SMA Owners or Users

Questions
#1

I’m attempting to get feedback from SMA owners, or users.
At issue, my installer is saying enabling the user, and the speedwire interface, on the inverter, voids the warranty.
I have sent an email to sma, Germany, they say contact the installer.
Without these two items being enabled, I am limited to using sunnyportal.

Has anyone had any feedback from sma regarding warranty issues, specific to using third party monitoring software?

An interesting side note, the installer had commissioned my inverter via wifi, after him waffling about connecting via ethernet, he says it voids the warranty, I changed the SSID and password, must have been some communicating with the regional, the owner showed up, he was pissed, to reconfigure for ethernet, seems there is an internal firewall that, if not connected to the internet, it will NOT allow the internal dhcp server to broadcast, wifi or ethernet, he was not able to connect at all, a couple hours of phone support, they finally figured it out.
Thanks

#2

I had a Sunny Boy 2500HF-30 replaced under warranty in January 2018 and had been using SBFspot to upload to PVOutput since July 2016. The user account is active and I use Bluetooth to interface with the Pi. There were no issues with getting a replacement inverter under warranty.

Bob.

#3

Thanks Bob

#4

I also use the Bluetooth interface to fetch data and upload to pvoutput.org.
I use SBFspot on a Raspberry Pi for that, it has worked for a few years now.
SMA has a program for Windows you can download. It communicates over Bluetooth, so I don’t think there is a problem in that.

#5

Thanks deepo, this model doesn’t have bluetooth, I’m planning on using SBFspot, if I can ever get access.

#6

Speedwire interface, as in ethernet interface?
Why in the world would that void the warranty??

My installer uses that interface to directly connect to the smart meter in the meter box, and the inverter wifi is connected to my local SSID for inverter mgmt and sunny portal integration. I then run SBFspot locally to upload to pvoutput.

The other option would be to connect both SMA inverter and Smart meter to my home switch/router via ethernet, and that would work the same as wifi option (except the hassle of running an ethernet cable from inverter to switch/router).

#7

Thanks sundaydiver.
Yes the language use is about as bad as the user interface, I think speedwire is the term SMA uses for the ethernet portal.
A question I forgot to ask, have any of you received warranty paperwork, detailing what is covered/not covered?
All I got was an installer generated receipt, stating it was covered for 10 years.
Thanks

#8

SMA website allows me to download my warranty sheet for my model. Using their features is not a void of warranty. Tell your installer you want to use the Sunny Explorer software from SMA and that requires you have the user level password.

I know some installers don’t want to give the installer password out, I disagree with that, but if they are providing warranty coverage for their install then I guess they have a rationale not to.

#9

Thanks anderdd.
Have you a link to SMA for the warranty?
I agree with the installer password, but sma can still see what you do.
thanks