Terms of Use for Installation Quick Reference Guides

This guide provided by SwitchDin is created as a tool for the Horizon Power program, by providing general guidance to assist installers. This document is detailed to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing, and we do not warrant its accuracy or completeness.

Please be aware that SwitchDin does not control or warrant inverter firmware behaviour, communication protocols, or hardware interfaces, which may vary by inverter model, firmware version, or manufacturer updates. Connection methods, communication interfaces, and configuration requirements between inverters and external control devices (including SwitchDin SGD Droplets) are defined and supported by the inverter manufacturer (OEM). Installers are strongly advised to confirm the correct connection type and configuration directly with the inverter manufacturer (OEM) prior to installation. Additionally, installers should review all official documentation provided by the inverter OEM.

SwitchDin accepts no liability for installation issues, inverter behaviour, or compliance outcomes arising from deviations in inverter manufacturer specifications or changes introduced by the OEM.
 

1. WARRANTY DISCLAIMER

SwitchDin provides these Installation Quick Reference Guides "AS IS". Switchdin gives no warranty express or implied that the guides are accurate or complete, or as to their fitness for purpose, and excludes all warranties and obligations implied by legislation except for those which cannot be legally excluded.

2. CONSUMER GUARANTEES

Should SwitchDin be bound by a consumer guarantee under the Australian Consumer Law (C'wth) or the Fair Trading Act (NSW) 1987 and any similar or relevant legislation which cannot be excluded, then to the extent that such legislation is applicable to the supply of these guides, and prevents the exclusion, restriction or modification of the guarantee and subject to the exceptions contained in that legislation, then in such case, the liability of SwitchDin is limited to the supplying of the services again or the payment of the cost of having the services supplied again, as determined by SwitchDin.

3. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Save as set out at clause 2 above, Switchdin will not be liable whether in contract, tort (including without limitation negligence or breach of statutory duty) or otherwise for any loss, damage or injury of whatsoever kind or nature (including indirect or consequential loss or damage including but not limited to profit, reputational, commercial or business losses) sustained by you and which is in any way attributable to these guides or their use.

Safety & Prerequisites Before Going to Site

• ELECTRICAL HAZARD: Installation must be performed by a licensed electrician in accordance with AS/NZS 3000.
• SOLAR GENERATION REQUIRED: Arrive during daylight hours. Testing requires active solar generation.

BEFORE YOU START - MANDATORY CHECKS

• Completed SwitchDin Accreditation Course (Accreditation)
• Confirmed Stormcloud Installer Access
• Verified System Model Compatibility CRITICAL: HP Compatibility List
• Read What to Do Before Site Visit
• SGD Firmware Updated (24hr internet connection)
• All Hardware Verified
• Network Requirements Confirmed
  - Standard network? Proceed normally
  - Private/secure network? Read this article What ports and addresses must pass firewall for our Droplet on a secured network.

SUPPORT CONTACTS

Growatt compatible devices

Here is the list of Growatt inverters compatible with Horizon Power Smart Connect Solar.

⚠️ NOTE: All Growatt inverters connected to a SwitchDin SGD require a meter.

Serial RS485 connection means serial connection through RS485 connectors which is a physical connection and normally uses 3 wires A, B, and ground.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Any systems over 30kW require a FIM controller. Please read Above 30kW PV generation and FIM controller for crucial information for the installation of these systems.

Hardware & Software Checklists

Hardware:

CORE SGD PACKAGE

Please ensure that your SwitchDin SGD box contains the following parts before going to site:

• SGD (Droplet) unit
• Power supply (12V DC)
• 4G Antennas (2x or 4x depending on SGD version)
• SIM card (pre-installed in SGD)
• DIN-Rail mounting bracket

ACCESSORIES FOR INTERNET CONNECTION:

• CAT6 Ethernet cable
• USB-to-Ethernet adapter (SGD pre-Nov 2025 only)

ACCESSORIES FOR INVERTER-SGD CONNECTION:

All Growatt models use Serial RS485 (as shown in Table 1):

• Any serial/twisted pair cable (RJ45)
• RS485 to USB converter (recommended)

Software:

Ensure you have a user account with the required permissions for the following applications: 

Growatt OSS application: this platform is best accessed from a laptop and can achieve what you would on the  Growatt mobile app.

 

(Growatt) APP: Some Growatt inverter settings may be accessible from the OLED display of the inverter. 

 

Stormcloud (SwitchDin): Ensure you pass the HP Installer accreditation to get installer permissions open on the user account you create on this app. 

