Who Solar Window Is For
Solar Window is most useful if you have all three of the following:
A Vue energy monitor measuring your solar generation
An enrolled device (most commonly an EV charger) using Excess Solar
A Smart Saver utility rate schedule or a custom schedule
Before Solar Window, customers with this setup often saw their charger pull from the grid during scheduled off-peak hours — even though Excess Solar was turned on — because Excess Solar only activates when the charger is off. Solar Window resolves that conflict.
How Solar Window Works
When Solar Window is enabled, your enrolled device stays off during the configured window unless there's enough solar energy available to charge it.
If solar becomes available, charging starts automatically
If solar isn't available, the device waits
Outside the window, your normal schedule resumes (off-peak charging, on-peak avoidance, etc.)
Solar Window takes priority over all other schedules. During the window, the charger will not pull from the grid even if your Smart Saver or custom schedule says it can.
Setting Up Solar Window
To configure Solar Window:
Open the Emporia app and go to the Discover Page and then Excess Solar
Make sure your device (e.g. EV charger) is enrolled in Excess Solar
Tap Solar Window and choose how the window is calculated
Default: Sunrise to sunset
By default, Solar Window runs from sunrise to sunset, calculated automatically from your monitor's location and time zone. It adjusts with the seasons — no manual updates needed.
Custom: Set an absolute time window
If you'd rather pick the exact hours, you can set an absolute window like 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This is helpful for advanced setups — for example, if your utility pays more for solar exported to the grid in the late afternoon than it costs to charge your EV at that time, you can end the window before that period starts.
"Charge at Full Power" Override
If you need to charge immediately and don't want to wait for solar, tap Charge at Full Power on the device control screen.
The override bypasses the current Solar Window and charges your device right away
It automatically resets when you unplug your car, so normal Solar Window behavior resumes for the next session
Common Questions
What if it's a cloudy day and there's no solar during the window?
Your device stays off until solar becomes available or the window ends. If you need to charge that day, use the Charge at Full Power override.
What if Solar Window overlaps with peak hours?
Solar Window wins. During the overlap, the charger will only charge from solar. Once the window ends, your normal schedule takes over (peak hours stay off, off-peak hours charge at full rate).
Does Solar Window apply to thermostats and smart plugs?
Right now, Solar Window is designed primarily for EV chargers and other on/off loads enrolled in Excess Solar. Thermostat behavior is unchanged. Smart plug behavior under Solar Window will be addressed in a future update.
What if my charger goes offline during the window?
If your charger loses cloud connection, it falls back to the schedule already stored on the charger. This is rare, but charging may resume from the grid until the charger reconnects.
Where do I set my location and time zone?
Make sure your monitor's location is set so that sunrise/sunset times calculate correctly. You can update this in your monitor's settings by navigating to:
Menu
Manage Device
Selecting your Vue
Location and Utility Info
Location & Time Zone setting options
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This knowledge base is continuously updated to provide the most helpful guidance for Emporia customers. If you found this article unclear or have suggestions for improvement, please contact our Customer Support team.