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<p>If you are a Powston customer, you are already familiar with the rates page above, if not this is a way to find similar system and compare buy/sell rates and help right size your system for maximum earnings. Here, we will dive into these numbers by day to learn a bit more.</p><figure id="figure-dma40b4tl9m8e0ux41" class=""><img id="dma40b4tl9m8e0ux41" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/268rysDhbuIodRVINvW04PVPJJqMTYfpQXBUno7iBk9lvDAgTu0tUQl8c0qIvcYz.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="Rates Page you see as a Powston Customer" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/268rysDhbuIodRVINvW04PVPJJqMTYfpQXBUno7iBk9lvDAgTu0tUQl8c0qIvcYz.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2"><br>Rates Page you see as a Powston Customer</figcaption></figure><p>If you're running a battery and looking to maximize your earnings from energy exports, you might have wondered: Are some days better than others? Well, after analyzing the data from 2025 so far, we've found that not all days are created equal! Some days of the week—and even specific sites—are raking in incredible feed-in rates, while others are lagging behind.</p><p>Let's break it down and see which days have been the best for battery owners cashing in on high feed-in tariffs.</p><h3>🔥 The Champions of Feed-In Rates</h3><p>The absolute best-performing day for batteries in 2025 so far has been <strong>Saturday</strong> at Site 60, with an incredible 1,761.55 c/kWh in average earnings per kWh exported. That’s a massive payday for anyone shifting their energy exports to the right time slots!</p><p><strong>Wednesday</strong> also dominates, with multiple site locations seeing huge rates:</p><p><strong>Site 98 – $14.32/kWh</strong><br><strong>Site 47 – $12.76/kWh</strong><br><strong>Site 91 – $11.99/kWh</strong></p><p>Meanwhile, <strong>Thursday</strong> holds its own, with Site 60 pulling in <strong>$7.36/kWh</strong> and <strong>Saturday</strong> at Site 106 seeing <strong>$7.16/kWh</strong>.</p><h3>🏆 The Top 5 Battery-Friendly Days</h3><p>Based on the highest feed-in rates across all locations, here are the best days to export energy:</p><p><strong>Saturday</strong> – Huge earnings, especially at Site 60<br><strong>Wednesday</strong> – Consistently high across multiple sites<br><strong>Thursday</strong> – Strong mid-week performance<br><strong>Friday</strong> – Decent rates, but not as dominant as Wednesday and Saturday<br><strong>Tuesday</strong> – Some standout sites, but more variability<br></p><h3>📉 The Least Profitable Days</h3><p>While <strong>Monday</strong> and <strong>Sunday</strong> make appearances in the rankings, they tend to be at the lower end of the spectrum. For example, the best <strong>Monday</strong> site (Site 76) only hit 86.25 c/kWh, a far cry from the top Saturday numbers.</p><h3>⚡ What This Means for Battery Owners</h3><p>If you're looking to optimize your battery’s exports, aim for peak days like <strong>Saturday</strong> and <strong>Wednesday</strong>. These days consistently bring in the highest feed-in rates across different sites. Meanwhile, if you’re flexible, avoid lower-yield days like <strong>Monday</strong> and <strong>Sunday</strong>, unless the market shifts.</p><p>Want to know how your specific site is performing? Let us know, and we can dive into even more detailed breakdowns!</p><p>📊 Stay tuned for more insights into energy exports and how to make the most of your battery setup!</p>

The Best Days for Batteries in 2025: When to Cash in on Energy Exports!

