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Smart Charging - What happens if there is more sun than expected?

Autarco’s Smart Charging algorithm is designed to ensure your battery reaches the optimal State of Charge (SoC) at the lowest cost. If the weather turns out to be sunnier than forecasted, the system continues to manage your energy efficiently, though its behavior depends on whether a charge was already scheduled.

Problem description

Users may notice that even on a very sunny day, their battery does not always charge at the maximum possible power capacity of the inverter, or they may see the system exporting energy to the grid while the battery is still charging.

Description of the solution

When solar production exceeds the initial forecast, the Smart Charging model handles the situation in two distinct ways:

1. Sufficient PV Scenario If the model already predicted there would be enough sun to charge the battery fully for the night’s consumption, the battery will simply charge faster than expected. Once full, any additional solar energy is automatically exported to the grid or used by the household. This is a standard, efficient scenario.

2. Scheduled Charge Scenario (The "Limited Power" logic) If the model initially predicted a solar shortage and scheduled a specific charge moment (at a cheap price window) to hit a target SoC, the following logic applies:

  • The Goal is the Target SoC: The model aims to reach the calculated charge level required to cover your consumption.

  • PV Priority over Grid: Even if a charge was scheduled, the inverter does not "force" the power to come from the grid. If the sun comes out unexpectedly, the system will use the available PV power to fulfill the charging command.

  • Power Limitation: The charging power is limited to the specific value calculated by the model. If your PV production exceeds this set power limit, the "excess" solar energy will be exported to the grid while the battery continues to charge at the steady, scheduled rate.

Why does this happen? This behavior ensures the battery reaches the exact SoC the model calculated for optimal performance without over-charging or missing out on export opportunities when the logic was based on a different forecast.