feat: v2.7.0 — bug-fix wave (issues #43–#46)

#43 — Remove Jinja {{ }} from the battery_power data_description (12 occurrences
across strings.json + translations) so HA no longer renders MALFORMED_ARGUMENT;
plain-text instruction now points to the README, which gains a sign-inversion
template example.

#44 — Solar Surplus PRIORITY_HOME branch no longer calls stop_charger() on an
already-off charger every tick. 3-branch guard: stop only when charging; if off
but still holding the coordinator, release it; otherwise a single DEBUG line.
Kills the per-minute log/coordinator churn and the check-counter reset.

#45 — Night Smart Charge: run the is_enabled() check BEFORE _is_in_active_window()
(which mutates _session_state to "active"). Fixes the phantom
"Already active (hysteresis)" + "disabled, skipping" loop on never-enabled
installs.

#46 — Solar Surplus resets _surplus_stable_since on grid-import detection and
after each step-down, so the pre-cloud stability credit can't trigger an
immediate full-amperage jump (large home-battery draw) once the cloud passes.

Diagnostic hardening (#47/#48): the Solar Surplus diagnostic exposes the raw
is_nighttime_computed result, and the "Invalid sensor values" state now names
the failing sensor (truncated; full list still in the errors attribute).

Backward compatible — no schema/entity/config-flow/dashboard change, counts
unchanged (69/55). Tests: tests/test_v270_fixes.py + targeted tests for
#44/#45/#46.

Author: Antonio ...

CLAUDE.md

@@ -757,6 +757,57 @@ async def _set_amperage(self, target_amperage: int):
 
 ## Version History
 
+### v2.7.0 (2026-06-10)
+**Bug-fix wave — 4 issues (#43–#46)**
+
+A focused bug-fix release closing four reports from DJm00n. Fully backward
+compatible — no schema/entity/config-flow change, entity counts unchanged
+(69 / 55), no dashboard change.
+
+**#43 — Translation `MALFORMED_ARGUMENT` on the battery-power field (BUG).** The
+`battery_power` `data_description` embedded a Jinja example `{{ - states(...) |
+float(0) }}`; HA's translation engine treats `{{ }}` as an interpolation
+placeholder and replaced the whole string with the error label. The Jinja was
+removed from the description (plain-text instruction pointing to the README) in
+all 12 occurrences (`strings.json` + `translations/{en,it,nl}.json`, 3 steps
+each), and a sign-inversion template example was added to the README. Text only.
+
+**#44 — Solar Surplus stopped an already-off charger every tick on `PRIORITY_HOME`
+(BUG, log/coordinator churn).** The `PRIORITY_HOME` branch in [solar_surplus.py](custom_components/ev_smart_charger/solar_surplus.py)
+called `stop_charger()` unconditionally, dispatching a no-op `switch.turn_off`,
+flapping coordinator ownership and resetting the check counter every 60 s while
+the home target was unmet. Now a 3-branch guard: stop only when actually
+charging; if off but still holding the coordinator, release it (no phantom
+owner); otherwise a single DEBUG line and return.
+
+**#45 — Night Smart Charge phantom "active" loop when the switch is OFF (BUG,
+state machine).** In `_async_periodic_check` the `is_enabled()` check ran *after*
+`_is_in_active_window()`, which is not a pure predicate — it mutates
+`_session_state` to `"active"` at the activation window. A never-enabled install
+got stuck logging `Already active (hysteresis)` + `disabled, skipping` every
+minute until restart. The enabled check now runs first, so the window check (and
+its mutation) is never reached while the switch is off.
+
+**#46 — Solar Surplus jumped to full amperage after a cloud (BUG, battery drain).**
+`_handle_grid_import_protection` reset `_last_grid_import_high` but not
+`_surplus_stable_since`, so the pre-cloud stability credit survived the grid-import
+event; once the cloud passed the system jumped straight to the full target in one
+step (a large home-battery draw). `_surplus_stable_since` is now reset both at
+first grid-import detection and after each step-down, forcing a fresh 60 s
+stability window before any increase.
+
+**Diagnostic hardening (#47/#48).** The Solar Surplus diagnostic now exposes the
+raw `is_nighttime_computed` result alongside the already-present sunrise/sunset/
+offset attributes (so a daytime "SKIPPED: Nighttime" is fully self-diagnosable),
+and the `ERROR: Invalid sensor values` state now names the failing sensor
+(truncated, full list still in the `errors` attribute).
+
+**Files**: `solar_surplus.py` (#44, #46, #47/#48), `night_smart_charge.py` (#45),
+`strings.json` + `translations/{en,it,nl}.json` (#43), `README.md` (#43),
+`const.py` + `manifest.json` (VERSION). `VERSION = "2.7.0"`.
+
+---
+
 ### v2.6.1 (2026-06-06)
 **Dashboard: grid-lost indicator for issue #36 (frontend-only)**
 

