adjustable EV charger?

[Walks with Enzo]

Hello everyone.
We currently have a Vestel wallbox and Alpha ESS home battery (10kWh) and solar.

At peak performance the solar will generate just under 5kW, max output on the battery is 4.8kW.

I'm using solar to charge the MG today so wanted to try the wall box. Load was higher than the solar or battery was providing so rest was coming from the grid, so went back to the granny cable other wise I'd be using peak rate!

Do any of the wall boxes left you adjust the output, so I could charge at say 3kW instead? Will changing the current setting on the car change anything? Didn't seem to make a difference for me.

 

[Jomarkh]

Hi, you can set the zappi to use excess solar and the Ohme has a solar setting too.

 

[Everest]

Does your Vestel charger not have a capability to specify the charge rate?

FWIW, we use a portable charger with a commando plug that gives us a choice of about 8 different charge rates, from 6A to 32A.

 

[Walks with Enzo]

Does your Vestel charger not have a capability to specify the charge rate?

FWIW, we use a portable charger with a commando plug that gives us a choice of about 8 different charge rates, from 6A to 32A.

I did log into the settings, I need to research the config bit before I start messing

 

[GaryMG4]

I did log into the settings, I need to research the config bit before I start messing

You can use the Ac current setting in the car to select 6, 8 or 16 amps, just be aware that it resets after every charge to AC Current i.e maximum the callbox can provide.

 

[Bam Bam]

On the Givenergy charger the amps can be adjusted in increments of 0.5a from 6a to 32a. So there are maybe 52 settings.

Few older chargers would do this, but I expect the Zappi could long before others because myenergi were well ahead of the game with that product.

 

[Walks with Enzo]

Thanks for the advice.
I logged into the charger and dropped the current limit to 12A (default was 32A)
Car charge power showing 2.5KW
That setting is good when using solar in the day and won't overload the battery

 

[Everest]

That's good you could adjust the setting - it's so satisfying being able to charge ones car for free using solar. We are anticipating getting at least 6 months completely free charging over the summer months

 

[GaryMG4]

On the Givenergy charger the amps can be adjusted in increments of 0.5a from 6a to 32a. So there are maybe 52 settings.

Few older chargers would do this, but I expect the Zappi could long before others because myenergi were well ahead of the game with that product.

The Zappi is cleverer than that, it will divert all your excess into the car so long as it is above 1.4kW, pausing the charge if clouds/kettle cause it to drop below 1.4, even then you can set the minimum green energy to say 50% and then as long as your excess is 700w or above it will top up the difference from the grid to maintain 1.4kW until it exceeds 1.4, then goes back to all excess.

 

[Everest]

The Zappi is cleverer than that...

How does a Zappi know about home battery SOC and charge rate etc.?

 

[Jomarkh]

How does a Zappi know about home battery SOC and charge rate etc.?

It doesn't.
It uses excess solar so the house battery should be at 100%

 

[GaryMG4]

How does a Zappi know about home battery SOC and charge rate etc.?

I only have solar, no battery so mine just uses the excess that goes o the grid (I'm on FiT so get paid for generation, not export). I believe there is space for a second CT clamp to monitor what the battery is doing. In the context of the OP the Zappi would only use what was being exported and not take from the grid.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I use my portable EVSE with a solar switch wired into the pilot signal. So far this month I've put in 498 miles for free.

 

[Everest]

I use my portable EVSE with a solar switch wired into the pilot signal.

Is that to switch it on and off, or do you alter the duty cycle to charge at different rates?

 

[GaryMG4]

I use my portable EVSE with a solar switch wired into the pilot signal. So far this month I've put in 498 miles for free.

I'm still only averaging around 70% solar, not helped by doing a 7-100% charge overnight and Monday nights half price offer from Octopus.

 

[Everest]

So far we've only used free solar for our EV - but that's possible having not doing many long journeys