Documentation
Product overview
What SolarAutopilot is and how it is delivered.
What it is
SolarAutopilot is standalone solar energy management software. It reads your inverter and battery data, shows it live in your browser, keeps history, and can act on supported settings, prices and your own rules.
How you get it
- SolarAutopilot Box: Raspberry Pi hardware with the software prepared in advance
- Software image: the same software for your own compatible Raspberry Pi
No other platform needed
SolarAutopilot runs on its own dedicated hardware. You do not need a home-automation platform or a desktop application.
Hardware requirements
What you need for the box or the image.
SolarAutopilot Box
- A supported inverter
- Power near the installation location
- Home network (Ethernet or Wi-Fi)
- A cable run to the inverter communication port
Software image
- A compatible 64-bit Raspberry Pi: supported models to be confirmed
- Storage for the image: minimum size to be confirmed
- An RS485 adapter suited to your inverter: to be confirmed
- Power supply and network connection
Important
Final hardware requirements have not been published yet. Please confirm your setup with us before buying hardware.
Supported configurations
Which inverters, BMS and setups are supported.
Initial focus
Growatt inverters. Specific models have not been verified yet.
Virtual BMS targets
Selected Seplos and JK BMS configurations. Not yet verified, and Virtual BMS is in development.
Installation & first startup
From unboxing to live data.
Steps
- Place the box or Pi in a dry, ventilated spot near the inverter
- Connect the communication cable to the inverter, following the inverter manual
- Connect network and power
- Open SolarAutopilot in your browser and complete first-start setup
- Compare live readings with your inverter display
Model-specific instructions
Detailed wiring and setup instructions for your inverter model are provided with your box or image.
Full walkthrough
Virtual BMS concepts
How Virtual BMS is designed to work.
The idea
Your BMS protects your cells and knows their state. Virtual BMS, running in SolarAutopilot, aims to pass that information to a supported inverter in a form it understands.
What it does not do
It does not replace your BMS’s own protection, and it does not make every BMS compatible with every inverter.
Troubleshooting
Common issues and how to fix them.
Common fixes
Connection problems, missing data, settings not applying, prices and alerts.
FAQ
Short answers to common questions.
Frequently asked questions
Box vs image, compatibility, Virtual BMS, pricing and connectivity.
Contact & support
How to reach us.
Get help
Send us your inverter model, BMS and a description of the issue. Photos of the wiring help.