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Setup guide · GivEnergy Hybrid and AIO

GivEnergy Full Restart Procedure — Correct Shutdown and Startup Sequence

Restarting a GivEnergy system in the wrong order can cause BMS faults, communication errors, or an incomplete startup. This guide covers the correct shutdown and restart sequence for both GivEnergy Hybrid and AIO systems — the procedure used by engineers when clearing transient faults, communication errors, and post-firmware glitches.

Hybrid and AIO procedures both covered Correct shutdown order prevents BMS faults What to check after restart
Fault code still showing after restart?

If a fault code reappears within minutes of a correct restart, the underlying cause is persistent and requires a diagnostic review. We can check your event log and identify the root cause remotely — usually faster than waiting for GivEnergy support.

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When to restart
When

When a full restart is appropriate — and when it isn't

Restart is appropriate for

Frozen or blank inverter display that doesn't resolve after 5 minutes
Portal shows system offline after a brief power cut or grid disturbance
CAN communication fault after a firmware update
Battery showing 0% SoC despite being fully charged before shutdown
Inverter stuck in a mode it shouldn't be in (e.g. Bypass mode after a power cut)
GivEnergy support has advised a restart as a first step

Do not restart if

A firmware update is in progress — wait for it to complete (the display may appear stuck for up to 30 minutes)
You smell burning or see arcing — isolate at the consumer unit and call 999
The battery enclosure or inverter is visibly damaged
The system is showing a BATTERY_ERROR with over-temperature — let it cool for 2+ hours first
Safety: Do not open any inverter or battery enclosure. The AC isolator and battery side button are safe to operate — they are external controls. Everything behind a panel cover is live electrical equipment.
Hybrid system restart
Hybrid

GivEnergy Hybrid restart — inverter and battery as separate units

GivEnergy Hybrid systems have a separate wall-mounted inverter and battery unit connected by a CAN cable and DC MCB. The order of shutdown matters — turning the inverter off before the battery can cause BMS protection events.

Shutdown sequence — battery first, always

1
Turn off the battery using its on/off button

Press and hold the on/off button on the GivEnergy battery unit until you hear a beep and all LED indicators go out. This shuts the battery down gracefully before any DC isolation happens. Do not proceed until the LEDs are fully extinguished.

2
Open the battery flap and push the DC MCB down (OFF)

Open the battery's access flap to reveal the DC MCB breaker. Push it DOWN to the OFF position (some older systems have a separate wall-mounted MCB instead). Close the flap cover. This isolates DC current between the battery and inverter.

3
Turn the inverter AC isolator to the circle symbol (OFF)

The AC isolator is a rotary switch mounted on the wall below or beside the inverter. Rotate it to the circle symbol (OFF position). This disconnects grid supply and solar from the inverter. The inverter display will go blank.

4
Turn off the PV isolator (if fitted)

If your installation includes a separate PV array isolator switch, turn it off now. Wait at least 60 seconds before restarting to allow internal capacitors to discharge fully.

Gen 2 & Gen 3 Hybrid only: These models have a physical toggle switch on the inverter body itself. After the PV isolator step, set this toggle to the OFF position as well before waiting.

Restart sequence — inverter isolator first

1
Turn the inverter AC isolator to the line symbol (ON)

Rotate the AC isolator from the circle (OFF) to the line (ON) position — the line symbol points straight up. This restores AC power to the inverter first, which is the correct startup sequence.

2
Push the battery DC MCB up (ON) and close the cover

Open the battery flap and push the DC MCB UP to the ON position. Close the flap. This re-establishes the DC link between battery and inverter and allows the BMS communication to initialise.

3
Turn the battery on — press and hold until the lights come on

Press and hold the battery's on/off button until you hear a beep and the LED indicators illuminate. The battery will run a self-test sequence — LEDs may flash before settling. Wait for a stable pattern before checking the portal.

Gen 2 & Gen 3 Hybrid only: After turning the battery on, also move the inverter's physical toggle switch back to the ON position before waiting.
4
Wait 5–10 minutes for full reconnection

Allow the inverter to complete its startup sequence and reconnect to the cloud portal. The portal may show the system as offline briefly after restart — this is normal. Check the display and app after 10 minutes to confirm the system is back online and the battery SoC is reading correctly.