<p>Welcome to the Self-Service Onboarding guide, if you get stuck or are not sure at any step, please reach out to us via the contact page.</p><h3>Step 1: Self Qualify as a Simple Site<br></h3><p>If you have a simple site, please feel free to step through the Self Service Onboarding guide. If you have a complex site, or are not sure, please reach out on the Contact page.</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100.002%;" border="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100.002%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;"><br></td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Simple Sites</td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Complex Sites</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Inverters</td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;"><p>One Solitary Hybrid Inverter (5-30kW)</p></td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Multiple Inverters, especially if Inverters are from more than one brand.</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Batteries</td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Battery connected to your Inverter.</td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Batteries from a different brand to your Inverter, or Batteries not connected to your Inverter (e.g grid coupled).</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Solar Panels</td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Solar Panels connected to your Hybrid Inverter (which is connected to your battery, or optionally with no solar Panels at all.</td><td style="width: 33.2812%;" data-mce-style="width: 33.2812%;">Solar panels running through an inverter other than your Hybrid Inverter which runs your battery.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>Complex Sites can still onboard, but recommended to check the best path forward first via the Contact Us page, as how many controllers you need may vary for example.</em></p><h3>Step 2: Order your Hardware &amp; Subscription<br></h3><p><a data-mce-href="https://powston.chargebee.com/hosted_pages/checkout?subscription_items%5Bitem_price_id%5D%5B0%5D=controller-management-aud-monthly&amp;subscription_items%5Bquantity%5D%5B0%5D=1&amp;layout=in_app" href="https://powston.chargebee.com/hosted_pages/checkout?subscription_items%5Bitem_price_id%5D%5B0%5D=controller-management-aud-monthly&amp;subscription_items%5Bquantity%5D%5B0%5D=1&amp;layout=in_app" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary"><strong>Click Here to Place your Order with Powston﻿</strong></a></p><h3>Step 3: Join a Wholesale Retailer&nbsp;<br></h3><p><strong><a data-mce-href="https://localvolts.com/register/?EntityID=21973" href="https://localvolts.com/register/?EntityID=21973">Click Here to Register with Local Volts</a></strong></p><p>Powston isn't an energy retailer, so you will still need to retain an energy retailer. Most of our customers are registered with Local Volts as they pass through the AEMO Spot prices directly to the consumer for those in QLD, NSW, ACT, SA, TAS to be elligible.&nbsp;</p><p>If you're an existing LocalVolts Customer, using the Talk to LocalVolts Feature send a request:"I'd like to join Powston". It can take up to 2 weeks for your current energy retailer to release you, continue the below steps while you wait.</p><h3>Step 4: Add Powston as a Channel Partner</h3><p>This will give Powston access to see your Inverters data via the SAJ API, we can take limited control over your inverter via API, which is why we also require the hardware.