Gateway required for full functionality

Smart functionality — including VPP dispatch, EV charging integration, Home Assistant local control, load management, and blackout protection sequencing — requires the Huawei Smart Energy Controller (EMMA), a separate wall-mounted unit (approx. AU$500–800 installed). This is not a limitation when the battery is installed in a garage, shed, or remote enclosure: the EMMA mounts at the main switchboard and handles all control logic and grid protection locally, without needing cable runs back to the battery. The physical separation of control (switchboard) from storage (garage) is often the correct topology. When battery and switchboard are adjacent, the EMMA adds a box and cost but no architectural disadvantage.