AIO restart
AIO

GivEnergy AIO restart — combined inverter and battery unit

The GivEnergy All-in-One (AIO) integrates inverter and battery in a single wall-mounted unit. The AIO has a DC MCB inside its DC cover as well as a blue button on the battery itself — both must be used in the correct order.

AIO shutdown sequence

1
Hold the blue GivEnergy battery button ~5 seconds

Press and hold the blue GivEnergy button on the unit until you hear clicks and the battery turns off. This shuts down the battery first.

2
Open the DC cover — push DC MCB down (OFF)

Open the DC cover panel on the AIO unit and push the DC MCB breaker DOWN to the OFF position. Close and tighten the cover. Wait 60 seconds.

3
Rotate the AC isolator to the circle symbol (OFF)

Rotate the AC isolator switch to the circle (OFF) position. The AIO is now fully powered down.

AIO restart sequence

1
Push the DC MCB up (ON) — close the DC cover

Open the DC cover, push the DC MCB UP to the ON position, then close the cover fully. This restores internal DC power before turning the unit on.

2
Press and hold the small button right of the DC cover

Hold the small button to the right of the DC cover until the front indicator light appears. This powers on the AIO unit.

3
Rotate the AC isolator to the line symbol (ON)

Rotate the AC isolator to the line (ON) position — pointing straight up. Wait 5–10 minutes for the system to come fully back online and reconnect to the portal.

After restart
After restart

What to check after a full restart

1
Confirm portal shows system online within 10 minutes

Open givenergy.cloud and check the system status. After a restart the portal may show offline for 3–7 minutes while the inverter reconnects to the cloud. If still offline after 15 minutes, check the WiFi connection is working — see our WiFi setup guide.

2
Check battery SoC is reading correctly

Battery SoC may briefly show 0% or N/A immediately after startup while the BMS recalibrates. Within 5 minutes it should show the correct current state of charge. If it continues to show 0% or N/A after 15 minutes, check the event log for CAN communication fault codes.

3
Check the event log for new fault codes

Go to givenergy.cloud → My Inverter → Event Log. Look for any fault codes that appear after the restart event. A clean restart shows only "System start" or similar. If the fault code that prompted the restart reappears within minutes, the restart has not resolved the underlying cause — a diagnostic review is needed.

4
Verify your settings haven't reset

Check Settings → Timed Charge/Discharge windows, system mode, and reserve SoC. If a firmware update ran during or after the restart, these settings may have been reset to defaults. Re-enter your schedule if needed — see our charge schedule guide.

FAQs

GivEnergy restart questions

For a GivEnergy Hybrid system: turn off the AC isolator on the wall, turn off the battery using the side button (hold until LEDs go out), move the DC MCB between battery and inverter to OFF. Wait 60 seconds. Restart in reverse: DC MCB to ON, then battery button ON (wait for stable LEDs), then AC isolator ON. For an AIO unit: turn off the AC isolator, press and hold the power button until the unit shuts down, wait 60 seconds, turn the AC isolator back on.

A controlled restart does not normally reset settings — charge schedules, system mode, and reserve SoC survive a power cycle. However, if a firmware update runs automatically after restart, it can reset settings to defaults. After any restart that follows a firmware update, check your settings in the portal and re-enter them if they have changed.

Yes — turning off the AC isolator disconnects the solar from the grid connection, so it is safe to work around. For simplicity, evening or early morning restarts are easier since solar is not producing. The restart takes 5–10 minutes and solar generation resumes automatically when the inverter completes its startup sequence.

It depends on the fault. Transient faults — caused by power interruptions, grid disturbances, or software glitches — often clear after a restart. Persistent hardware faults (damaged CAN cable, failed BMS board, inverter fault) will reappear within minutes. If a fault code reappears after a correct restart, the restart has not resolved the underlying cause — a diagnostic review of the event log is needed to identify the root cause.

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Fault persisting after restart — we'll identify the root cause.

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