Power steps
Each running inverter carries one step (500 W by default, adjustable). A 750 W load needs two inverters, not four.
How it works · 1 of 4
One inverter when one is enough. The others sleep.
When the home draws power, TedEnergy does not call on every inverter in equal shares: it runs the fullest batteries, just as much as needed, and leaves the others asleep. Watch the same evening next to a standard HEMS.
Press “Compare” to see the standard HEMS alongside. Space bar: pause.
The animation
What you are seeing
A gentle wake-up
The inverter that starts first receives a small fixed setpoint (50 W by default) while those already running cover the surge. It then takes its share in stages: no spike, no grid import in the meantime.
A margin before stopping
An inverter is not stopped the moment demand drops a little: TedEnergy waits, to avoid pointless stops and restarts, and keeps one inverter active as long as the discharge continues.
Nearly empty: no restart
A battery just above its minimum level does not restart for a few watts: it waits until it is above a restart margin.
Where to adjust
- Settings › Distribution: power per active inverter, wake-up setpoint of an inverter, gradual hand-over between inverters.
- Settings › Batteries and maximum powers: minimum and maximum levels, restart margin.
Simplified animation with default values: the model follows TedEnergy's principles, it is not a recording. The standard HEMS is basic control used for comparison, not a particular product. The effect on hardware lifetime has not been measured by a laboratory.
Frequently asked questions
Why not split the load in equal shares?
Because every start and stop stresses the inverter and its battery, and a lightly loaded inverter is less efficient. Concentrating power on the fullest batteries and letting the others sleep limits that stress.
Does the grid have to wait?
No: while an inverter wakes up, the ones already running absorb the power surge. The meter stays as close to zero as possible.
The other how-it-works pages
See it running at your place
Free download. The simulator can also replay your own days.