README.md

@@ -422,6 +422,8 @@ The charger switch entity is used as the unique ID for the config entry. Adding
 
 **EV charging power (v2.2.0):** the most reliable signal for whether the car is actually drawing current — when mapped it becomes the single source of truth for charging detection (and the dashboard's green "EV charging" banner), overriding the status string. In three-phase mode map all three per-phase sensors (they are summed) or leave all blank. The sensor must report positive watts while charging; if yours reports negative, wrap it in a template sensor (`{{ states('sensor.your_power') | float(0) | abs }}`) — the diagnostic sensor's `charging_power_w` will read a flat 0 W if the sign is reversed.
 
+**Battery power (v2.1.0):** optional signed power sensor for the home battery, used by Hybrid Inverter Mode and Night Smart Charge grid mode to tell real solar headroom apart from the home battery silently covering the EV. **Sign convention: NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging.** If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value, e.g. `{{ states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) * -1 }}` — the diagnostic sensor's `battery_discharge_w` will read a flat 0 W if the sign is reversed.
+
 **Grid available (v2.6.0 — [issue #36](https://github.com/antbald/ha-ev-smart-charger/issues/36)):** optional `binary_sensor` (on = grid present, off = grid lost), typically exposed by hybrid inverter integrations (e.g. `binary_sensor.inverter_grid`). On hybrid "Battery First"/UPS inverters a grid outage is invisible to the integration (every power sensor keeps reporting), so Night Smart Charge **grid mode** would keep drawing — now from the home battery — during the outage. When mapped and OFF (sustained for the grid-import delay, default 30 s), the grid-mode session stops. **Fail-safe:** an `unavailable`/`unknown` state (e.g. at HA boot or an inverter-integration restart) is treated as "unknown" and never triggers a stop. Leave empty to keep the previous behaviour.
 
 ### Step 4 — PV Forecast

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/const.py

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # ========== INTEGRATION METADATA ==========
 DOMAIN = "ev_smart_charger"
-VERSION = "2.6.1"
+VERSION = "2.7.0"
 DEFAULT_NAME = "EV Smart Charger"
 FRONTEND_URL_BASE = "/api/ev_smart_charger/frontend"
 FRONTEND_CARD_FILENAME = "ev-smart-charger-dashboard.js"

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/manifest.json

@@ -11,5 +11,5 @@
   "iot_class": "local_push",
   "issue_tracker": "https://github.com/antbald/ha-ev-smart-charger/issues",
   "requirements": [],
-  "version": "2.6.1"
+  "version": "2.7.0"
 }

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/night_smart_charge.py

@@ -725,16 +725,21 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now) -> None:
                 self.logger.debug("Already active and within valid window, skipping re-evaluation")
             return
 
+        # Check if enabled FIRST (issue #45): _is_in_active_window() is not a
+        # pure predicate — it mutates _session_state to "active" at the
+        # activation window. If the enabled check ran after it, a never-enabled
+        # install would get stuck logging "Already active (hysteresis)" +
+        # "disabled, skipping" every minute. Gating on enabled first means the
+        # window check (and its mutation) is never reached while the switch is off.
+        if not self.is_enabled():
+            self.logger.debug("Night Smart Charge disabled, skipping")
+            return
+
         # Check if we're in active window
         if not await self._is_in_active_window(current_time):
             self.logger.debug("Not in active window, skipping")
             return
 
