fix: EV_FREE priority now allows solar surplus charging when charger is OFF (v0.9.9)

Fixed critical bug where Priority Balancer's EV_FREE mode prevented charger from
starting when it was OFF, even with abundant solar surplus available.

PROBLEM:
- Fresh v0.9.8 installations with Priority Balancer enabled and targets already met
- Charger was OFF, priority was EV_FREE, 6000W solar surplus available
- Charger never started because EV_FREE logic returned early after checking charger state
- Solar surplus logic never executed, wasting available solar energy

ROOT CAUSE:
In solar_surplus.py lines 479-496, the EV_FREE priority check:
1. Stopped charger if it was ON (correct)
2. Returned early in ALL cases (incorrect)
3. Never allowed fall-through to solar surplus calculation when charger was OFF

FIX:
Modified solar_surplus.py EV_FREE priority logic:
- If charger is ON: stop it and return early (prevents unnecessary charging)
- If charger is OFF: log informational message and fall through to solar surplus logic
- Solar surplus logic can now start charger if sufficient excess solar available

IMPACT:
- Maximizes solar energy utilization by charging EV with excess solar even after daily targets met
- Fresh installations now work correctly: charger starts automatically with solar surplus
- Resolves user-reported issue where 6000W solar surplus was ignored in EV_FREE mode
- Users with Priority Balancer enabled will see improved solar energy usage

Files Changed:
- custom_components/ev_smart_charger/solar_surplus.py (lines 479-503)
- custom_components/ev_smart_charger/manifest.json (version 0.9.8 → 0.9.9)
- README.md (version + changelog)

Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: Antonio ...

README.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 A Home Assistant integration for intelligent EV charging control based on solar production, time of day, and battery levels.
 
-## Current Version: 0.9.8
+## Current Version: 0.9.9
 
 [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/antbald/ha-ev-smart-charger)](https://github.com/antbald/ha-ev-smart-charger/releases)
 [![hacs_badge](https://img.shields.io/badge/HACS-Custom-orange.svg)](https://github.com/custom-components/hacs)
@@ -729,7 +729,30 @@ Then restart Home Assistant.
 
 ## Changelog
 
-### v0.9.8 (2025-10-29) - Current - Critical Automation Conflict Resolution
+### v0.9.9 (2025-10-29) - Current - EV_FREE Solar Surplus Charging Fix
+- **FIX: EV_FREE priority now allows solar surplus charging when charger is OFF**
+  - Previously, when Priority Balancer set priority to EV_FREE (both EV and home battery targets met), the automation would stop charging if charger was ON and then exit early
+  - This prevented the charger from starting when it was OFF, even with abundant solar surplus available
+  - Now, when charger is OFF in EV_FREE mode, the solar surplus logic continues to evaluate whether to start charging
+  - Allows excess solar energy to charge EV even after daily targets are met (maximizing solar usage)
+  - Fixed fresh installation scenario where charger was OFF, targets met, but 6000W solar surplus was not being used
+
+- **Technical Details:**
+  - Modified `solar_surplus.py` EV_FREE priority check (lines 479-503)
+  - Added else clause to allow fall-through when charger is OFF
+  - Only returns early (exits automation) when charger is ON and successfully stopped
+  - When charger is OFF, logs informational message and continues to solar surplus calculation logic
+
+- **Impact:**
+  - Users with Priority Balancer enabled will now see charger start automatically with solar surplus, even after daily targets met
+  - Maximizes solar energy utilization by using excess production
+  - Resolves reported issue where fresh v0.9.8 installation wasn't starting charger despite 6000W available solar
+
+- **Files Modified:**
+  - `solar_surplus.py` - EV_FREE priority logic
+  - `manifest.json` - Version 0.9.9
+
+### v0.9.8 (2025-10-29) - Critical Automation Conflict Resolution
 - **NEW: Automation Coordinator system with priority-based control**
   - Centralized coordinator prevents conflicts between automations
   - Priority hierarchy: Override (1) > Smart Blocker (2) > Night Charge (3) > Priority Balancer (4) > Solar Surplus (5)

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/manifest.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "domain": "ev_smart_charger",
   "name": "EV Smart Charger",
-  "version": "0.9.8",
+  "version": "0.9.9",
   "documentation": "https://github.com/antbald/ha-ev-smart-charger",
   "issue_tracker": "https://github.com/antbald/ha-ev-smart-charger/issues",
   "codeowners": ["@antbald"],

custom_components/ev_smart_charger/solar_surplus.py

@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now=None) -> None:
             return
 
         # If priority is EV_FREE (both targets met), stop charging if running
+        # But allow solar surplus logic to continue if charger is OFF (may start charging with excess solar)
         if priority == PRIORITY_EV_FREE:
             charger_state = self.hass.states.get(self._charger_switch)
             if charger_state and charger_state.state == "on":
@@ -494,6 +495,12 @@ async def _async_periodic_check(self, now=None) -> None:
                 _LOGGER.info("   ✅ EV charger STOPPED (targets maintained)")
                 _LOGGER.info("=" * 80)
                 return
+            else:
+                # Charger is OFF - allow solar surplus logic to potentially start it
+                _LOGGER.info(f"✅ [Priority Balancer] Priority = EV_FREE (targets met)")
+                _LOGGER.info(f"   Charger is OFF - will check solar surplus to potentially start charging")
+                _LOGGER.info(f"   EV: {priority_attrs.get('current_ev_soc', 'N/A')}% >= {priority_attrs.get('target_ev_soc', 'N/A')}%")
+                _LOGGER.info(f"   Home: {priority_attrs.get('current_home_soc', 'N/A')}% >= {priority_attrs.get('target_home_soc', 'N/A')}%")
 
         # Get all sensor and configuration values
         fv_state = self.hass.states.get(self._fv_production)