myenergi installation - car charger (zappi) and batteries (libbi)

[NeilF]

Greetings MG EV Community,

I wanted to take a moment to share our recent journey of enhancing our EV experience by installing a myenergi Zappi car charger and a 20kWh Libbi battery storage system.

Our setup already included solar panels that reliably generate a sturdy 4kW, but we wanted to take it a step further by storing and utilising this energy more effectively. Hence, the decision to install the myenergi systems.

The entire process took around 5 days, with the groundwork and the installation of batteries and inverters happening simultaneously. The groundwork was necessary to lay 10 amp and 50 amp cables along with data cables from our house to the garage, where the batteries and inverter were to be stationed. The team that worked on the project were thorough and professional, ensuring minimal disruption and leaving everything tidy after the work was done.

Speaking of batteries, we opted for LiFePO4 batteries, a more environmentally friendly and safer type of lithium batteries, (no fire risk!), free from nickel and cobalt. It was reassuring knowing we were making an eco-friendly choice without compromising on safety or efficiency.

We also decided to set up 'island mode' to have emergency power backup in the event of a mains power outage - an addition that offers extra peace of mind.

I'm happy to report that since the completion of the installation, we've been using stored solar power to fuel our daily routines - including cooking dinner and, of course, charging our MG EV. There's an indescribable satisfaction in knowing you're driving around, powered by the free energy harvested from the sun.

While it's still early days for us with this new system, the experience so far has been incredibly positive. The investment, both in terms of time and finances, is already starting to feel worthwhile considering the long-term benefits of sustainability, savings, and the convenience of at-home charging.

If you've been contemplating a similar setup or have any questions about our experience, feel free to ask. Remember, it's not just about driving an EV; it's also about the exciting journey of harnessing and utilising renewable energy. Here's to driving our EVs with sunshine!

 

[Gomev]

Greetings MG EV Community,

I wanted to take a moment to share our recent journey of enhancing our EV experience by installing a myenergi Zappi car charger and a 20kWh Libbi battery storage system.

Our setup already included solar panels that reliably generate a sturdy 4kW, but we wanted to take it a step further by storing and utilising this energy more effectively. Hence, the decision to install the myenergi systems.

The entire process took around 5 days, with the groundwork and the installation of batteries and inverters happening simultaneously. The groundwork was necessary to lay 10 amp and 50 amp cables along with data cables from our house to the garage, where the batteries and inverter were to be stationed. The team that worked on the project were thorough and professional, ensuring minimal disruption and leaving everything tidy after the work was done.

Speaking of batteries, we opted for LiFePO4 batteries, a more environmentally friendly and safer type of lithium batteries, (no fire risk!), free from nickel and cobalt. It was reassuring knowing we were making an eco-friendly choice without compromising on safety or efficiency.

We also decided to set up 'island mode' to have emergency power backup in the event of a mains power outage - an addition that offers extra peace of mind.

I'm happy to report that since the completion of the installation, we've been using stored solar power to fuel our daily routines - including cooking dinner and, of course, charging our MG EV. There's an indescribable satisfaction in knowing you're driving around, powered by the free energy harvested from the sun.

While it's still early days for us with this new system, the experience so far has been incredibly positive. The investment, both in terms of time and finances, is already starting to feel worthwhile considering the long-term benefits of sustainability, savings, and the convenience of at-home charging.

If you've been contemplating a similar setup or have any questions about our experience, feel free to ask. Remember, it's not just about driving an EV; it's also about the exciting journey of harnessing and utilising renewable energy. Here's to driving our EVs with sunshine!

That looks very exciting. I have only one question.....is your garage carpeted ?

 

[Lovemyev]

Congratulations, that looks like a very neat and tidy install .

 

[NeilF]

That looks very exciting. I have only one question.....is your garage carpeted ?

We have a treadmill in the garage - ironically we never use the garage for the car, but the garage floor was really dusty all the time. So I bought some carpet tiles to stick down and stop the dust. It worked a treat.

 

[tsedge]

Great stuff. What was the total installed cost, including VAT?

 

[NeilF]

Great stuff. What was the total installed cost, including VAT?

Just over £20k for 20kWH including the island mode extra. I reckon payback is about 10 years.

 

[Lovemyev]

Just over £20k for 20kWH including the island mode extra. I reckon payback is about 10 years.

