Set passive mode timeout

Use this action to control how long a passive-mode power command stays in effect before the inverter falls back to its normal behavior, and what “falling back” means. Only available on inverters with battery storage.

Only users with administrator rights can run this action.

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 set the passive-mode timeout 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 Sofar: Set passive mode timeout.
6. Select the Inverter, the Timeout, and the Timeout action.
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

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 sofar.set_passive_mode_timeout. A basic example looks like this:

action: sofar.set_passive_mode_timeout
data:
  config_entry_id: a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4
  timeout: 300
  action: return_to_previous_mode

This sets a 300-second timeout, after which the inverter returns to whatever mode it was in before passive mode started.

Options in YAML

Good to know

• This action is only available on inverters with battery storage. If the config entry you select doesn’t serve the passive-mode registers, the action fails with an error instead of doing nothing silently.
• Set the timeout before, or together with, your first Set passive mode power call, so a script that stops running unexpectedly doesn’t leave the inverter following a stale command indefinitely.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Settings > 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.

More examples

Real scenarios where this action shows up in automations and scripts. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Automation: keep a short leash on passive mode

When you script passive-mode power directly, it’s easy to forget to set a sensible timeout. This automation sets a 2-minute timeout with a fallback to the inverter’s previous mode every time Home Assistant starts, so passive mode can never run away with a stale command after a restart.

• Trigger: Home Assistant, started
• Action: Sofar: Set passive mode timeout

alias: "Reset Sofar passive-mode timeout on startup"
triggers:
  - trigger: homeassistant
    event: start
actions:
  - action: sofar.set_passive_mode_timeout
    data:
      config_entry_id: a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4
      timeout: 120
      action: return_to_previous_mode

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.

Related actions

Explore related actions:

• Set passive mode power: Commands the passive-mode setpoints.

• Set feed-in limit: Limits how much power the inverter exports to the grid.

• Set active power limit: Caps the inverter’s own output as a percentage of its rated power.