After a significant amount of research, I stumbled upon a straightforward solution to integrate my newer Growatt inverter into Home Assistant without relying on the cloud. I wanted to share my experience in case anyone else is tackling a similar project. Here’s how I made it work:
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Hardware Setup: I connected an RS-485 cable to the inverter’s modbus port. To bridge the gap between the inverter and my network, I opted for the USR-DR164, which I sourced from AliExpress. This device proved to be reliable and user-friendly.
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Configuration: Once the hardware was in place, I powered up the USR-DR164 and configured it to connect to my home Wi-Fi network. I made sure to set it to STA mode to avoid creating a separate network, which could have complicated things.
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Network Settings: I configured the USR-DR164 to use a static IP address provided by my router’s DHCP server. This step was crucial to ensure consistent communication between the inverter and Home Assistant.
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Home Assistant Integration: With HACS installed, I downloaded the Solax Inverter Modbus integration. Configuring this was straightforward—I simply entered the static IP address assigned to the USR-DR164. Within minutes, I was seeing real-time data from my inverter in Home Assistant!
This setup has been running smoothly for several weeks now. It’s incredibly satisfying to see my solar production data integrated seamlessly into my smart home ecosystem. If anyone has questions or needs troubleshooting tips, feel free to reach out!
Happy tinkering! 