⚙️ Settings

Start with Automation Cycle Interval and Pricing Data Cache. Keeping both around 60 seconds gives responsive rule decisions without excessive API traffic.

Inverter APIs often have stricter rate limits than local rule evaluation. A 5 minute inverter cache avoids unnecessary API pressure while automation can still run every minute using fresh-enough telemetry.

Each automation cycle evaluates rules using the latest available cached values. If a cache has expired, that source is refreshed first, then used by the same cycle.

Recommended baseline: 60s automation, 60s pricing, 5m inverter, 30m weather, 10m Tesla status. Adjust only if you have a clear need for faster or slower refresh behavior.

Common use cases include:
• Overnight quiet hours — Pause automation from 11pm-6am when you don't want mode changes
• Scheduled maintenance — Temporarily disable automation during system updates
• Peak demand events — Prevent discharge during grid emergencies when you want to keep battery full

Yes! A window from 22:00 to 06:00 correctly spans midnight. The system understands that the end time is on the following day.

Automation cycles are completely skipped — no rules are evaluated and no actions are taken. Your inverter continues running in whatever mode it was in before the blackout started.

During each automation cycle (every 1 minute by default), the system checks if:
• Curtailment is enabled
• Current feed-in price is below your threshold
If both conditions are met, export power is set to 0 watts.

When the feed-in price rises above your threshold, export power is automatically restored to 12000 watts (normal operation). The system tracks state to avoid sending redundant commands to your inverter.

Curtailment runs AFTER automation rules in each cycle. If a rule updates your scheduler segments, curtailment will execute afterward. Both can operate in the same cycle without conflict.

If the system can't update export power (e.g., inverter offline, API error), an alert will appear on your dashboard. The automation cycle continues normally — curtailment errors don't disrupt rule execution.

No. Hidden secrets can stay blank when you are not changing them. Only enter a token, password, or secret again when you want to replace the stored value.

Each inverter and pricing provider exposes different identifiers and login requirements. This page only shows the fields relevant to your selected device provider and pricing source so you are not asked for values the backend will never use.

Pricing Source decides where the app gets electricity prices from. If you choose AEMO, select your NEM region and no Amber key is required. If you choose Amber, your Amber site and key unlock live customer pricing for automation, history, and ROI views.

Usually in your provider portal, mobile app, inverter label, or commissioning paperwork. FoxESS and Sungrow commonly show it in the cloud portal, while AlphaESS exposes a system serial number in its developer portal.

The in-app inbox stores notifications inside SoCrates for your account. Push notifications are browser or device alerts for this specific browser profile, so they can appear even when the app is not open.

Push permissions are granted per browser and per device. Turning push on for your laptop does not automatically enable it on your phone or tablet, even though your inbox preferences stay linked to the same account.

Apple only allows web push for installed Home Screen web apps. If you are on iPhone or iPad, add this app to your Home Screen first, open it from there, then come back to this section to enable push.

Most users keep high-signal automation alerts and admin broadcasts enabled. Curtailment transitions are useful if you actively watch negative feed-in events, but you can disable them if you prefer a quieter notification stream.

Your weather location determines the local timezone, sunrise/sunset times, and cloud cover forecasts — all critical for solar production predictions. Getting the location correct ensures automation reacts appropriately to local weather conditions. For example, a forecast heavy rain in your area will reduce solar output and might trigger battery discharge modes to maximize export during remaining sunny hours.

Location determines the actual sunrise/sunset times and cloud cover for your area. If you set a rule like "Discharge during peak export hours", the system uses your location to calculate when peak sun is expected. Wrong location = wrong time windows = suboptimal discharge timing. Additionally, timezone information from your location is used to align with local electricity-market data (pricing providers use local times).

The system will fetch new weather data for the new location on the next update cycle. Historical weather data for the old location is discarded, and your weather cache resets. Automation rules will immediately start using the new sunrise/sunset times and timezone. No manual adjustment needed.

Weather forecasts typically update hourly from data providers. A 30 minute cache reduces unnecessary API calls while keeping your forecast fresh enough for automation decisions. Shorter caching would hit rate limits; longer caching might miss rapid weather changes like sudden cloud cover.

Currently, the system accepts location names (e.g., "Sydney, Australia"). The weather provider resolves the name to coordinates internally. Using specific addresses or coordinates isn't supported, but city/state is precise enough for weather forecasting.

6 days (default) is ideal for most users — it's enough to plan weekly without overwhelming the UI. If you want to see longer-term trends, increase to 10-16 days. For real-time operation focused on today/tomorrow, reduce to 2-3 days.

Check the nameplate on your inverter or its datasheet. It is often labelled Rated AC Output Power. Common sizes are 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15 kW.

Usable capacity is the energy available between the minimum and maximum state-of-charge limits (often 10%–90% of rated capacity). For a 50 kWh pack at 10–90%, usable = 80% × 50 = 40 kWh. Check your battery's technical spec sheet.

Cooldown prevents a rule from triggering repeatedly in quick succession. For example, if prices fluctuate around your threshold, a 5 minute cooldown prevents the rule from toggling on/off every cycle. This protects your battery from excessive cycling.

When a rule triggers, it creates a scheduler segment lasting this many minutes. After the duration expires, the inverter returns to its default mode. 30 minutes is a good balance for most price arbitrage scenarios.

This controls how fast your battery charges/discharges. 5000W is typical for most home setups. Lower values (3000W) are gentler on the battery; higher values (7000-10000W) maximize throughput but increase wear.

Your VIN is in the Tesla mobile app under your vehicle card, on the touchscreen under Controls → Software, on your registration documents, or on a sticker inside the driver's door frame. Enter the full 17-character code, not the model name.

North America + Asia-Pacific covers the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and most accounts outside Europe and China. Europe, Middle East + Africa covers EU, UK, and nearby regions. China is only for Tesla accounts created on Tesla's Chinese platform.

If you are unsure, start with North America + Asia-Pacific. That is correct for most users.

Clicking Connect with Tesla starts a secure OAuth sign-in through Tesla's own website. You are redirected to Tesla to approve access, and no Tesla password is stored here. Once approved, Tesla returns a token that lets SoCrates read vehicle status and send charging commands.

Tesla 2021+ vehicles require a virtual key before third-party apps can send charging commands. After connecting, open the pairing link on a phone with the Tesla app installed, approve the key in the Tesla app, then confirm on the vehicle touchscreen. Without pairing, status can work while commands fail.

Tesla can allow read-only vehicle status without granting full command access. Charging controls on newer vehicles require both Tesla OAuth approval and the separate virtual key pairing step.

Click Reconnect next to the vehicle in the list below. SoCrates pre-fills the VIN and region for you, and the green button changes to Reconnect with Tesla. Click that button, approve access on Tesla's site, and you will return here automatically. You do not need to type the VIN again.

Status Only means dashboard status is already working, so nothing is broken for status visibility. Charging controls need extra Tesla setup before they can be enabled, such as app ownership, domain registration, OAuth command permissions, or virtual key pairing on newer vehicles.