Not really viable option for people entering the autumn years of their life cycle then .
A ten year payback scale on 20,000 maybe seen as a little optimistic for some senior citizens groups then.

 

[johnb80]

If you've been contemplating a similar setup or have any questions about our experience, feel free to ask. Remember, it's not just about driving an EV; it's also about the exciting journey of harnessing and utilising renewable energy. Here's to driving our EVs with sunshine!

That looks a really nice install and being MyEnergi it will be a very good quality product too. When Zappi gets it's Octopus integration done, you should consider looking at Octopus Intelligent. The off peak rate is 7.5p and through a similar DIY system I run my house and cars totally on 7.5p or free energy. Great way to go, well done to you.

 

[rpannell]

Just over £20k for 20kWH including the island mode extra. I reckon payback is about 10 years.

Interesting. The payback period for me would be more like 20 years. I'm only paying £1100 per year electricity costs on the EDF 98hr cheap rate tariff and that is for 15,000 miles per year in the ZSEV and a 6 bedroom old house. I will continue to let other people own the solar and wind generators. Electricity costs are currently high but I see the relative cost of electricity reducing with time as more and more renewables come on line.

 

[NeilF]

Not really viable option for people entering the autumn years of their life cycle then .
A ten year payback scale on 20,000 maybe seen as a little optimistic for some senior citizens groups then.

Absolutely but many people maybe won’t need the 20kWH version if they don’t use that much electricity. 5kWH version costs much less, probably about £7k ish. We chose the 20kWH version because we both work from home and have the EV.

That looks a really nice install and being MyEnergi it will be a very good quality product too. When Zappi gets its Octopus integration done, you should consider looking at Octopus Intelligent. The off peak rate is 7.5p and through a similar DIY system I run my house and cars totally on 7.5p or free energy. Great way to go, well done to you.

Thanks John. How many hours do you get at 7.5p? I am thinking about the winter months when I may need to charge the car without all the free solar.

Interesting. The payback period for me would be more like 20 years. I'm only paying £1100 per year electricity costs on the EDF 98hr cheap rate tariff and that is for 15,000 miles per year in the ZSEV and a 6 bedroom old house. I will continue to let other people own the solar and wind generators. Electricity costs are currently high but I see the relative cost of electricity reducing with time as more and more renewables come on line.

You’re absolutely right for the 20kWH version, but you may only need 5kWH and that costs much less.

For us it was for more that just the financial side. Part of our rationale was to fully utilise our existing solar power and be less reliant on the grid, especially at peak times when the grid has to power up fossil fuel generators to meet high demand. Also, I understand that the U.K. hasn’t done much to develop its energy infrastructure for decades, so if we ever get into any rolling power blackouts, our business can continue running.

 

[johnb80]

Thanks John. How many hours do you get at 7.5p? I am thinking about the winter months when I may need to charge the car without all the free solar.

6 hrs plus other times that Octopus schedule

 

[Gadget Geek]

Thanks John. How many hours do you get at 7.5p? I am thinking about the winter months when I may need to charge the car without all the free solar.

I have 4kW of PV and 12kWh of battery storage, and am on the EDF ECO 20:20 tariff which is 12.36p/kWh off peak (10 hours a day and ALL weekend), and 43.55p/kWh peak. We never use any peak electricity, so works out cheaper for us than the Octopus tariffs.

 

[NeilF]

I have 4kW of PV and 12kWh of battery storage, and am on the EDF ECO 20:20 tariff which is 12.36p/kWh off peak (10 hours a day and ALL weekend), and 43.55p/kWh peak. We never use any peak electricity, so works out cheaper for us than the Octopus tariffs.

With 12kWh batteries, do you find that you need the 10 hours? The all weekend is wild

 

[Gadget Geek]

With 12kWh batteries, do you find that you need the 10 hours? The all weekend is wild

Only had the 12kWh battery for a couple of weeks and it's never been below 10% charge. Before that I had an 8kWh battery which after 3 years was only storing 6kWh. I queried the 10 year warranty and was ignored, so I used a template letter off Martin Lewis's website and invoked the Consumer Rights Legislation 2015. I then got a phone call from the CEO with an offer of either compensation or a half price upgrade to a new 12kWh LiPo system.

I get 90 hours a week off peak which means I do trickle charging of the cars in the week when the sun shines, and an 80% top up at the weekends. Also, the 90 hours a week is really useful during the winter.