Problem diagnosis · SolaX Power

SolaX ForceTime Not Working — Octopus Charging Fix

Your SolaX battery should be charging overnight on Octopus Go, Flux, or Agile — but it is not. ForceTime is configured in SolaX Cloud but the battery stays flat. The most common causes are a disabled Charge from Grid setting, a BST/GMT clock offset firing the window at the wrong time, or a work mode conflict overriding ForceTime.

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All Octopus tariffs supported

ForceTime configured but battery not charging?

SolaX ForceTime has several hidden dependencies — Charge from Grid, work mode, SoC targets, and clock sync all need to be correct. We review your SolaX Cloud configuration remotely and fix it in a single session.

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13 Trustpilot reviews

Trustpilot Google

I have a GivEnergy system consisting of two batteries, two inverters and a controlling EMS (Energy Management System) which has not worked since Nov 2025. After six months I discovered Solar Tech Support, reached out to them and Ron phoned me back – how often do you get that service? Could not be more helpful – worked directly with me over the phone, outside what I would call normal working hours. Lucid explanations and we were able to discuss the issues and history using camera and email history. As this was a very rare setup, Ron was able to access an EMS expert in the field to confirm the solution. One sunny day in, I am now only paying for standing charge and a few pence for spikes in grid consumption while battery catches up with house demand.

Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot

When my GivEnergy system had an issue, I was completely left without support and had honestly lost all hope. Thankfully, I searched online and found Ron, which completely turned things around. After sending him a message, he responded incredibly fast and called me to assure me that he would get the problem fixed. I really admire his dedicated, supportive nature and his determination to find a solution. With this kind of outstanding attitude and customer service, he has absolutely secured a future customer in me.

Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot

Ron want out of is way to help, nothing was to much. He was very thorough in what he did Very knowledgeable I would highly recommend Ron and his company He did a fantastic job for me. if you have any problems, he'll do his best to help you out and resolve your problem. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them

Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot

Ron took me through a diagnostic to confirm my GivEnergy Inverter had a fault. A common one as it turns out with the AC Inverter. As GivEnergy is defunct there is no immediate fix, aside from sourcing 2nd hand replacement. It may be that a fix becomes available over the summer which would make a lot of GivEnergy customers happy (Again)

Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone

Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot

I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues

michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Solar Tech Support in desperation. After explaining the issues I had with my system a diagnosis was made and a solution proposed. Fantastic service, even contacted a manufacturer to arrange replacement parts for me. Great communications, explained all they were doing and what I had to do, clearly and precisly. Followed up to confirm all was ok. Excellent service.

Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot

After GivEnergy went into liquidation, just my luck, my battery started playing up (internal board crashed). Contacted my installer - not interested! Found Solar tech support on a Google search. Sooo glad I found this company! Ron is extremely helpful and has plenty of experience. He soon confirmed what the fault was, and helped me to get my system up and running again. Now moved my GivEnergy account to Solar tech support, and will definitely use again if I have more issues. Unusual to find such a helpful company in these times, no morons reading scripts, just direct contact with the engineer.

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Ron is a super star. Two months ago my GivEnergy battery failed a firmware upgrade leaving it a brick. My installer couldn't/wouldn't fix it. GivEnergy couldn't/wouldn't fix it. Then they went into administration and all hope was lost. A flurry of emails later and Ron had diagnosed the fault (failed USB flash drive, something I'd suspected) and talked me through resolving it. Two months of nothing resolved in about 3 hours. It's great to work with someone who pays attention to the details, knows that they're doing (not just following a script) and gets stuff sorted without a fuss or up-charging.

Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

I can add to the list of customers who had already 'given up' on GivEnergy due to their appalling customer service, and that was before they went into administration (their Trustpilot reviews don't lie!). So you can imagine my desperation when, having changed my ISP and my Inverter, predictably, proving to be the only device that didn't connect automatically to my new network, I found zero prospect of any customer support with GivEnergy having called in the administrators just five days earlier! The salvation came from Solar Tech Support. My IT advisor stumbled across their web site and some very helpful tips for beleaguered GivEnergy customers, as well as an offer to provide direct assistance. Nothing ventured, I decided to drop them an E-Mail, with very low expectations based on my experience of GivEnergy customer support. Within an hour Ron had responded with some pin point advice, and after a few exchanges of E-Mails he had nailed the problem, enabling the combined efforts of my IT advisor and solar installer to resolve it and reconnect my Inverter. Thank you Solar Tech Support, and Ron in particular, for coming to the aid of a deserted and despondent GivEnergy customer. Expert, razor sharp advice and first class customer service, even though I wasn't officially a customer.

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

This company are a rare gem, I had a very unusual problem following a failed firmware upgrade on my GivEnergy kit. I then found out GivEnergy were in administration and had dismissed all their support staff! None of the usual fixes to try and restore my inverter comms would work, and I looked everywhere, forums, GivEnergy youtube support videos - even AI couldn't figure it out. My installer was talking about huge sums for system replacements, and being vague / evasive about if they'd even install replacement GivEnergy inverter. Enter Solar Tech Support, reassuring and knowledgeable from the very start, I've learnt loads about my solar system though the friendly chat while my engineer worked as he diagnosed the problem and figured out a fix procedure that I've not found anywhere else - amazing . If you need solar system repairs - especially if you like me have been left high and dry by GivEnergy, I cannot recommend this company enough. Give them a call.

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

I sent a message on their website regarding a problem I have on my Givenergy system. Although not supplied by Ronald, I thought it was worth an email. Within the hour on a Saturday, he phoned and we discussed the problem. He logged in remotely and gave excellent advice. I'm too far away for his on-site help but he did diagnose the problem and was happy also to chat through my thoughts about an upcoming solar/battery install I'm planning. Great bloke.... if only he was nearer!

Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Ian · May 2026 Trustpilot

Sree · May 2026 Trustpilot

Dennis Brown · May 2026 Trustpilot

Tony Deacon · May 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Ron with a problem and he sorted it out quickly with no problems at all. Very knowledgeable on anything solar/ batteries. I would recommend him to anyone

Phill · May 2026 Trustpilot

I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues

michael fairhurst · May 2026 Trustpilot

Mr Machin · May 2026 Trustpilot

Keith Ballard · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.

Hugh Speirs · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Christopher · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

customer · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Andy Thomas · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

Philip · Apr 2026 Trustpilot

⚡ Safety Warning

Do not open your inverter or interfere with DC cabling. Solar panels produce live DC voltage whenever exposed to light. Always use your DC isolator switch and contact a qualified solar engineer for hands-on fault diagnosis.

SolaX hub ForceTime not working T-BAT BMS fault Grid disconnection Fault codes →

Quick reference — UK tariff charging windows

Octopus Go — 00:30 – 04:30 (4 hours)

Octopus Flux — 02:00 – 05:00 (3 hours)

Octopus Intelligent Go — 23:30 – 05:30 (6 hours)

Octopus Agile — Variable (check app daily)

Diagnostics

6-step ForceTime diagnosis

Work through these steps to identify why your SolaX battery is not charging during the cheap rate window. Each step addresses a different common configuration error.

Check if ForceTime is actually enabled in SolaX Cloud

Log into SolaX Cloud and navigate to your inverter's settings. Open the ForceTime configuration page and check whether the ForceTime periods are enabled. SolaX allows up to two ForceTime periods — each must be individually toggled on.

A common mistake is setting the time window but leaving the period toggle off. If you see ForceTime Period 1 with times configured but the toggle is disabled, the inverter will not charge during that window. Enable the period and save. Changes pushed from SolaX Cloud can take several minutes to reach the inverter — check the inverter display or live data to confirm the command was received.

