Two in One: New Generation of the Sunny Home Manager

The new Sunny Home Manager 2.0 will be available in April 2017. Just like the term Web 2.0, the extension 2.0 does not describe a radically new type of technology or application. Instead, it describes the modified and extended use of the product. Here, you can learn why the Sunny Home Manager now looks like the SMA Energy Meter and what this means for the PV system.

Why is there a new Sunny Home Manager?

We want to make our share in solar power as simple and cost-effective as possible for everybody to ensure that intelligent energy management of solar power is actually suitable for household use. We are thus combining the intelligent energy management of the previous Sunny Home Manager and the power measurement of the SMA Energy Meter in the new device. PV systems therefore require one less component. This makes installation easier and is also more cost-effective than the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth and SMA Energy Meter devices together.

What else is new about Sunny Home Manager 2.0?

With the Sunny Home Manager 2.0, we are introducing a new generation. SMA is replacing Bluetooth communication with WLAN/Ethernet technology. WLAN/Ethernet is a universal standard and the radio-controlled sockets with WLAN technology are significantly more cost-effective than radio-controlled sockets with Bluetooth. This means that more cost-effective, standard components can be used, such as the WLAN radio-controlled socket SP-2101W from Edimax for load control and power measurement. Expensive special components no longer have to be integrated, as a range of standard components can be used, for example, for WLAN range extension and Ethernet switch technology.

How does the new Sunny Home Manager 2.0 affect new installations?

All options are available for new systems. The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 communicates with SMA inverters, intelligent appliances and the Internet using the local router via a WLAN or Ethernet connection. The Edimax SP-2101W radio-controlled socket can be used to control simple appliances. Intelligent household appliances with SEMP and EEBUS protocols communicate directly with the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 via their Ethernet/WLAN connection.

What will happen to my existing PV system with the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth technology?

You can continue to operate PV systems with the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth without any problems. The Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth will of course receive further updates in the course of product enhancement activities, even if the focus of functional developments is on the new generation. The following are some examples of product enhancement activities:

• Security-relevant updates
• Approval- and market-relevant updates if they are classified as relevant for existing systems
• Troubleshooting in the case of bugs discovered retrospectively to ensure the functionality of the implemented functions
• Incorporation of new inverters if they are of benefit for expanding existing systems

Can I replace my Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth with Sunny Home Manager 2.0?

This will not be a problem if there are no Bluetooth components, Plugwise components or Miele devices in your system and if no existing S0/D0 meters are used.

The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 records the power at the grid-connection point using the integrated measuring device. Any SMA inverters in the system, which are currently connected to the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth via Bluetooth, can already communicate via Ethernet/Speedwire (depending on the inverter type, an extension with a Speedwire data module may be necessary). The inverters can then be connected to the router via Ethernet/Speedwire using an extended cable. Unfortunately, any existing SMA Bluetooth radio-controlled sockets are not recognized by the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 and must be replaced with Edimax SP-2101W WLAN radio-controlled sockets.

Can I continue using my existing Bluetooth radio-controlled sockets?

Yes, this is still possible with the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth.

However, the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 no longer supports Bluetooth. The Edimax SP-2101W WLAN radio-controlled sockets are integrated into the energy management system via the local router.

Why does the SHM 2.0 look like the SMA Energy Meter and not like the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth?

In every case, intelligent energy management requires both purchased electricity and feed-in power measurements. Over the past few years, most new PV systems have already been equipped with the SMA Energy Meter to function as a measuring device at the grid-connection point. We therefore decided to directly integrate the algorithms for intelligent energy management into a specially extended hardware platform based on the SMA Energy Meter. This resulted in the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 combined device, which combines intelligent energy management and the required power measurement.

Can the functions of the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth be installed on the SMA Energy Meter?

No, this is unfortunately not possible. The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 has special firmware. The initial release version of this firmware is specifically programmed for the device. Despite the fact that the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 and the SMA Energy Meter have almost identical enclosures, they are two distinct products, which must be ordered, using different order numbers and prices.

As the firmware for intelligent energy management offers the user considerable savings and, naturally, it costs money to develop and maintain the software, the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 combined device is slightly more expensive than the SMA Energy Meter. Even in the event of a complete reset and/or release updates from SMA, the respective purchased device always retains its basic function:

• The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 is and remains the control center of the intelligent energy management system
• The SMA Energy Meter is and remains a measuring device for power values in three-phase utility grids

When should I update my existing system with SHM 2.0?

If your existing system runs well with the Sunny Home Manager and if you do not require any new functions, an update is not necessary. However, in the future, the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth will only receive safety-relevant updates.

In the coming years, SMA will introduce a range of enhancements related to energy management, which will then be offered and distributed via updates for the Sunny Home Manager 2.0. If this entails a significant enhancement, it might make sense to update your system. Please note that the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 does not support Bluetooth, S0/D0 meters, Plugwise products or Miele control units. If the system to be updated includes these components, other modifications and potentially new components will be required. In this case, please contact your installer.

Production of the Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth will be discontinued in April 2017. What happens if my Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth fails?

If the system does not include Bluetooth, S0/D0 meters, Plugwise products or a Miele control unit, the new Sunny Home Manager 2.0 can be installed. Otherwise, if your system is under warranty, SMA may install a replacement Sunny Home Manager Bluetooth device.

Any questions?

Please check our product page for more information. If you have any more questions about your existing system with the Sunny Home Manager, please use the comments function. OR collect the questions, which Martin will answer in a separate blog.