Want to make the most of your Fronius SolarWeb system and BYD battery? In this article, we’ll go through how to set up scheduled grid charging and make sure your system is ready to take advantage of free or low-cost power windows.
This article outlines how our customers use the Fronius SolarWeb system to charge their BYD battery during off-peak hours – and why getting these settings right means your battery works harder for you every day.
Disclaimer: Please make your own decisions about what is right for you, your home and your system when managing your home battery charging preferences and your retailer.
How Do I Charge My Battery From the Grid?
With certain energy retailers, you can take advantage of daily free windows that offer to charge your home battery from the grid. This enables you to use your battery’s full capacity for 365 days a year, regardless of the weather. It’s a smart back-up plan that takes advantage of free power.
How To Do This With Your Fronius and BYD Battery
If your system is set up correctly, your Fronius inverter and BYD battery can work together to take advantage of off-peak or free grid power automatically – without you needing to manage it day to day.
Relevant article: How To Make Your Battery Work Smarter
How to Do This With Your Fronius and BYD Battery
If your system is set up correctly, your Fronius inverter and BYD battery can work together to take advantage of off-peak or free grid power automatically – without you needing to manage it day to day.
How the Fronius Smart Meter Helps
The Fronius Smart Meter plays a key role in helping your battery understand where electricity is coming from and where it should go. It measures how much power your home is using, how much solar you’re producing and when it makes sense to draw energy from the grid instead.
With this information, your Fronius system can be set up to prioritise grid charging during off-peak or free electricity periods, while still giving solar power first priority whenever it’s available.
The result is simple: Your battery fills at the lowest possible cost so you can use that stored energy later when electricity prices are higher.
Once these settings are in place, everything runs automatically in the background. You don’t need to manually switch anything on or off – the system simply responds to your tariff and household needs.
Setting Up Time Dependent Control in SolarWeb
Fronius systems are managed through the SolarWeb platform – a web-based portal and app that connects directly to your inverter.
Unlike some other battery brands, the scheduled charging settings live inside the inverter’s web interface, which is accessed through SolarWeb.
To set up scheduled grid charging yourself, follow the steps below:
1. Log in to your SolarWeb account at solar.web or open the SolarWeb app
2. Go to “Settings”, then ‘Components”
3. Select your inverter, tap the three dots and choose “Device Settings,” you’ll be taken to a web interface
4. Navigate to “Energy Management,” then “Battery Management,” then “Time Dependent Control”
5. Tap “Add Rule” and set your free or off-peak charging window (e.g. 11 am – 2 pm)
6. Set the “Minimum Charging Power” to match your inverter size. Check the label on your Fronius inverter for the kW number in the model name (e.g. “GEN24 10.0” = 10kW), then multiply by 1,000 and enter that figure in watts (e.g. 10kW = 10,000W).
IMPORTANT: This must not exceed than your main switch’s capacity. If you charge your battery faster than it can handle, you will trip your power.
Disclaimer: Grid charging settings are your responsibility. Bluegum is not liable if you exceed the maximum demand of your property.
7. Select the days the rule should apply, then save your changes
Note: Your solar feed-in will still work. The system continues to prioritise solar first and uses scheduled grid charging to top up the battery during your free or low-cost window when solar alone isn’t enough.
Watch the video!
How Do You Get Free Power?
Certain energy retailers in Australia offer free power during periods when the wholesale price of electricity is $0 or negative. This is also a period when customers don’t receive their solar feed-in tariff.
If this has left you feeling ripped off because you aren’t getting the same amount back for the solar you send, we have good news for you. You can use the grid to charge your battery for free, ensuring you can use it 365 days a year with ease.
What Is the Free Timeframe?
Retailers such as OVO have specific plans that offer a free timeframe that customers can take advantage of. OVO’s 3 Free plan is the perfect example, offering completely free power between 11 am and 2 pm.
Your retailer’s free timeframe and existing energy plan will inform how you set up your battery’s controls to take advantage of the free period or low-cost times and maximise your battery’s charging capabilities.
