Sunstead
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Read the data
Read grid import and export without guessing
A minus sign can mean export on one screen and import on another. Read the convention before deciding which way electricity is moving.
Identify the point being measured
A grid reading should describe exchange at a defined connection to the grid. It is not automatically the difference between whatever solar and load values happen to appear beside it. Those values may come from different devices, cover different circuits or include different losses.
Record the measurement source and the circuits it covers. If the monitor reads only one inverter, ask whether that inverter reports total site exchange or just its own AC input. The inverter-versus-meter comparison explains why the distinction affects the conclusion.
Make a sign key for this screen
Find the software’s definition of positive and negative grid power, then compare it with an independently known ordinary operating condition. Do not copy the battery-current sign convention into the grid field; they are different measurements.
An illustrative sign convention
If a particular dashboard defines positive as import, +0.8 kW means power is entering through the measured grid connection. −0.8 kW means export through that same connection. This example is a convention, not a rule imposed on every product.
Home Assistant’s Energy documentation explicitly deals with direction and source configuration. It illustrates why the meaning of a sign belongs to a particular integration and field, not merely to the number itself.
Keep net power separate from cumulative energy
Suppose the site imports at a steady 1 kW for one hour, then exports at 1 kW for the next hour. Net energy across the two hours is zero, but import energy is 1 kWh and export energy is also 1 kWh. Averaging the signed power to zero hides both flows.
That matters when comparing a monitor with a meter or statement that keeps separate import and export registers. It also matters for understanding behavior: a zero net day can still contain substantial dependence on grid supply at night. Keep separate totals if the question concerns each direction.
Do not solve an incomplete balance as though it were complete
Solar production above the displayed household load does not prove the remainder was exported. The battery may be charging; conversion losses may be present; some circuits may not appear in the load measurement. Without the missing observations, several explanations remain possible.
Similarly, a missing grid field is not proof that a system is off grid. In Sunstead, unavailable grid active-power telemetry remains unavailable. Treat that as a limit on the questions the current connection can answer, not as a reason to manually insert zero.
Keep a reconciliation note
For one short interval, record time zone, grid source, sign convention, import/export totals, battery state and any missing circuits. Compare only values for that interval and boundary. If discrepancies remain, retain raw labels and timestamps when asking for help rather than renaming everything “usage.”
Use ordinary observed conditions; there is no need to alter protective settings or disconnect the electrical supply to establish a sign. If the equipment’s own indications conflict with the software, report the exact model and firmware so the interpretation can be investigated.
Sources & further reading
Documentation checked October 10, 2026.
Your next step
Check measurement compatibility