</p><p>Step 1: Login to the SAJ App (eSAJ):<br>Step 2: Select Management from the Menu<br>Step 3: Select Developer / Partner<br>Step 4: Enter the number: 1849032910132785154<br>Step 5: Press Query<br>Step 6: See Powston's name come up<br>Step 7: Hit confirm<br></p><figure id="figure-4t5l5zsol7m85sw99r" class=""><img id="4t5l5zsol7m85sw99r" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/22rE6jhLiKXFVlsOgYUYm3v553T0o2Y8Yh278QG1bjgmIRhQPUAfveXb1Iwvsffl.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/22rE6jhLiKXFVlsOgYUYm3v553T0o2Y8Yh278QG1bjgmIRhQPUAfveXb1Iwvsffl.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><h3><strong>Step 5: Add Powston to Elekeeper</strong></h3><p>To grant configuration rights to diagnose problems or correct configuration issues, you can also grant powston remote configuration rights inside the elekeeper app.</p><figure id="figure-g7syht1uitmc9w6hlq"><img id="g7syht1uitmc9w6hlq" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/13yiJTLeZMbdSiGFtHRtS0moX11FYQB15F9cltcpHaXixAHD8inWw6R9cRYoreo5.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 0%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="50%" data-positiony="0%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/13yiJTLeZMbdSiGFtHRtS0moX11FYQB15F9cltcpHaXixAHD8inWw6R9cRYoreo5.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 50% 0%;"></figure><h3><strong>Step 6: Login to Powston</strong><br></h3><p>When your account is setup we will send you an email to login to Powston.&nbsp;<br>Login to Powston: app.powston.com</p><h3><strong>Step 7: Install your Controller</strong><br></h3><p>Once you receive your controller follow this Installation guide:</p><p>You can also check local modbus is enabled <a data-mce-href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IZsLM6ae7AVaNBys1sDbjHKkUpJZw8inMRVmp3yCR6k/edit?usp=sharing" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IZsLM6ae7AVaNBys1sDbjHKkUpJZw8inMRVmp3yCR6k/edit?usp=sharing">with this guide</a>.</p><p><iframe id="aq4n0hsiqm85t2040" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5l_vEsZ0rlw" class="w-full bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" allowfullscreen="" data-url="https://youtu.be/5l_vEsZ0rlw" data-corners="default" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5l_vEsZ0rlw" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-dashlane-frameid="1745"></iframe></p><p>&nbsp;<span style="font-family: var(--head-fontFamily); font-size: calc(32px * var(--head-fontSize, 1)); font-style: var(--head-fontStyle, normal); font-weight: var(--head-fontWeight, 500); background-color: rgba(249,250,251,var(--tw-bg-opacity));" data-mce-style="font-family: var(--head-fontFamily); font-size: calc(32px * var(--head-fontSize, 1)); font-style: var(--head-fontStyle, normal); font-weight: var(--head-fontWeight, 500); background-color: rgba(249,250,251,var(--tw-bg-opacity));">Step 8: Let Powston take Control</span></p><p>Double Check you are Ready:</p><p>1. Registered with LocalVolts and received the confirmation you are now on LocalVolts?<br>2. Added Powston as a Channel Partner?<br>3. Installed your Controller?<br>5. Confirmed you can login at app.powston.com and see your inverter?</p><p>Then its time to take the next step:</p><p>Email service@powston.com to let us know you are ready for Powston to take Control of your inverter!</p><h3>Step 9: Review the Platform Overview</h3><p>Watch the Platform Overview to learn how to use the Powston Platform:</p><figure id="figure-dk50aexnnm85t64cw" class=""><iframe id="dk50aexnnm85t64cw" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1XzB19jI4k8" class="w-full bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" allowfullscreen="" data-url="https://youtu.be/1XzB19jI4k8" data-corners="default" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1XzB19jI4k8" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-dashlane-frameid="1746"></iframe></figure><p><br></p>

SAJ Self-Service Onboarding

<h3>Why Choose Ethernet (LAN) over WiFi?</h3><p>LAN (Local Area Network) connections using Ethernet cables provide a direct, physical link between devices and your router, unlike WiFi, which transmits data wirelessly. While WiFi is convenient, it is inherently more prone to signal drops, interference, and requires significantly more processing power to manage connections, affecting reliability and performance.</p><h3>Ethernet ensures:</h3><p><strong>More stable connections:</strong> significantly fewer dropouts compared to WiFi.</p><p><strong>Reduced CPU usage:</strong> freeing resources on your devices, improving responsiveness.</p><p><strong>Consistent data flow:</strong> critical for real-time data monitoring and energy management.</p><h3>How the Powston Controller Works with Your Sungrow Inverter</h3><p>The Powston Controller (Ethernet model) plugs directly into your LAN via an Ethernet cable. From here, it communicates locally with the Sungrow inverter’s dongle through Modbus TCP—a reliable and widely-used communication protocol in energy management.</p><h3>Key points:</h3><p><strong>Keep your Sungrow Dongle Installed:</strong> The Sungrow dongle plays a crucial role beyond simply broadcasting data over WiFi. It ensures your inverter receives continuous firmware updates from Sungrow. Recent updates have fixed critical issues, including battery rebalancing.</p><p><strong>LAN-based connectivity for Sungrow Dongle:</strong> Connecting the Sungrow dongle via Ethernet significantly enhances its stability and data transmission quality. WiFi might seem stable due to buffering and delayed uploads, but in reality, it often disconnects intermittently without users noticing.</p><h3>Connecting via Ethernet: A Simple Guide</h3><p>Do NOT remove the Sungrow dongle. Instead, use the Ethernet port beneath the dongle cap on your inverter.</p><figure id="figure-9l8ls2219um7wyd6kg"><img id="9l8ls2219um7wyd6kg" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/35zl6DHHbwM47mCvwpR8cDywz8jZgn3HfQJhKsKAHEN2bLcn10r6QSKd2jvbvi3W.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 45% 5%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="45%" data-positiony="5%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/35zl6DHHbwM47mCvwpR8cDywz8jZgn3HfQJhKsKAHEN2bLcn10r6QSKd2jvbvi3W.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 45% 5%;"></figure><p>Configure the Sungrow dongle for Ethernet connectivity (guide linked below).</p><p>Plug the Powston controller into your router or switch via Ethernet.</p><figure id="figure-n0oeach7hm7wyybnl"><img id="n0oeach7hm7wyybnl" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/174MerzvFZ8VARr63KQpiGFH1kxfv3MNcinY21vJ6QVSmrBDMyO2O65PgNLq76cC.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionX="undefined" data-positionY="undefined" data-fullWidth="false"/></figure><h3>Common Questions Answered Clearly</h3><p><strong>"Do I leave the Sungrow dongle in?"</strong> Yes, leave it installed for important firmware updates and stable Modbus TCP communication.</p><p><strong>"Do I shut down WiFi on the dongle?"</strong> Yes, it's best to configure the Sungrow dongle to disable WiFi and exclusively use Ethernet for optimal performance.</p><p><strong>"Does the Powston dongle connect directly to the inverter?"</strong> No, the Powston controller connects to your LAN (router or switch), and then communicates via Ethernet to the Sungrow dongle already attached to your inverter.</p><p><strong>"What does the SG dongle actually do?" </strong>The Sungrow dongle manages Modbus communication, firmware updates, and ensures your inverter operates efficiently. Ethernet connectivity is crucial for reliable updates.</p><h3>Quick Ethernet Setup Guide</h3><p>A straightforward step-by-step configuration guide for setting up your Sungrow dongle with Ethernet is available here: <a data-mce-href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cRga1jx7aTY8XDuBtuoZiYq1G7q8lT8ORR_aYt9fhdk/edit?usp=sharing" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cRga1jx7aTY8XDuBtuoZiYq1G7q8lT8ORR_aYt9fhdk/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sungrow Dongle Ethernet Configuration Guide</a></p><p>Using Ethernet ensures you're always online, receiving critical updates, and optimizing your inverter's performance and reliability.</p>