Verify the ForceTime window matches your tariff exactly

The ForceTime start and end times must exactly cover your cheap rate window. Common UK tariff windows:

• Octopus Go — set ForceTime to 00:30 start, 04:30 end

• Octopus Flux — set ForceTime to 02:00 start, 05:00 end

• Octopus Intelligent Go — set ForceTime to 23:30 start, 05:30 end

• Octopus Agile — window varies daily, consider a fixed overnight block

If the ForceTime window is shorter than the tariff window, the battery may not reach full charge. If it is longer, you will import at the standard rate for the extra time. SolaX Cloud uses 24-hour format.

Confirm Charge from Grid is active

ForceTime tells the inverter when to charge, but Charge from Grid must also be enabled for the inverter to actually pull power from the grid into the battery. This is a separate setting in SolaX Cloud — it is not automatically enabled when you turn on ForceTime.

Navigate to your inverter settings and look for the grid charge toggle. If this is off, the inverter will only charge the battery from solar during the ForceTime window — which produces zero charge overnight when there is no sunlight. This is one of the most common causes of ForceTime appearing correctly configured but the battery staying flat every morning.

Check for BST/GMT clock offset

SolaX inverters and SolaX Cloud do not always handle British Summer Time correctly. When the clocks change in March or October, the ForceTime window may shift by one hour relative to your actual tariff window.

If your Octopus Go window is 00:30 to 04:30 but the inverter clock is still on GMT during BST, ForceTime will actually run from 01:30 to 05:30 — charging for one hour at the standard rate. Check the clock on the inverter display against the actual time. If it is one hour behind or ahead, the timezone or DST setting needs correcting in SolaX Cloud.

Some firmware versions require a manual clock sync after each DST changeover. This is the single most common ForceTime issue we see in UK SolaX systems.

Review work mode and SoC target settings

SolaX X-Hybrid inverters have several work modes — Self Use, Feed-in Priority, Backup, and Off-Grid. ForceTime only functions correctly in Self Use or Backup mode. If the inverter is set to Feed-in Priority, it will prioritise exporting solar to the grid over charging the battery, and ForceTime may not override this.

Also check the target state of charge. If the ForceTime SoC target is set to 50 percent and the battery is already at 50 percent, ForceTime will not charge further. Set the ForceTime SoC target to 100 percent to ensure a full charge during the cheap rate window. The minimum SoC setting (which controls how low the battery can go during the day) should be configured separately — typically 10 to 20 percent.

Book a remote configuration session if settings will not hold

If you have checked all five steps above and ForceTime is still not charging correctly, the issue may be firmware-related or involve a setting conflict that is not visible in SolaX Cloud. Older firmware versions have known bugs where ForceTime settings revert after a power cycle or fail to sync from the cloud.

STS can access your SolaX Cloud data remotely, verify every configuration parameter, identify firmware issues, and push corrected settings — usually in a single session. We support all X-Hybrid generations (G2 through G4) and all UK time-of-use tariffs.

Why SolaX ForceTime is the most commonly misconfigured battery feature in the UK

SolaX's ForceTime is one of the most powerful charging features available on any UK hybrid inverter. It allows precise control over when the battery charges from the grid, at what power level, and to what state of charge. For time-of-use tariff owners — particularly Octopus Go, Flux, and Agile customers — ForceTime is the core mechanism that makes cheap overnight charging work.

The problem is that ForceTime has several hidden dependencies. Enabling the ForceTime period is only the first step. Charge from Grid must be separately enabled. The work mode must be Self Use or Backup. The SoC target must be set correctly. The inverter clock must be synchronised and handling BST/GMT correctly. A conflict in any one of these settings will prevent charging, and SolaX Cloud does not warn you about conflicting configurations.

The BST/GMT issue affects thousands of SolaX systems across the UK twice a year. When the clocks change, owners who set up ForceTime months ago suddenly find the battery is not fully charged in the morning — or that charging starts an hour late and imports at the expensive rate. Older firmware versions are particularly affected because they do not automatically adjust for DST. This single issue generates more support calls to STS than any other SolaX problem.

