Some Entities can be controlled remotely through our Commands API. Commands can instruct a device to take action or change its configuration.

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What makes this API powerful

Just like Readings, Commands are normalized across all Entities. This allows you to send consistent instructions to any supported device across different manufacturers, models, and device variations.

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Command types and compatibility

Whether an Entity supports a Command depends on the type of Entity and its manufacturer.

CommandUseValueCompatibility
StartChargingStart a new charging session.N/AEV1
StopChargingStop an active charging session.N/AEV1
ResetSet the default configuration.N/APV
DisconnectDisconnect the system from the grid.N/APV2
LimitFeedInSets a feed-in limit. Used for curtailing injection.Limit in WPV
StopFeedInLimits feed-in to a minimum.N/APV

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The cooldown time

In rare cases, a Command can’t be executed immediately. The device might process it with a delay, or it may take some time for the Command to reach it. To prevent latency issues, we’ve introduced a cooldown period between Commands sent to the same Entity.

The cooldown period lasts 10 minutes. You can disable the cooldown if needed, but we recommend avoiding this whenever possible to maintain reliability.

When you Trigger a Command for an Entity, you can disable the cooldown by setting the query parameter to true.

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What you’ll need

  • Your API credentials
  • Contributor permission on an Entity that supports Commands

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Let’s try it out

Use the to Trigger a Command for it.

You’ll also have to specify the Command and you may need to set a .

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type
string
required

Available options: StartCharging, StopCharging, Reset, Disconnect, LimitFeedIn, and StopFeedIn.

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value
string

Reference the compatibility table to understand what’s expected.

Response (Body)
  {
    "id": "9671cc39-[...]-803eb4022baa",
    "entityId": "3c90c3cc-[...]-8dd25736052a",
    "status": "Pending",
    "triggerTime": "2023-11-07T05:31:56Z",
    "type": "Reset",
  }

After creating it, your Command will typically be in a Pending state. Fetch its updated at a later time by Retrieving your Command.

Footnotes

  1. Charging Commands aren’t available for BMW vehicles unless onboarded through Enode. We partner with Enode to extend our support for vehicles through reversed-engeneered connectivity solutions. Read more about Enode’s capabilities on their website. ↩ ↩2

  2. The Disconnect Command is currently not supported by Huawei. ↩