How to connect sonnenBatterie with Reduxi controller
Connect your sonnenBatterie to the Reduxi Controller and let Reduxi strategies charge and discharge it at the best prices. This guide covers the JSON API connection and shows where the REST API guide for Gen. 8 or higher applies.
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Photo of a sonnenBatterie, manufacturer image. Dark grey concrete wall in a dim room. On the wall at left hangs a grey rectangular module with a ribbed or perforated front, the hybrid inverter according to the caption. Beside it, at right, stands a tall light grey cabinet with a round light-blue illuminated ring near the top. No readable text on the devices.
1 Technical documentation
Manufacturer pages for the sonnenBatterie:
- sonnenBatterie 10 – Product page from the manufacturer
- Sonnen operating manuals – Operating manuals from the manufacturer
Video tutorials:
2 Required equipment
Prepare the following:
- Reduxi Controller (installed and online)
- sonnenBatterie with the JSON API under Software Integration
- Local IP address of the sonnenBatterie
- Computer in the same local network as the sonnenBatterie
- Laptop or tablet with internet access to configure the device in Reduxi
3 Local access to the sonnenBatterie
Connect the sonnenBatterie to the local network via LAN. The Reduxi Controller must be in the same network.
The sonnenBatterie receives its IP address from:
- the router,
- a network switch,
- or a local DHCP server.
To find the IP address or DNS name of the sonnenBatterie, use find-my.sonnen-batterie.com and follow the Sonnen instruction.
Open a web browser and enter the local IP address of the sonnenBatterie to open its web interface. Example: http://<IP>
4 Device configuration on the sonnenBatterie
Log in to the web interface of the sonnenBatterie (see Point 3). You need the API token and the IP address for the Reduxi Controller (see Point 6).
4.1 Open Software Integration
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Screenshot of the sonnenBatterie web interface in a browser, page Software-Integration, tab JSON API. The address bar shows a local IP address followed by the path dash/software-integration/json-api; the IP address is marked with a red box and an arrow labelled SonnenBatterie IP. Left menu: Dashboard, System, Inverter, Settings, Network and Software-Integration (highlighted). Tabs: JSON API (active), Webhook API and sonnenKNX Module. Two toggles are switched on: Read API (Allows to request the current status of the sonnenBatterie, measurements and configuration values) and Write API (Send requests to charge/discharge the sonnenBatterie and set configuration values). Below them the field API Token with a token value, marked with a red box and the label API Token, and a Create New button. An example line repeats the token and the IP address with the same markings. At the bottom: link sonnenBatterie JSON API v2 documentation.
4.2 Enable Read API and Write API
Switch on Read API and Write API. Both are required: Reduxi reads the measurements with the Read API and sends charge and discharge commands with the Write API.
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Cropped screenshot of the JSON API tab with the tabs JSON API, Webhook API and sonnenKNX Module. The Read API toggle is switched on. Below it a light-blue notice reads This functionality is disabled while VPP is active, followed by a greyed-out Write API toggle in the off position with the text Send requests to charge/discharge the sonnenBatterie and set configuration values. A blue rectangle highlights the notice and the Write API toggle.
4.3 Set the operating mode
Open the Settings menu on the left side and set the operating mode to Manual. Only then can the Reduxi Controller take over control of the battery.
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Screenshot of the sonnenBatterie Settings page (software 1.15.6). Left menu: Dashboard, System, Inverter, Settings (highlighted), Network and Software-Integration. The card Operating Mode contains a dropdown that shows Manual; the opened list below offers Manual, Automatic - Self-Consumption, Battery-Module-Extension (30%) and Time-Of-Use. Below the card a toggle labelled Surplus fullcharge is visible.
5 Log in to the Reduxi web interface
You can open the Reduxi web interface in two ways:
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Screenshot of three Reduxi mobile app screens side by side, with cyan boxes and number badges 2 to 4. Left screen (dashboard, dark theme): menu icon at top left marked with a box and badge 2; 'reduxi' logo; tabs 'Real time data' (active) and 'Statistics'; price 5.79 € and temperature 3.2 °C; energy flow diagram with a house in the centre (-1.25 kW) and icons with values 69.0 W, 1.3 kW, 1.1 kW (red ring), -165.0 W with 97 % (red ring) and 0.0 W values at the bottom; tabs 'Power' and 'Energy'; bottom navigation: Dashboard, Diagnostics, Device control, Settings. Middle screen (side menu): 'reduxi' logo, 'Number of locations: 1233', heading 'Reduxi device management', entries '+ Add Reduxi location' and 'Reduxi devices' (marked with a box and badge 3), then 'My profile' and 'About app'. Right screen (device page): Back; picture of a black Reduxi controller with two Ethernet ports; status 'Connected'; card 'Update available': 'New update is available for your Reduxi device.' with button 'Download and install update'; card 'Connect to configurator': 'Tunnel connection enables remote access to your Reduxi configurator, without need to be connected to the same local network.' with button 'Activate tunnel connection' (marked with a box and badge 4); card 'Unit details' with field 'Unit ID'.