Reference

Most common ForceTime configuration errors

Charge from Grid off

ForceTime enabled but battery stays at 0%

The inverter will only charge from solar during ForceTime if grid charge is disabled. Enable Charge from Grid in SolaX Cloud settings.

BST/GMT offset

Battery charges one hour late or early

Inverter clock has not adjusted for daylight saving time. Check display clock against actual time. Correct the timezone or DST setting in SolaX Cloud.

Wrong work mode

ForceTime appears enabled but has no effect

Inverter is set to Feed-in Priority. ForceTime requires Self Use or Backup mode. Change the work mode in SolaX Cloud.

SoC target met

Battery only charges to 50% or 80%

ForceTime SoC target is set below 100%. The inverter stops charging when the target is reached. Set ForceTime SoC to 100% for a full overnight charge.

Firmware revert

Settings correct but revert after power cycle

Known bug on older SolaX firmware versions. ForceTime settings saved in SolaX Cloud do not persist after an inverter restart. Firmware update may be required.

ForceTime & Octopus charging — common questions

What is SolaX ForceTime and how does it work?

ForceTime is a SolaX feature that forces the X-Hybrid inverter to charge the battery from the grid during a set time window. You configure up to two ForceTime periods in SolaX Cloud with a start time, end time, and target state of charge. During that window, the inverter draws grid power at the configured charge rate until the battery reaches the SoC target. It is designed for time-of-use tariffs like Octopus Go, Flux, or Agile — charging on cheap rate so you use stored energy during expensive peak hours. Charge from Grid must be separately enabled for ForceTime to work.

Why does my SolaX battery charge at the wrong time?

The most common cause is a BST/GMT clock offset. SolaX inverters do not always adjust for British Summer Time automatically. When the clocks change, the ForceTime window shifts by one hour — so a window set for 00:30 to 04:30 actually runs from 01:30 to 05:30, meaning you charge for one hour at the standard rate. Check the clock on the inverter display against the actual time. If it is one hour out, the timezone or DST setting needs correcting in SolaX Cloud. Some older firmware versions require a manual clock sync after each DST change.

Can I configure SolaX ForceTime myself?

Yes — ForceTime is configured through SolaX Cloud, which any system owner can access. You need to enable the ForceTime period, set the correct start and end times, set the target SoC to 100 percent, and enable Charge from Grid. The challenge is that SolaX Cloud has multiple overlapping settings — work mode, ForceTime, TOU schedules, min SoC, and charge power — and a conflict between any of them can prevent charging. If you are not confident with the settings, a remote configuration session can set everything up correctly in one go.

How do I set up Octopus Go with a SolaX inverter?

For Octopus Go, configure ForceTime Period 1 with a start time of 00:30 and end time of 04:30. Set the target SoC to 100 percent and the charge power to the maximum your inverter supports. Enable Charge from Grid. Set the work mode to Self Use so the battery discharges to power the house during the day. Set the minimum SoC to your preferred backup level — typically 10 to 20 percent. After saving, check SolaX Cloud live data the next morning to confirm the battery charged during the correct window. Repeat the check after the next BST/GMT changeover.

What is the difference between ForceTime and TOU on SolaX?

ForceTime forces the inverter to charge from the grid during a set window regardless of other conditions. TOU (Time of Use) is a more complex scheduling system that manages both charging and discharging across multiple time periods. ForceTime is simpler and more reliable for most UK tariffs — you set the cheap rate window and the inverter charges. TOU allows more granular control but is harder to configure correctly and more prone to conflicts. For standard tariffs like Octopus Go or Flux, ForceTime is usually the better choice. TOU suits Agile tariffs where rates change every 30 minutes.

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ForceTime not charging? We configure it remotely.

We access your SolaX Cloud, verify every ForceTime parameter, fix clock offsets, correct work mode conflicts, and confirm the battery charges on the correct window — usually in a single session.

Not affiliated with SolaX Power
Remote configuration from £75
All Octopus tariffs supported

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