If you have not read those posts yet, here they are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Plug-In Home Batteries: My Research and Why I Am Choosing the Marstek Venus 3.0<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A New Contender: The Hyxi Halo and How It Compares to the Marstek Venus 3.0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
I promised a final answer once I had worked through my open questions. Here it is, and it is not the answer I expected to give.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nTopics<\/h2>\n
- \n
- A Quick Recap<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- The Verdict: Neither of Them<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- Who Is Zendure?<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- Why I Chose the Zendure Solarflow 2400 AC+<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- My Current Setup<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- How I Am Using It: Chasing Zero Grid Consumption<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- HEMS 2.0 and Zenki AI: Not Yet, But on My Radar<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- What's Next<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Verdict: Neither of Them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I did not end up buying the Marstek Venus E 3.0, and I did not buy the Hyxi Halo either. Instead, I went with a brand that was not part of my original five: the Zendure Solarflow 2400 AC+<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That probably needs some explaining, so let’s get into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SF2400AC.webp?resize=1000%2C1000&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWho Is Zendure?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Zendure is not a newcomer. The company has been active in the battery and power market since 2017<\/strong>, originally building a name for itself in portable power banks and power stations before moving into home energy storage. That track record mattered to me. Unlike the Hyxi Halo, which is still building its reputation in the Dutch consumer market, Zendure has had years to mature its hardware, its app, and its support processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That maturity showed up in the details, not just the marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhy I Chose the Zendure Solarflow 2400 AC+<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here is what tipped the decision in Zendure’s favor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Track record since 2017.<\/strong> Zendure has been in the battery market long enough to have gone through several product generations. That is reflected in how polished the overall experience feels, compared to a brand still working out its first-generation kinks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A mature, working HEMS.<\/strong> The Home Energy Management System is not an afterthought bolted on for a feature checklist. It actually does what it promises: reading my usage patterns and steering the battery accordingly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Home Assistant integration.<\/strong> This was a hard requirement for me. Both the Marstek and the Hyxi Halo had limitations here, either through a restricted API or no local integration at all. Zendure’s ability to integrate with Home Assistant gives me full local control and the automation flexibility I wanted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A built-in aerosol fire extinguisher.<\/strong> The Hyxi Halo’s Auto-Extinguisher System was one of the things that impressed me most in my previous post. I did not want to give up on that level of safety, and Zendure offers the same kind of built-in protection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Expandable up to 16.8 kWh.<\/strong> I do not need that much capacity today, but knowing I can grow the system without replacing it gives me room for the future.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 2,400W charge and discharge on a dedicated group, 800W on a shared group.<\/strong> This was the number that finally settled it. The Hyxi Halo maxed out at 1,500W on a dedicated group, and the Marstek at 2,500W. The Zendure’s 2,400W on a dedicated group is right up there with the Marstek, and comfortably ahead of the Hyxi.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
In short, the Zendure Solarflow 2400 AC+ gave me the one thing neither of my original contenders could: the combination of a mature ecosystem, real Home Assistant support, strong safety, and high power output, all at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMy Current Setup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I currently have a fixed energy contract<\/strong>, combined with solar panels<\/strong> on the roof. My Zendure setup is currently configured with a total of 5.28 kWh of storage<\/strong>, which fits comfortably within my day-to-day usage while leaving room to expand later if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/P1.webp?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SF2400ACP1.webp?resize=1000%2C1000&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow I Am Using It: Chasing Zero Grid Consumption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My main goal with this setup is simple: use as much of my own generated solar energy as possible, and keep grid consumption as close to zero as I can. I have configured the battery with that priority in mind, charging it from solar surplus first and drawing from it before pulling anything from the grid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a fixed contract, there is no dynamic pricing to chase, so the value of the battery for me is purely about self-sufficiency: generating my own power during the day, storing what I do not use immediately, and using that stored energy in the evening instead of paying for grid electricity I could have produced myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ZendureApp1.jpeg?resize=471%2C1024&ssl=1\")
Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ZendureApp4.jpeg?resize=471%2C1024&ssl=1\")
Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ZendureApp3.jpeg?resize=471%2C1024&ssl=1\")
Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ZendureApp2.jpeg?resize=471%2C1024&ssl=1\")
Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHEMS 2.0 and Zenki AI: Not Yet, But on My Radar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Not long after I got the system running, Zendure rolled out an update to their HEMS, bringing it to version 2<\/strong>. The headline addition is Zenki AI<\/strong>, a new smart mode that goes a step further than basic self-consumption logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am currently not using Zenki AI. Instead, I have the battery set to “own consumption” mode<\/strong>, which fits my situation better right now. The reason is simple: I have a fixed energy contract, so there is no price fluctuation for the system to react to. Zenki AI is built for households with a dynamic energy contract<\/strong>, where electricity prices change throughout the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a dynamic contract, Zenki AI combined with the HEMS lets the battery charge from the grid when prices are low, and then either use that stored energy at home during expensive peak hours, or sell it back to the grid when prices are high. It is a genuinely smart way to squeeze extra value out of a battery beyond just storing solar surplus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That last part, selling energy back at high prices, is not really what interests me. My priority stays the same: use as much of my own generated solar power as possible. If Zenki AI ever becomes relevant for me, it would be for the in-between case, topping up the battery from the grid at low prices if my solar panels cannot fully charge it themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is another factor I am weighing here as well. Starting in 2027, net metering (salderen) in the Netherlands will be phased out<\/strong>. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, net metering is the current arrangement where any solar surplus you feed back into the grid is subtracted from the electricity you take from the grid at other times, effectively letting you “offset” your usage one-to-one against your supplier. Once that arrangement is gone, feeding surplus solar power into the grid will be worth less than using or storing it yourself. That changes the math around solar and grid usage in a meaningful way, and it means I need to do some proper research before deciding what to do once my current contract ends. The two main options I am considering are staying with a fixed energy contract<\/strong>, or switching to a dynamic energy provider<\/strong> such as Tibber or Frank Energie. That decision will also determine whether Zenki AI becomes useful for me or stays switched off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My fixed contract runs until the start of 2027<\/strong>, so that is when this decision needs to be made. For now, “own consumption” mode is the right fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat’s Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that the battery is up and running, I plan to share more about the actual day-to-day experience: how the HEMS behaves in practice, how well the Home Assistant integration holds up over time, and how close I actually get to that zero-grid-consumption goal. If you are curious about a specific part of the setup, let me know in the comments and I will make sure to cover it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Quick Recap Over the past couple of posts, I have been sharing my research into plug-in home batteries. I started with a comparison of five models and landed on the Marstek Venus E 3.0 as my top pick. Shortly after, the Hyxi Halo entered the picture with its built-in Auto-Extinguisher System, and I spent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hobby","category-tech"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patrickphang.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/PatZendure.jpg?fit=1024%2C1536&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":600,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions\/600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrickphang.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- A mature, working HEMS.<\/strong> The Home Energy Management System is not an afterthought bolted on for a feature checklist. It actually does what it promises: reading my usage patterns and steering the battery accordingly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Verdict: Neither of Them<\/a>\n<\/li>\n
- A New Contender: The Hyxi Halo and How It Compares to the Marstek Venus 3.0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n