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Screenshot made of two parts side by side. Left part: Reduxi mobile app screen on a dark background. Top: Back button; picture of a black Reduxi controller with two Ethernet ports and a terminal block; status 'Connected' with a Wi-Fi icon. Card 'Update available': 'New update is available for your Reduxi device.' with button 'Download and install update'. Card 'Connect to configurator' with a key icon: 'Tunnel connection enables remote access to your Reduxi configurator, without need to be connected to the same local network.' and button 'Open configurator', marked with a cyan box and number badge 5. Below: card 'Unit details' with a field 'Unit ID' (value not visible). Right part: Reduxi Configurator opened in a browser, marked with a cyan frame and number badge 6. Header: back arrow, 'Tunnel connection', reload icon. Left sidebar with icons (lightning, chip, lightning bolt, bar chart, gear). Page 'Home' with a green link icon. Green notice: 'New patch available. Click here to apply.' with a close X. Time 09:12:56. Energy flow diagram with a house in the centre (1.700 kW) and icons for grid (0.000 kW), solar (1.700 kW), battery (green, 0.000 kW and 0.800 kW), a device at left (0.900 kW), electric vehicle and a charger or device at bottom. Label 'Energy manager' at the bottom.
http://reduxi.local. You can find the controller's IP address in your router's device list or in the Reduxi app under Reduxi devices.admin · Password: admin (factory default)Text description of this image
Screenshot of the Reduxi Configurator login page in a Chrome browser window. The address bar shows 'Not secure' and 'reduxi.local'; the address bar is marked with a cyan box and an enlarged copy of it (cyan box, text 'Not secure reduxi.local') is shown at the left, connected by a cyan line. Page background: light grey line drawing of a house with solar panels (green), a wall box, an inverter, a car and a charger. Top left: 'reduxi configurator' logo. Login box in the centre with title 'Login', a language selector (English flag, 'English'), a username field and a password field, and a dark 'Login' button.
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Screenshot of the Reduxi Configurator web interface after login, light theme. Top left: 'reduxi configurator' logo. Header bar: 'Home' at left, green 'Connected' status at top right. Left sidebar: expanded section 'Devices' with a list of entries, then collapsed sections 'Manager' and 'Configuration' and 'Settings'. Main area: energy flow diagram. House in the centre with ring, value 24.20 kW. Grid icon at top left, 24.20 kW (red dot on its line). Solar icon at top right, value '-'. Left icon (battery or device), 6.700 kW (green dot on its line). Right icons (battery storage and a device), values '-'. EV charger icon at bottom left, 31.00 kW. A further device icon at bottom right. Label 'Energy manager' below the house.
6 Add the sonnenBatterie to Reduxi
Use these steps to add the sonnenBatterie as a new device on the Reduxi Controller.
6.1 Basic settings
Log in to the Reduxi Configurator (see Point 5; see also How to log in to Reduxi Configurator via browser) and click + Add device.
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Screenshot of the left menu of the Reduxi Configurator under the reduxi Configurator logo. Menu entries: Devices (expanded, with a minus sign) containing the button '+ Add device' (outlined); Strategies (plus sign); Utility Rate Plan; Settings (plus sign). The right side is blank white.
In the first step, define the basic settings:
- Device type: Hybrid Inverter
- Type: Sonnen
- Name: a name of your choice
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Screenshot of the Reduxi Configurator form titled Basic settings. Fields: Device type (dropdown, value in small text); Type (dropdown, value appears to read Sonnen, small text); Name (text field, value appears to read sonnen, small text). Below is a section Include in Strategy with a table: columns Strategy, Measurement Device, Regulated Device; two rows, both labelled Energy manager, each with a small indicator in the Measurement Device and Regulated Device columns. Buttons: Back (bottom left, white), Next (bottom right, black). The image is low resolution and most text is small.
Click Next.
6.2 Communication settings
Enter the connection parameters between the Reduxi Controller and the sonnenBatterie. Use the IP address and the API token from Point 4.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Connection | TCP/IP |
| IP | IP address of the sonnenBatterie |
| Port | 80 |
| API token | The API token from the JSON API tab (Point 4, Point 4.1) |
| Rated power | Select the rated power that matches your sonnenBatterie |
| PV | Select Yes if a PV meter is installed, otherwise No |
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Screenshot of the Reduxi Configurator form Communication channel and device configuration. Fields from top to bottom: Connection (TCP/IP), IP (empty, with a light-blue arrow pointing at the field), Port (80), API token (empty, with a light-blue arrow; hint: API token is located in inverter web interface in section Software-Integration / JSON API), Rated power (14.4 kW) and PV (Yes; hint: Is PV meter installed?). Buttons at the bottom: Back, Test communication and Next.
6.3 Test communication
Click Test communication at the bottom of the wizard. It reads the sonnenBatterie once and saves nothing. If the test succeeds, click Next.
The test returns one of two results:
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Screenshot of the bottom button bar of a Reduxi Configurator page. Left: button 'Back'. Right: button 'Test communication' (marked with a cyan box) and dark button 'Done'.
