Two approaches to solar install. Thoughts appreciated!

[MattyS]

Welcome to the weird world of not seeing free electricity as free but the cost of the export rate!

A word of warning until your export tariff is up and running… my smart meter couldn’t tell the difference until it was onboarded and I got charged for exporting as if I was using it. Might have been a bug with Octopus at the time that’s been fixed now but something to look into and self consume as much as you can and set your system to zero export if it a common problem. Mine was installed just before winter so had little impact.

As you say, my export isn't working yet so I felt charging the car is a better use than "wasting" the exported generation for no benefit at all.

Luckily, it seems the way my CT clamps have been placed means that the EVO (my battery/inverter) doesn't see the Zappi, it just exports the surplus. The Zappi then picks up that surplus meaning thankfully no issues with draining the battery into the car.

 

[johnb80]

As you say, my export isn't working yet so I felt charging the car is a better use than "wasting" the exported generation for no benefit at all.

Luckily, it seems the way my CT clamps have been placed means that the EVO (my battery/inverter) doesn't see the Zappi, it just exports the surplus. The Zappi then picks up that surplus meaning thankfully no issues with draining the battery into the car.

Exactly the way it should be done!

Should you ever need to use your batteries to charge the car there is usually an 'export amount' or similar named setting within the inverter, I can set my Victron to export 7kW and enable the Zappi to charge the car, the net result is all of the energy comes from the house batteries. I have set this up on home assistant so it's only one mouse click away, it monitors the amount the zappi is consuming and sets the export to match it. As the EV reaches full and the charge rate reduces so does the export from my batteries to match.