Photovoltaics Configuration¶

Solar panels that generate electricity. HAEO optimizes how generated power is used, with optional curtailment.

Configuration Fields¶

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
Name	String	Yes	-	Unique identifier
Forecast	Sensor(s)	Yes	-	Solar generation forecast
Production Price	Number ($/kWh)	No	0	Value per kWh generated
Curtailment	Boolean	No	false	Allow reducing generation

Name¶

Descriptive identifier: "Rooftop Solar", "East Array", "Ground Mount"

Forecast¶

Forecast sensor(s) providing solar power predictions (kW).

Single sensor:

Forecast: sensor.solcast_pv_forecast

Multiple sensors (merged):

Forecast:
  - sensor.solar_forecast_today
  - sensor.solar_forecast_tomorrow

Integrations: Solcast, Open-Meteo Solar Forecast, Forecast.Solar

Production Price¶

Price per kWh generated.

Typically 0: Solar generation is free once installed (no fuel cost)
Negative values: Model opportunity cost if generation could be sold but curtailment reduces revenue
Positive values: Rarely used (not the same as export price, which is configured on Grid)

Production Price vs Export Price

Production price represents the cost of generating electricity (typically zero for solar). Export revenue is configured separately via the Grid element's export price. Keep production price at 0 unless modeling specific curtailment opportunity costs.

Curtailment¶

Allow reducing generation below forecast.

When enabled: HAEO can curtail if export prices are negative or export limit reached.

Requirement: Inverter must support active power limiting.

Default: Disabled (generation follows forecast exactly).

Configuration Example¶

Name: Rooftop Solar
Forecast: sensor.solcast_pv_forecast
Production Price: 0
Curtailment: false  # Standard operation

Sensors Created¶

Sensor	Unit	Description
`{name}_power`	kW	Current/forecast generation

Forecast attribute: Future generation values with timestamps.

Troubleshooting¶

No generation shown: Check forecast sensor exists, has data, uses kW units, covers current time.

Curtailment not working: Verify curtailment enabled, export prices actually negative, inverter supports it.

Incorrect forecast: Verify sensor in HA developer tools, check units (kW not kWh), confirm system size matches.

Multiple Arrays¶

Configure separate photovoltaics entities for different orientations/locations:

# East-facing
Name: East Panels
Forecast: sensor.solar_forecast_east

# West-facing
Name: West Panels
Forecast: sensor.solar_forecast_west

Better daily coverage vs single orientation.

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