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Screenshot of the Reduxi Configurator dialog Test communication with a close icon (x) at the top right. White result box, green text: Successful readout from device. Values: Battery active power: 5.0 W; Battery current: 0.0229 A; Battery export active energy: 0 Wh; Battery import active energy: 0 Wh; Battery min. active power: -9600.0 W; Battery min. state of charge: 10.0 %; Battery state of charge: 100.0 %; Battery voltage: 218.0 V; Grid active power: 1456.0 W; Grid export active energy: 0 Wh; Grid import active energy: 0 Wh; Load active power: 1454.0 W; Load import active energy: 0 Wh; Off-grid: false; PV active power: 0.0 W; PV export active energy: 0 Wh; State name: GRID_ON; Additional parameter - CAPACITY_MAX_WH: 19531.0; Additional parameter - FREQUENCY: 49.965. Button: Close (dark, bottom right).
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Screenshot of a dialog titled Test communication (close X at top right). First box: Unable to communicate with device. Second box with red text: Unable to communicate with null on port 502. Check if service is enabled on device, port number is correct and device is reachable on the network. ping: null: Name or service not known. Button: Close (dark).
If you get the message “Unable to communicate with device”, check the settings (see Point 8).
6.4 Advanced settings
The advanced settings are optional and depend on the needs of the site. When you are finished, click Done: only Done creates the device.
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Screenshot of the Reduxi Configurator wizard, step 3 of 3 Advanced settings; the progress bar shows Basic settings, Communication channel and Advanced settings. Yes/No toggles, all set to No: set data saving interval (default 1 min), set reading delay (default 1000 ms), set writing delay (default 1000 ms), set power generation limits and capabilities, set power consumption limits and capabilities, limit communication with the device to read-only (default No), invert direction for energy import and export (default No), exclude device from summary (default No). Three drop-downs L1, L2 and L3 is connected to main feed are set to L1, L2 and L3. Buttons: Back at the left and Done at the right.
7 Check the readings and set up strategies
7.1 Last measurements
After communication is established, check the measured values under Devices – your Sonnen device – Last measurements in the Reduxi Configurator.
7.2 Control type
Open Devices – your Sonnen device in the Reduxi Configurator and set the control type to AUTO. Commands from the strategy then take effect on the battery.
7.3 Reduxi Cloud
How to add and connect the controller to the Reduxi Cloud: Reduxi Cloud
Once the device is added, you can monitor and control it in the Reduxi app as well.
7.4 Strategies
To set up strategies and the AI Energy Manager, use the documentation below.
8 Checklist
Review this checklist for proper setup and reliable operation.
8.1 On the Reduxi Controller
-
IP address and port: The IP address of the sonnenBatterie and port
80are entered. - API token: A valid API token is entered.
- Rated power and PV: The rated power and the PV selection match the system.
- Communication test: The communication test is completed successfully.
- Control type: The control type of the device is set to AUTO.
- Reachability: The device IP address is reachable from the Reduxi Controller.
8.2 On the sonnenBatterie web interface
- API permissions: Both Read API and Write API are enabled.
- VPP: The battery is disconnected from the VPP.
- Operating mode: The operating mode is Manual.
8.3 Strategy
- Active strategy: The selected strategy is set to Active.
- AI energy optimization: AI Energy Manager optimization is enabled in the strategy.
- Single active strategy: Only one strategy is active at a time.
- Import/export limits: The import and export limits are defined and configured.
✓ Summary
Preparation (Points 1–3): Prepare the local IP address and a computer in the same network. Open the web interface of the sonnenBatterie.
sonnenBatterie (Point 4): Open Software-Integration, JSON API tab. Enable Read API and Write API (disconnect the battery from the VPP first), copy or create the API token and set the operating mode to Manual.
Add to Reduxi (Points 5–6): Open the Configurator and add the device with type Sonnen. Enter IP address, port 80, API token, rated power and PV. Run Test communication, then click Done.
Go live (Points 7–8): Check the readings, set the control type to AUTO, set up the strategies and go through the checklist.
→ Common issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Test communication shows “Unable to communicate with device” | Check the IP address, port 80, the API token and that the IP address is reachable from the controller (see Point 8). |
| Write API cannot be switched on | The notice “This functionality is disabled while VPP is active” is shown. Disconnect the battery from the VPP, then enable Write API (see Point 4.2). |
| No API token available | Open Software-Integration, JSON API tab, in the sonnenBatterie web interface and click Create New. |
| Reduxi commands have no effect on the battery | Check that the operating mode is Manual, that Read API and Write API are enabled, that the control type is AUTO, that the strategy is Active and that only one strategy is active (see Point 8). |
| Open configurator does not open or stays empty | The tunnel is not active yet. Wait about 30 seconds and check that the controller is online. |
| Login with admin is rejected | The password was changed during installation. Ask the installer. The Reduxi account password does not work here. |
| reduxi.local does not load | Your device is not in the same network as the controller. Use the IP address or the tunnel connection. |
| Communication test fails, device shows offline | Check reachability, IP address and port, and that the API is enabled on the device. |