Enphase vs SolarEdge vs SMA: the best inverter API for real-time monitoring (2025)

Recommended data flow

Keep writes idempotent, window requests, and separate raw vs normalized storage.

Enphase — OAuth 2.0 fetch (server-side)

// Pseudocode — exchange code for token, then call monitoring endpoint
const token = await getEnphaseToken({ clientId, clientSecret, code });
const res = await fetch("https://api.enphaseenergy.com/v4/systems/{system_id}/telemetry/production", {
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${token.access_token}`,
    key: ENPHASE_API_KEY,
  },
});
const json = await res.json(); // 15-min intervals → persist raw + normalized

SolarEdge — 15-minute power

const res = await fetch(`https://monitoringapi.solaredge.com/site/${SITE_ID}/power?startTime=2025-07-01%2000:00:00&endTime=2025-07-02%2000:00:00&api_key=${SE_API_KEY}`);
const json = await res.json(); // returns 15-min data points; window and paginate for backfill

SMA — Modbus TCP (Node)

import Modbus from "jsmodbus";
const socket = new net.Socket();
const client = new Modbus.client.TCP(socket, 502);
socket.connect({ host: SMA_IP, port: 502 });
const { response } = await client.readHoldingRegisters(30053, 2); // example SunSpec register
// Normalize units; throttle polling to avoid device overload

Note: endpoints, paths and registers vary; consult each vendor’s documentation linked above.

Choose local for resilience, lower latency, and privacy control—at the cost of LAN setup and maintenance. Choose cloud for speed-to-value, fewer moving parts, and easy fleet rollout.

• Local (SMA Modbus): works offline; you own the data path; ensure network hardening and backups.
• Cloud (Enphase/SolarEdge): minimal onsite config; backfill history; vendor-managed uptime; respect API quotas.

About the author

Shop.Solar Engineering — we build monitoring and ROI tools for homeowners, installers and fleet operators. This guide reflects hands-on integrations and QA against live systems, updated regularly.

Editorial standards: we verify program docs and API references, and note limitations and edge cases.