-        # Check if enabled
-        if not self.is_enabled():
-            self.logger.debug("Night Smart Charge disabled, skipping")
-            return
-
         # Run evaluation
         self.logger.separator()
         self.logger.start(f"Night charge evaluation at {current_time.strftime('%H:%M:%S')}")

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/solar_surplus.py

@@ -712,17 +712,34 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now=None, ignore_rate_limit: bool = False)
             self.logger.debug(f"Priority Balancer: {priority}")
 
             if priority == PRIORITY_HOME:
-                self.logger.warning("Priority = HOME - Stopping EV charger")
-                if await self._acquire_control(
-                    "turn_off",
-                    "Home battery needs charging (Priority = HOME)",
-                ):
-                    await self.charger_controller.stop_charger(
-                        "Home battery needs charging (Priority = HOME)"
+                # issue #44: only act when there is something to do. Calling
+                # stop_charger() every tick on an already-off charger floods the
+                # log, churns coordinator ownership and dispatches a no-op
+                # switch.turn_off. Guard on the real charger state.
+                if await self.charger_controller.is_charging():
+                    self.logger.warning("Priority = HOME - Stopping EV charger")
+                    if await self._acquire_control(
+                        "turn_off",
+                        "Home battery needs charging (Priority = HOME)",
+                    ):
+                        await self.charger_controller.stop_charger(
+                            "Home battery needs charging (Priority = HOME)"
+                        )
+                        self._release_control("Priority = HOME")
+                        self._handle_control_loss("Priority = HOME")
+                    self.logger.separator()
+                elif self._has_control():
+                    # Charger already off but we still hold the coordinator —
+                    # release it so we don't leave a phantom owner.
+                    self._release_control("Priority = HOME (charger already off)")
+                    self._handle_control_loss("Priority = HOME (charger already off)")
+                    self.logger.debug(
+                        "Priority = HOME, charger already off — released stale control"
+                    )
+                else:
+                    self.logger.debug(
+                        "Priority = HOME, charger already off — skipping stop"
                     )
-                    self._release_control("Priority = HOME")
-                    self._handle_control_loss("Priority = HOME")
-                self.logger.separator()
                 return
 
             if priority == PRIORITY_EV_FREE:
@@ -741,6 +758,7 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now=None, ignore_rate_limit: bool = False)
         # BEFORE summing — a single unavailable phase would otherwise be read as
         # 0 W by get_float and silently halve production/consumption.
         sensor_errors = []
+        failed_entities = []  # issue #48: which sensors failed (for the state string)
         sensors_to_validate = self._power_model.labelled_power_entities()
 
         # Check each sensor and track error state changes
@@ -750,6 +768,7 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now=None, ignore_rate_limit: bool = False)
 
             if not is_valid:
                 sensor_errors.append(error_msg)
+                failed_entities.append(entity_id)
                 # Only log if this is a NEW error or error message changed
                 if entity_id not in self._sensor_error_state or self._sensor_error_state[entity_id] != error_msg:
                     self._sensor_error_state[entity_id] = error_msg
@@ -770,8 +789,18 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now=None, ignore_rate_limit: bool = False)
                 # Existing errors - just update diagnostic sensor quietly
                 self.logger.debug(f"Sensor errors still present ({len(sensor_errors)} sensors unavailable)")
 
