Research home assistant with EcoFlow powerstation(s)
Testing, monitoring and controlling EcoFlow Delta Max in combination with EcoFlow River 600, Raspberry PI400, TP-Link WR1043ND Freifunk and 400W solar power
Abstract
We investigate to find a stable, self-automated and self-regulated setup.
Setup should work off grid and without internet connection.
In addition we have a close look at data security and privacy.
We test efficiency on different loads e.g. water heating, air condition, cooling, office setup...
We test usabilty and automation for different places e.g. home, office, holiday home...
This will be an ongoing report.
Results with focus on Delta Max and AC usage
- Efficiency is up to 90% with loads ~2KWh, e.g. Water Heater
- Efficiency is up to 85% with loads ~300W, e.g. Workstation
- Efficiency is ~50% with loads ~ 50Wh, e.g. low energy PC and low energy Display
- Efficiency is down to 20% with loads ~15Wh, e.g. fridge
On lower loads, it is probably better to use the River 600.
Self measurement of unit is very inexact (inaccurate).
Fan is noisy.
Security, privacy and control
EcoFlow App uses Oauth for mqtt connection, this looks very secure and has a lot of features.
EcoFlow Servers are in China, anonymized connections via Tor are impossible, different VPN work, other not.
Automation does not work without internet connection.
EcoFlow offers an online api, you can ask support for keys, you will get 4 values with the curl command.
Controlling via app is possible without internet connection, but Delta Max hotspot is without any security/password, anyone nearby with EcoFlow app might take over the device.
Hotspot is not permanent.
Automation does not work at all with latest firmware
Setup
Raspberry and Router (12V Router via USB-PD Trigger Modul) are connected to River 600 usb ports.
River 600 AC output is connected to Delta Max AC input.
- River 600 is connected to 100W solar power.
Delta Max is connected to 300W solar power. - River 600 is connected to Delta Max DC output.
Delta Max is connected to 400W solar panel.
Idea
River 600 usb ports are always on when unit is on.
River 600 AC output is our switch to wake up Delta Max when Delta is needed.
- River 600 will be waked up from sun and charged.
Raspberry and Router are starting automatically with sun rising-> Home assistant collects data, automation is ready.
Delta Max will be waked up from sun and charged. - River 600 and home assistant are running continuously.
Delta Max will be waked up from sun and charged.
River 600 will be charged by Delta Max via DC controlled by home assistant.
Testing and Findings
Use cases and Tests with Delta Max
- 1.8KW 50l water heater, total 1.8KWh
High efficiency ~ 87%, but we think, this stresses the battery - Workstation, calculating with fairly linear 300Wh over 6 hours
Very good efficiency ~ 85% - Washing Machine up to 2.2 KW, total run 0.35 Kwh
We have tested with solar input, battery information useless - Workstation, monitor, router, between 80W and 400W very dynamic
Fair efficiency ~ 60% - 80% - Refrigerator up to ~800 W for 1 or 2 seconds, 50W for 12 minutes, but only 12 Wh per hour
Poor efficiency, DC Standby needs up to 50Wh - Computer 50W, continuous load
Bad efficiency ~ 50% - Air Condition 800W
We could not test yet, but we expect good efficiency
The powerful inverter is very efficient on high loads. Medium loads ~300Wh we find very good efficiency.
If you have enough solar power, the efficiency is not the most important.
Inaccurate measuring of battery percentage:
- When discharging Delta Max percentage is staying very long time on 0.49%
- At battery recalibration, we found battery percentage jumps up to 30% up or down.
Recalibration: Switch off device, then press and hold Power On for ~10s and you will see a jump in battery percentage...
We thought about running the battery in between 20% and 80%, for lithium ion, we can expect more charge cycles, perhaps double, but, this means, every day one recalibration.
Fan is starting when charging >= ~80W solar power (~20V), the DC/DC converter gets really hot, perhaps this is better with Solarpanels with higher Voltage.
When discharging Fan noise starts frequently >=~150W.
Tests with River 600
- Solarcharging to 100%, then Solarcharging and different load first AC and then ~100W DC until battery is empty.
Battery jumps on linear DC discharging from 27% to 0% in seconds and switch off.
Firmware/Hardware
We got a replacement device from EcoFlow because of our findings and an audibly electrical crackling nearby AC relay. Unit arrived with 0.?.1, we had to update the firmware and we lost control. In latest firmware they closed local port what killed this project, well, perhaps it is only injured.
They might have closed the port because it was not secure. We have not researched this, perhaps everybody in local network could reach and control the device.
It would have been better to secure the port instead of closing it or let the user decide, we would wish us an option in the app.
When you want to control and automate the Delta Max with home assistant or any other smart home solution, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE ANYMORE!!!
Because of this, we can not monitor our testing at the moment. After some charging and discharging in between 20% and 80%, we have done battery recalibration, a jump of 13%, from 33% to 20%. After some loads and charging and recalibration, a jump from 40% to 61%. So, it looks like, this is not solved in latest firmware. Electrical crackling nearby AC relay still is audible, so it seems to be normal.