(As of the time of publishing this post in May 2026.)
The Bottom Line
Charging your Fronius and BYD battery from the grid for free is very achievable – it just takes the right settings and a system that’s been configured to match your retailer’s tariff.
If you’d like help getting your Time Dependent Control set up correctly, our team can help you take care of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my battery exporting to the grid before 11 am?
If your system is set up to recognise a feed-in tariff earlier in the day but that feed-in isn’t actually financially beneficial at that time, the system may decide it’s better to export energy to the grid and buy it back later during a cheaper or free period.
If you notice this and would prefer the battery to hold onto that energy instead, adjusting the feed-in rate or charging priorities in your system settings can usually resolve it. Your installer can help with this.
Why Isn't My Battery Charging Within the Free Window (e.g. 11 am-2 pm)?
If your Fronius or BYD battery isn’t charging during a free-power window, it’s often because the system expects your solar generation to fill the battery later in the day based on current usage patterns and weather conditions.
As long as your battery is being filled consistently, it doesn’t matter whether that energy comes from solar or the grid during a free period – the end result is the same. The real measure of success is whether your battery is full and ready to use when electricity costs more later in the day.
How Can I Check My Fronius and BYD Setup?
You can review your configuration through SolarWeb:
- Log in at solar.web or open the SolarWeb app
- Go to Settings and Components
- Select your inverter and open Device Settings
- Navigate to Energy Management, then Battery Management and then Time Dependent Control.
From there, confirm your free or off-peak window matches your retailer’s offer, check that grid charging is enabled in your rules and make sure the correct days are selected.
How Can I Avoid Tripping My Power While Charging From the Grid?
Your system needs to stay within the limits of what your home’s electrical supply can handle. If you’re charging your battery during a free period while also running high-load appliances such as heating, cooling or an EV charger, you may overload the supply.
This is why import limits are important. Letting your installer know that you plan to charge your BYD battery from the grid allows them to review and adjust the Minimum Charging Power and import settings so everything runs smoothly and safely.
What Are Grid Import Settings and Why Are They Important?
Grid import settings control how and when your BYD battery draws power from the grid through the Fronius inverter.
These settings determine whether the battery charges only from solar, only from the grid or a combination of both. They’re useful when taking advantage of super off-peak or free electricity periods, helping ensure your system charges at the lowest possible cost while still meeting your household’s needs throughout the day.
Why Is My Battery Not Charging Faster?
If your battery is already close to full, slower charging is completely normal. As BYD batteries approach full capacity – usually above 90% – charging speed naturally tapers off to protect the battery and extend its lifespan.
Charging speed is also affected by how much power your home is using at the same time and the import limit configured on your system. Higher household usage means less available power for charging the battery.
Why Isn't My Battery Charging at the Expected Times?
This is often linked to tariff timing or system settings. If your electricity plan times have changed or daylight savings isn’t correctly accounted for in your Time Dependent Control rules, charging windows may shift.
It’s also worth looking at the bigger picture – if your battery is still filling each day from solar, the system may simply decide grid charging isn’t necessary. This is common in summer, while grid charging is more noticeable in winter.
What Happens if My Tariff Changes?
It’s important to stay up to date with your electricity retailer’s pricing and let your installer know if your tariff changes.
Your Fronius and BYD system relies on the Time Dependent Control rules being accurate to make smart decisions about when to charge from the grid. Keeping these settings current ensures you’re always getting the best value from both your battery and the grid.
Will Free or Off-Peak Electricity Offers Be Around for Long?
Other states across Australia have introduced a new legislative requirement that sets a minimum of three hours of free electricity every day for households in default market offer regions under the scheme known as Solar Sharer.
Even though this is not yet enforced in Victoria, acting now means you’re ready ahead of any rollout of a similar policy like the Midday Power Saver, ensuring your battery setup is configured, grid charging is enabled and you’re taking full advantage of the retail-offer timing before the rules change.
If you’d like help configuring your Fronius and BYD system or want to make sure your Time Dependent Control is set up correctly, get in touch with the Bluegum team. Request a callback