+            # issue #48: name the failing sensor(s) in the state string so the
+            # user can see which one at a glance, not just an opaque "ERROR".
+            # The HA state value is capped at 255 chars — keep it well under.
+            if len(failed_entities) == 1:
+                state_str = f"ERROR: Invalid sensor ({failed_entities[0]})"
+            else:
+                state_str = (
+                    f"ERROR: Invalid sensor ({failed_entities[0]} +"
+                    f"{len(failed_entities) - 1} more)"
+                )
             await self._update_diagnostic_sensor(
-                "ERROR: Invalid sensor values",
+                state_str[:200],
                 {"errors": sensor_errors, "last_check": dt_util.now().isoformat()}
             )
             self.logger.separator()
@@ -1203,6 +1232,12 @@ def _build_nighttime_debug_attributes(self, now: datetime) -> dict:
             "sunset_today": sunset.isoformat() if sunset else None,
             "nighttime_sunset_offset_min": sunset_offset,
             "nighttime_sunrise_offset_min": sunrise_offset,
+            # issue #47: expose the raw computed result so a "SKIPPED: Nighttime"
+            # in daytime is fully self-diagnosable (right times + True here =>
+            # genuine logic input; otherwise location/tz misconfig or stale).
+            "is_nighttime_computed": self._astral_service.is_nighttime(
+                now, sunset_offset, sunrise_offset
+            ),
         }
 
     async def _handle_nighttime_transition(self, now: datetime, current_profile: str | None) -> None:
@@ -1495,6 +1530,12 @@ async def _handle_grid_import_protection(
 
         if self._last_grid_import_high is None:
             self._last_grid_import_high = current_time
+            # issue #46: invalidate any pre-cloud stability credit the moment
+            # grid import is first detected. Otherwise _surplus_stable_since
+            # keeps accumulating through the cloud and, once it passes, the
+            # system jumps straight to full target amperage in one step (large
+            # battery draw) instead of re-earning a fresh 60s stability window.
+            self._surplus_stable_since = None
             self.logger.warning(
                 f"Grid import ({grid_import}W) > threshold ({grid_threshold}W) - Starting {grid_import_delay}s delay"
             )
@@ -1533,6 +1574,9 @@ async def _handle_grid_import_protection(
 
         self.logger.warning("Grid import delay ELAPSED - Reducing charging")
         self._last_grid_import_high = None
+        # issue #46: belt-and-suspenders — require a fresh stability window
+        # after each step-down too, so the ramp can't jump back up in one step.
+        self._surplus_stable_since = None
 
         # Gradual ramp down: one level at a time via AmperageCalculator
         next_amps = AmperageCalculator.get_next_level_down(current_amps, self._amp_levels)

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/strings.json

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         },
         "data_description": {
           "hybrid_inverter_mode": "Turns on the empirical curtailment probe for zero-export hybrid inverters. You can toggle it any time later from the dashboard — this only sets the initial state.",
-          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor uses the opposite sign, create a template sensor: {{ - states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) }}."
+          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value — see the README for an example."
         }
       },
       "pv_forecast": {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
           "battery_power": "Battery power sensor (W, signed)"
         },
         "data_description": {
-          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor uses the opposite sign, create a template sensor: {{ - states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) }}."
+          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value — see the README for an example."
         }
       },
       "reconfigure_pv_forecast": {
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@
           "battery_power": "Battery power sensor (W, signed)"
         },
         "data_description": {
-          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor uses the opposite sign, create a template sensor: {{ - states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) }}."
+          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value — see the README for an example."
         }
       },
       "pv_forecast": {

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/translations/en.json

@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         },
         "data_description": {
           "hybrid_inverter_mode": "Turns on the empirical curtailment probe for zero-export hybrid inverters. You can toggle it any time later from the dashboard — this only sets the initial state.",
-          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor uses the opposite sign, create a template sensor: {{ - states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) }}."
+          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value — see the README for an example."
         }
       },
       "pv_forecast": {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
           "battery_power": "Battery power sensor (W, signed)"
         },
         "data_description": {
-          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor uses the opposite sign, create a template sensor: {{ - states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) }}."
+          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value — see the README for an example."
         }
       },
       "reconfigure_pv_forecast": {
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@
           "battery_power": "Battery power sensor (W, signed)"
         },
         "data_description": {
-          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor uses the opposite sign, create a template sensor: {{ - states('sensor.your_battery_power') | float(0) }}."
+          "battery_power": "Optional. Signed battery power in watts — NEGATIVE = discharging, POSITIVE = charging. Lets the probe detect when the home battery (not solar) is covering the EV, preventing false 'headroom found' results. If your sensor reports the opposite sign, invert it with a template sensor that negates the value — see the README for an example."
         }
       },
       "pv_forecast": {