Android Stormcloud app 
iOS stormcloud app

RECOMMENDED SPARES

1. Spare SGD unit (if possible)
2. Extra cables (of various lengths)
3. Extra SGD power supply

INSTALLER TOOLS:

• Mobile device with Stormcloud by SwitchDin app installed

Software:

Ensure you have a user account with the required permissions for the following applications:

Growatt OSS: This platform is best accessed from a laptop and can be used to configure inverter settings that require installer access.

Growatt ShinePhone App: Some Growatt inverter settings may also be accessible from the OLED display of the inverter.

Stormcloud (SwitchDin): Ensure you pass the HP Installer accreditation to get installer permissions open on your user account.

Android Stormcloud app
iOS Stormcloud app

Physical connection

Behind the meter configuration overview

Here is the overview of the physical connections you need to establish between devices.

Mount the SGD

Depending on the SGD model, the DIN-Rail mounting bracket may be pre-fitted, or self-installation. Please refer to the following video for instructions on the self-installation of the DIN-Rail mounting bracket: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owM948WS1cQ

Connect to Home Internet

Connect Ethernet cable from a spare LAN port on the router (or any internet source) directly to the ETH2 port of the SGD.

Important note: No other Ethernet port will be available for internet connection.

For SGDs provisioned before November 2025, these may be connected to the internet by plugging the USB-Ethernet adapter with a CAT 6 cable from the home router into the USB port number 3 as shown here. (Please be aware that there is no other USB port that will accept any Internet traffic but USB port 3.)

Connect to Growatt inverter

All Growatt inverters connect to the SwitchDin SGD via RS485 (as specified in Table 1). You can either connect directly to the internal built-in RS485 in the SGD, or use a USB-RS485 converter (recommended).

If you are using a USB port to connect the inverter then you need to use a USB-RS485 converter.

Pick a set of wires, and connect the right pins to the RS485 to the USB converter according to the manufacturer's manual. Please contact Growatt to confirm the correct pin assignments for your specific model.

For the 8-pin Growatt SYS COM plug, connect as follows:

• Connect PIN 4 of the Growatt SYS COM plug to PIN 2 (T/R+) on the RS485 to USB converter.
• Connect PIN 3 of the Growatt SYS COM plug to PIN 1 (T/R-) on the RS485 to USB converter.

Then connect the USB adaptor to any of the USB ports #1 or #2 on the SGD. Do not use USB port #3, which is restricted to Internet connection only.

You can also use the internal RS485 directly in the SGD itself. You can use connection A or connection B. Please contact Growatt if you need to confirm which pins to connect to for your specific inverter model, as every model may have its own pin assignment. When using the built-in RS485 in the SGD you can either connect it through port A (+A, -A) or port B (+B, -B).

Troubleshooting

• Ensure all connections are secure and correctly terminated.

• If communication issues arise, swap +A and –A connections to verify polarity, as some inverter terminals may be labeled differently.

• Always ensure the Growatt inverter firmware is up to date — outdated firmware will usually prevent communication.

• Verify inverter communication via the SwitchDin Portal once connected.

• If the connection with the A port doesn't work, try the B port of the SGD.

Connect the main 4G antenna

For the new 4-port antenna SGDs, make sure you connect the main 4G antenna to WWAN.

For older 2-port antenna SGD versions Make sure you connect the main 4G antenna to the WLAN-B connection as shown here.

Power up the SGD

Ensure you connect the power supply as below.

Growatt Inverter Settings

Please refer to the inverter manufacturer for more details about their settings.

COM Address

Modbus can be set on the RS485 port of the inverter by accessing the COM address via the OLED display or the ShinePhone app. The default COM address is 1.

To change the COM address:

• Single touch on the OLED display to switch display or make the number +1.
• Double touch to confirm the setting.

Failsafe mode

Ensure that the value for generation limitation is set to 0.

The failsafe setting is a protection mechanism: when communication between the SGD is lost, the inverter runs at the default setting to not exceed the limitation value.

The Generation & Export limitation control function is disabled in the factory. Under the permission of the Distribution Network Service Provider, you can adjust the setting.

• SW — enables soft limit control function.
• HW — enables hard limit control function.
• Both — enables soft and hard limit control functions simultaneously.

Under the permission given by your energy provider, the ratio of your system output power divided by the rated power of the inverter is called Limit Rate. (For instance, if the energy provider only accepts 4kVA/kW from your 5kW system, then the Limit Rate of 5kW inverter is 80.0%.) 

Inverter region setting

Ensure that via the OLED display you set the country to Australia and the region to C for Horizon Power. When inverter powered on, OLED will light automatically. Once the PV power is sufficient, OLED displays the following: 

Press the touch key once a second to scroll through the different Country, showing on the screen will constantly change.