Ethernet vs WiFi: Optimising Your Sungrow Inverter Setup

<p><br>At Powston, many of our customers have invested in robust solar and battery systems—often far exceeding their home's actual energy needs. Why? Because they're smartly capitalizing on energy trading opportunities, turning excess energy into profits. Yet, despite these advanced setups, it's common—and understandably frustrating—to see small grid imports on your electricity bill, usually just a few kilowatt-hours a day.</p><h2>Why Does This Happen?</h2><p>Imagine you're driving on a freeway with strict speed limits designed to ensure safety for everyone. Sometimes, even if you're in a hurry and your car can easily handle higher speeds, you're still forced to stay within the limits. Similarly, Australia's inverter ramp-rate standards (the 16% per minute rule) act like those speed limits. These standards exist to ensure overall grid stability and reliability, preventing sudden surges or drops in solar production that could destabilize local networks.</p><h2>The Blunt Instrument</h2><p>However, just as freeway speed limits don't always account for individual driving skills or advanced safety technologies in modern cars, inverter ramp-rate limitations can feel unnecessarily restrictive—especially for customers with advanced solar and battery setups. Your system can easily respond quicker, matching solar production precisely with your household load and battery state, but it's held back by these universal rules.</p><h2>The Result: Unnecessary Imports</h2><p>When clouds roll by or your household's energy demand spikes briefly, your inverter can't respond instantly due to ramp-rate constraints. This short delay can force your system into drawing a small amount of energy from the grid, showing up as minor imports on your bill. They're typically minimal—just a few kWh—but can still feel irritating, especially given your investment and advanced energy setup.</p><h2>Negative Price Events: Missed Opportunities</h2><p>These standards are especially frustrating during negative price events, where ideally, your inverter should ramp up quickly to export maximum energy to capitalize financially. However, the same blunt regulation that protects the grid can restrict your financial benefit in these scenarios.</p><h2>What Can Be Done?</h2><figure id="figure-2uhwshod2om7sfz9e6"><img id="2uhwshod2om7sfz9e6" src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1197259234/photo/5g-and-ai-technology-global-communication-network-concept.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=DtZoApM8WhjRUptPLXiNoSFs4Po8gcpO3d7EKz-iExU=" alt="5G and AI technology, Global communication network concept." title="5G and AI technology, Global communication network concept." class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://media.gettyimages.com/id/1197259234/photo/5g-and-ai-technology-global-communication-network-concept.jpg?b=1&amp;s=2048x2048&amp;w=0&amp;k=20&amp;c=DtZoApM8WhjRUptPLXiNoSFs4Po8gcpO3d7EKz-iExU=" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p>At Powston, we believe there's room to evolve these regulations. While ensuring grid safety is crucial, modern inverter technologies and battery systems can manage faster ramp rates safely and efficiently. We advocate for smarter, more nuanced rules allowing advanced systems like yours to perform optimally, especially during times when the grid actively benefits from rapid solar and battery responsiveness.</p><p>In the meantime, know that these small imports are not a sign of inefficiency or poor planning. They're simply a side-effect of rules built for broader grid stability—not incompetence from your network provider.</p><p>Don't panic—you're ahead of the game. Having these minor issues actually indicates you're already positioned to take advantage of cutting-edge energy solutions. You're winning by investing in tomorrow's energy solutions today.</p><p>We're committed to pushing for smarter standards, ensuring your system can fully realize its potential—maximizing both your savings and earnings.</p><p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></p>

Understanding Those Annoying (but Small) Grid Imports

This day has been beyond stressful for me

WiFi’s Evolution from Past to Present – and Why Hardwired Ethernet Still Matters

<figure id="figure-sr6wytjiulm6uh14d9"><img id="sr6wytjiulm6uh14d9" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/9hnD3lzS8DPTCm1qNpEqaXQylA88iu3kiDDYjp6Q8Ss6hbM7IxCzWiGofqLLyEAz.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-2xl md:rounded-3xl lg:rounded-4xl" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/9hnD3lzS8DPTCm1qNpEqaXQylA88iu3kiDDYjp6Q8Ss6hbM7IxCzWiGofqLLyEAz.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure><p>When Sungrow dongles fail to carry out commands, there are two ways to address it. The first is physically unplugging and replugging the dongle at the inverter site. If that’s not feasible, you can use iSolar Cloud’s “Common Parameter” restart option (shown above). While Powston’s platform cannot yet initiate these commands, they have reported the issue, and Sungrow has acknowledged it. A firmware update is expected to resolve the problem, though it already appears less frequent on newer firmware versions. Regular updates are recommended to maintain the best possible performance.</p>

How to restart our Sungrow Dongle

Powston

Powston is an Australian energy technology company transforming how households and businesses use and profit from renewable energy. Our AI-driven platform and plug-and-play controller connect batteries, solar, and smart devices directly to the 5-minute wholesale energy market. This lets customers cut their electricity bills, optimise consumption, and even earn revenue—without relying on traditional retailers or Virtual Power Plants.
With integrations across leading brands like Sungrow, SAJ, iStore, Powston empowers users with real-time energy monitoring, cost optimisation, and automation tools for appliances, EVs, and backup planning.
Headquartered in Brisbane, Powston is committed to building a more sustainable future by enabling everyday Australians to reduce environmental impact while achieving financial independence from power bills

Blog

The Best Days for Batteries in 2025: When to Cash in on E...

SAJ Self-Service Onboarding

Ethernet vs WiFi: Optimising Your Sungrow Inverter Setup

Understanding Those Annoying (but Small) Grid Imports

WiFi’s Evolution from Past to Present – and Why Hardwired...

How to restart our Sungrow Dongle