Which EV charger and where to install

Big Lar · 21-02-2022 5:02pm #1

Need a bit of guidance here lads please.

Am going to install an EV charger and I am nothing short of addled looking at all the info have a few questions.

Have solar here at home so looking at the zappi but with the hub and everything it just seems to be over complicated to me.

I just really need something that would charge the car using excess solar and I could set the time on it that I could use the night rate

The preferred install location would be the front of the house where I could install it beside the meter box, however the main board and the inverter is at the back where the charger could also be installed but the front is preferred.

Tree · 21-02-2022 5:22pm

So we started with the EV charger and got the solar after. Similar layout with the meter at the front and the fuseboard at the back.

EV charger was installed off the meter and then the house fuseboard became a secondary.

When solar got installed, the trunking had to be run all the way to the EV charger, so that was kinda sloppy. But had we installed the EV charger off the main fuseboard that would also have required a load of trunking, so either way, if you're charging at the front, someone's gonna run trunking.

Have a Wallbox Pulsar Plus which should do energy export, but whatever way it's connected it's not detecting export. Waiting on feedback from the EV installer. Definitely better to get your EV charger installed by the solar installer, so you only have one group of ppl to nag. The main advantage to the wallbox though is it comes w/ a 7.5m tether, as a 5m would have been too awkard.

Zappi si probably the handiest if you already have an Eddi, but they also max out at 5m cables AFAIK

Big Lar · 21-02-2022 5:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118668558#Comment_118668558

I am wondering why you need the trunking back to the board, I thought it was a current sensor clamped onto the feed in and as soon as current as going back to the grid the charger would kick in.

Jonathan · 21-02-2022 6:06pm

Zappi + PV here. No complaints.

You can take Zappi feed from the meter box and wire the grid CT on the tails into the Zappi. As @Tree says the existing Consumer Unit then becomes a sub board.

No reason why you need to have trunking between the two of them though. Mine is rather neat as the Zappi is beside the meter box.

[Deleted User] · 21-02-2022 6:19pm

Got the hypervolt ..it can do solar but I'm still waiting on my car so have neither solar or car at the moment.

Big Lar · 21-02-2022 6:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118668747#Comment_118668747

Do I need the hub with the zappi or will the unit connect to the wifi ?

Jonathan · 21-02-2022 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118668939#Comment_118668939

Hub only required if you want remote control or firmware updates. Solar divert will work with just the CT afaik.

ec_pc · 21-02-2022 8:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118668939#Comment_118668939

It's worth getting the hub in my experience. Offers full control etc from your phone, no need to be fiddling around with settings at the zappi. I bought mine directly from myenergi and configured it in about 3 minutes. Saved a few euro, installers tend to add a bit of a markup on it.

shanec1928 · 21-02-2022 9:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118668800#Comment_118668800

Did you get the hypervolt through your spark or did you purchase yourself?

Big Lar · 21-02-2022 9:14pm

OK we are going good here, like earlier I dunno about the zappi as I think its over complicated with the addition of the hub an all. Also I have a hub already in the house with the lightwave gear and I read on some sites that the Myenergi hub has had some conflicts

EO Mini Pro 2 was looking good but the reviewer was saying that it will draw min of 6A on solar whether there is excess or not

Am thinking Wallbox Pulsar seems to be simpler device all round ?

[Deleted User] · 21-02-2022 9:26pm

Got the hypervolt from electrician

rx8 · 22-02-2022 11:39pm

Don't forget that in nearly all cases, you will have to have 1.4kw excess production,over and above any base load,for the car to start charging from the solar panels.

ec_pc · 23-02-2022 10:00pm

You also need to consider the excellent support that exists for the Zappi from Myenergi, I have heard first hand stories of no quibble replacements and goodwill gestures for items out of warranty. I cant imagine too many manufacturers doing that.

Big Lar · 24-02-2022 1:57pm

OK, thanks to everyone for the input.

I sat back and had a think about this over the past few days.

The Zappi will cost around €1k(or more) plus fitting whereas everything else seems to around half of that and would I really have that much excess solar to justify the bigger spend as I am sure that the car would not be plugged in every day at all, perhaps once or twice a week and then the excess may be around 10-15Kw over the whole day.
Would I be not better off to put the excess funds towards a second set of batteries and where I could use the excess solar all the time.

KCross · 24-02-2022 2:59pm

Do you have other high energy devices like electric shower or heat pump?

if you do, you will likely need a priority switch installed alongside the charge point (if it’s not built-in to the charge point). That is often the trade off of buying a cheaper unit. By the time you factor in the priority switch there isn’t much in the difference.

the more expensive units tend to have it built in by default so check that out first.

Alkers · 24-02-2022 3:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058234084/which-ev-charger-and-where-to-install

How big of a sollar array do you have? Is there car typically home during daylight hours to soak up excess electricity?

You might find that the additonal cost of the smart charger will never be recouperated through solar excess goind to the car.

You can get a dumb charger for 300e plus intall, come in under the SEAI grant and leave the car to do all the scheduling etc for night rate.

Big Lar · 24-02-2022 3:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118685381#Comment_118685381

No, none of those things

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118685665#Comment_118685665

That's what I'm thinking

4.8Kw at the moment but will probably add another 2Kw or so to catch the winter sun along the way, see the car will be at home the odd day but then we only every get sun every other odd day so all the planets would want to line up for the smart charger to be of value.

KCross · 24-02-2022 4:15pm

If you dont want app support and you dont need a priority switch and you dont care about diverting to the EV (since the car is away too often).... go the dumb charge point route and save yourself the money.

Which EV charger and where to install

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