Press the touch key 5S, the OLED shows Country setting is complete.

When the Country setting is complete, the OLED display shows “Set Region” as below (Only for Australia):

Commissioning the SGD

Open the Stormcloud application and sign in.

• Please follow this link if you are creating your user account. You must ensure you have permissions on this account opened by SwitchDin.

• Your username is an email address. (both username and password are CASE sensitive)

• If two-factor authentication has been enforced, you will receive a passcode valid for 300 seconds in your email inbox to finish logging in to the SwitchDin portal.

Create a portfolio

When you first log into your StormCloud app, you'll need to create a portfolio - a folder that groups all the sites where you install SGDs (Solar Gateway Devices).

Step 1: Navigate to Portfolio Monitoring After logging in, go to the Portfolio Monitoring section. You'll see an empty portfolio list with a green "Create" button in the top right corner.

Step 2: Fill in Portfolio Details Click the "Create" button. A dialog box will appear asking you to:

• Enter a name for your portfolio (required)
• Toggle "Mute Alarms" on or off based on your preference

As an installer, we recommend using your business name, your area, or a client name to easily identify your portfolio.

Step 3: Confirm Creation Click the green "Create" button in the dialog box. Your new portfolio will now appear in the Portfolio List, ready for you to add sites and monitor your SGD installations.

Create a unit

Tap on your portfolio to create your first unit. Tap on 'Create' in the top right corner.

In the Unit Name field, please use the following naming convention:
Street address or significant place name - Town - Inverter size (kW) 

• Example: 12 Test Road - Onslow - 5kW or Broome Test School - Broome - 25kW

Enter the address: Start typing in the Address field and select from the dropdown suggestions.

Add the NMI: Enter the 11-digit National Metering Identifier. Don't have it yet? Use a placeholder like 11111111111 and update it later.

Click "Create" and you're done. Your unit is now ready for monitoring.

Add the SGD to the unit

Once you've created a unit, you need to add an SGD (Secure Gateway Device) to start monitoring.

Step 1: Open Your Unit From your portfolio, select the unit you just created. You'll see the unit overview with tabs at the bottom.

Step 2: Go to Equipment Tab Tap on the "Equipment" tab. You'll see an empty state with the message "There's nothing here yet. Add a Droplet to begin."

Step 3: Claim Your Droplet Tap the "Claim droplet" button. This will take you to the installer section where you can register your SGD.

Note: You must be an accredited installer to access the installation section and claim droplets.

Step 4: Enter Droplet ID (Serial number) In the installer section, you have two options to identify your Droplet:

Scan QR Code: Use the QR code found on the SGD box or on the device itself

Enter Manually: Type the Droplet ID, which always starts with 0001c

Can't find the ID? Look for the ETH2 MAC address label on the Droplet—that's your Droplet ID.

Step 5: Connect to Internet After entering the Droplet ID and confirming:

Power up the Droplet

Connect the eth2 port on the SGD to your router (for SGD provisioned after November 2025)or switch using an RJ45 ethernet cable

Tap "Connect Via Ethernet Or 4G" in the app

Step 6: Verify Connection ,the app will attempt to communicate with the Droplet to verify it has internet connectivity. This process may take up to 30 seconds. If the connection fails, verify that:

• The Droplet is powered on
• The ethernet cable is securely connected
• Your internet connection is working properly

Step 7: Assign to Portfolio and Unit Once the connection is verified, you'll be prompted to select the portfolio and unit where this Droplet should be assigned. Choose your existing portfolio or create a new one, then select the specific unit and tap "Next."

Success! Your Droplet has been successfully added to the unit. The next step is to add devices to the Droplet in the Equipment section to begin monitoring your solar installation data.

Update firmware

Select 'Manage Devices' and tap at the top of the screen to download the latest firmware update if available.

Manage Devices

 Now that your Droplet is added to the unit, you need to configure it to communicate with your inverters.

Step 1: Inside your unit, click on the "Equipment" tab at the bottom. You'll see your Droplet listed with its Endpoint ID and current status. Under the Droplet information, you'll see sections for "Endpoint attributes" and "Devices."

Step 2: click "Add device". if the connection is okay it will automatically show up. Then you just need to click add

If you have a meter normally the meter role will be a “grid meter role”

Add the Horizon Power Controller

Add a Controller After adding your devices, switch to the "Controllers" tab in the Equipment section. Click "Add Controller" and select your controller type from the dropdown menu—in this case, "Horizon Power Controller."