2026.6.4
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Write AC charge times

The Write AC charge times action writes the AC charge settings and up to three charge periods to a supported SPH inverter. You only need to provide the fields you want to change. Anything you leave out keeps its current value.

Important

This action changes your inverter’s charging behavior. Incorrect settings can affect battery lifespan and charging costs. Make changes only if you understand your battery and tariff setup.

Using this action from the user interface

If you prefer building automations and scripts visually, Home Assistant walks you through this action step by step. You pick what to target, tweak a few options, and save. No YAML knowledge required.

To write the AC charge times from an automation or a script:

  1. Go to Settings > Automations & scenes.
  2. Open an existing automation or script, or select Create automation > Create new automation.
  3. If you’re setting up a new automation, add a trigger in the When section. Scripts don’t need a trigger. They run when something else calls them.
  4. In the Then do section, select Add action.
  5. From the search box, search for and select Growatt: Write AC charge times.
  6. Choose the Device, then set the values you want to change.
  7. Select Save.

This action does not support targets. In the UI, you are not prompted to choose an area, device, entity, or label.

Options in the UI

Device (Required)

The Growatt SPH inverter to write to.
Charge power (Optional)

The charge power limit, as a percentage (0 to 100).
Charge stop SOC (Optional)

The state of charge, as a percentage, at which to stop charging (0 to 100).
Mains charging enabled (Optional)

Whether AC (mains) charging is enabled.
Period 1 start (Optional)

The start time for period 1, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.
Period 1 end (Optional)

The end time for period 1, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.
Period 1 enabled (Optional)

Whether period 1 is active.
Period 2 start (Optional)

The start time for period 2, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.
Period 2 end (Optional)

The end time for period 2, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.
Period 2 enabled (Optional)

Whether period 2 is active.
Period 3 start (Optional)

The start time for period 3, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.
Period 3 end (Optional)

The end time for period 3, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.
Period 3 enabled (Optional)

Whether period 3 is active.

Using this action in YAML

If you work directly in YAML, or you want to know exactly what Home Assistant does under the hood, this section has the technical reference. It lists the field names you use in YAML, their types, and which ones are required.

In YAML, refer to this action as growatt_server.write_ac_charge_times. A basic example looks like this:

ActionActions are used in several places in Home Assistant. As part of a script or automation, actions define what is going to happen once a trigger is activated. In scripts, an action is called *sequence*. [Learn more] 
action: growatt_server.write_ac_charge_times
data:
  device_id: a1b2c3d4e5f6
  charge_power: 100
  charge_stop_soc: 95
  mains_enabled: true
  period_1_start: "00:00"
  period_1_end: "06:00"
  period_1_enabled: true

This charges the battery from the grid between midnight and 6 AM, up to 95% state of charge.

Options in YAML

device_id string Required

The Growatt SPH inverter to write to.

charge_power integer

The charge power limit, as a percentage (0 to 100).

charge_stop_soc integer

The state of charge, as a percentage, at which to stop charging (0 to 100).

mains_enabled boolean

Whether AC (mains) charging is enabled.

period_1_start time

The start time for period 1, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.

period_1_end time

The end time for period 1, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.

period_1_enabled boolean

Whether period 1 is active.

period_2_start time

The start time for period 2, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.

period_2_end time

The end time for period 2, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.

period_2_enabled boolean

Whether period 2 is active.

period_3_start time

The start time for period 3, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.

period_3_end time

The end time for period 3, in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS format.

period_3_enabled boolean

Whether period 3 is active.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Actions, search for this action, fill in the fields, and select Perform action. You see what happens on your actual entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more] without writing a line of YAML.

Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with the action you’re calling and what you expected to happen, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Tip

AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can also explain actions or suggest the right one when you describe what you want in plain language.

Related actions

These actions work well alongside this one: