update.
10 x JA 540W panels are installed! Pictured is the west side. East is the same setup. Requested a quote on some additional panels, so the installer did not trim the rails on the left hand side.
Most of the wiring is complete. The sprag was incorrectly supplied at 32mm and not 20mm, so the sprag needs to be changed in the trunking and run all the way to the invertor. I have ordered an additional battery for commissioning in the new year. The isolators will move the above the trunking to make space for the third battery.
Will post my thoughts on the whole solar experience in a separate thread.

Not to Worry, No AC and DC are combined in the trunking

Thank You! 
 
You put me on the correct path. Template is as follows:
 
      battery_energy_in:
        unique_id: battery_power_in
        value_template: >-
          {% set power = states('sensor.battery_power') | float %}
          {% if power > 0.0 %} {{ states('sensor.battery_power')|float }}
          {% else %} 0.0 {% endif %}
        device_class: Power
        unit_of_measurement: 'W' 
      battery_energy_out:
        unique_id: battery_energy_out
        value_template: >-
          {% set power = states('sensor.battery_power') | float %}
          {% if power < 0.0 %} {{ (states('sensor.battery_power')|float * -1) }}
          {% else %} 0.0 {% endif %}
        device_class: Power
        unit_of_measurement: 'W' 
 
 

Mine is separated. Also, when the panels are being installed, all the DC wires in the trunking will be in metal sprague.