In short
- Load First is the everyday mode: the house first, then the battery, then the grid.
- Battery First keeps the battery for charging during set time slots, from the sun and, if allowed, from the grid.
- Grid First sends energy to the grid during set slots; it only makes sense with a tariff that rewards it.
Growatt hybrids such as the SPH and MIN TL-XH ranges work in one of three priority modes. Most installers set Load First and never touch it again, which is often right. The other two are tools for specific tariffs and seasons, and they are worth understanding before you switch.
Load First
The default. Solar power feeds the house first. What is left charges the battery. When the battery is full, the surplus goes to the grid. In the evening the battery discharges to cover the house until it reaches its discharge limit, then the grid takes over.
On a chart it looks like this: battery charging around midday, export only once the battery is full, battery discharging after sunset, little or no import until late at night.
Battery First
During the time slots you set, the inverter puts the battery first. Solar goes to the battery before the house, and if you enable AC charging, the grid tops it up too. The battery does not discharge during those slots. Outside them, the inverter behaves like Load First.
It is useful with a cheap night tariff in winter, when the sun alone cannot fill the battery: charge from the grid at night, use the battery in the expensive hours. In summer it usually wastes battery capacity.
Grid First
During its time slots, the inverter sends energy to the grid first, from solar and from the battery, up to the power you set. It makes sense with a tariff that pays well for export at certain hours. Without that, it simply empties the battery you will need in the evening.
Seeing what the mode really does
| Mode | What you should see | Sign that something is off |
|---|---|---|
| Load First | Export only after the battery is full | Export at midday with the battery at 60% |
| Battery First | Battery rising in the slot, no discharge | Battery falling during the slot |
| Grid First | Export rising in the slot, battery falling | Export outside the slot |
A common surprise is a time slot that crosses midnight or a clock that drifted, so the mode runs at the wrong hours. The chart shows it at once.
Keeping an eye on it
Growatt Monitor reads the active priority mode with the power flows, every few seconds. The dashboard shows when the mode changes, and Home Assistant can notify you if Battery First is still active in spring, or if Grid First starts outside the hours you planned. The box only reads; you change modes in the inverter menu or the app, as before.
Common questions
Can the box switch the mode for me?
No. It only reads. Modes and time slots are set in the inverter menu, ShinePhone or by your installer.
Which mode gives the most self-consumption?
Load First, in most homes. The other two are for tariffs with cheap or well-paid hours.
Why does my battery not charge in Battery First?
Check that the time slot matches the inverter clock and that AC charging is enabled if you expect the grid to charge it.
