Zappi 1.4kw excess threshold for EV charging

Zamboni · 27-05-2022 9:22am #1

I wasn't sure whether to put this here or in renewables...but I am hoping same expertise is across both :)

I installed a Zappi v1 some years back with the idea of future proofing for solar.

Got the solar installed this year but it is a small array 2.4 (crappy chimney position and orientation)

The Zappi will only charge my EV once excess electricity hits the 1.4kwh threshold.

So at the moment any excess between 0 and 1.4kwh goes to the grid.

I use an Eddi for water and I know about the micro-generation scheme but..

Is there any way of reducing the 1.4kwh threshold to a lower amount or is this some sort of industry standard/regulation?

I checked the myenergi website but it just references the threshold.

Thanks!

jspuds · 27-05-2022 9:30am

Hi, you can change the Min Green Level percentage which will take some power from the grid see here for more info

https://myenergi.info/what-is-min-green-level-t1953.html

Gumbo · 27-05-2022 9:32am

Not just Zappi. All chargers that can use excess for EV charging.

Zamboni · 27-05-2022 9:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120673#Comment_119120673

Thanks. At the moment I have it at Eco+ with 100% MGL so it will only draw leccie into the EV with renewable surplus :)

So will be laughing when eddi hits max temp in a few minutes on this nice day and diverts to zappi.

Zamboni · 27-05-2022 9:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120687#Comment_119120687

Ah ok. So I am not going to find a mysterious setting that allows the EV to charge at 1kwh.

So best option here is sign up for the incoming micro-generation scheme to get that few cents back instead :)

zg3409 · 27-05-2022 10:20am

What car? The standard is 1.4kW minimum but some cars such as Hyundai may be able to start charging at a rate as low as 0.7kW which does not meet the standard but can help reduce excess export. See what rate your car can charge at as in slowest rate.

slave1 · 27-05-2022 12:02pm

If you dont have night rate, just change Zappi to ECO and it will balance between grid and PV automatically

Zamboni · 27-05-2022 12:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120900#Comment_119120900

Brilliant. It’s Hyundai and I found another older thread discussing this and am going to have a play with the charge current settings later.

WattsUp · 27-05-2022 1:36pm

As said if don't have night rate rate it's simplified. In ECO mode it will give 1.4kW to car regardless of it coming from PV or gird.

If PV less than 1.4kw grid makes up difference. If PV above 1.4kW then all PV power goes to car and zappi will ramp up power to use as much PV as it can

In ECO+ mode if you set MGL to 50% then once there is minimum 0.7kW (50% of 1.4kW) from PV it will supplement it with up to 0.7kW from grid to get it to 1.4kW total. If there is more than 1.4kW it won't use any grid and will ramp up power to whatever PV available

Setting ECO+ and MGL=1% is basically same a ECO mode.

Gumbo · 27-05-2022 2:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119121768#Comment_119121768

This is what info with my car on sunny days. Once battery full and hot water cylinder full, if im home I’ll plug the car in and lower the in car charge Amps down to 6a or something.

Usually around 2kw. Soaks up whatever excess I have.

I don’t have a Zappi, just the dumb Tesla charger but luckily the car can be adjusted through the app.

brokenangel · 27-05-2022 3:04pm

Feck I had a Zappi for year and always had to wait for 1.4kWh and also the 30 sec delay

Just spotted this now, so what do people set it to? 25% and 10sec delay?

Zamboni · 27-05-2022 3:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119121355#Comment_119121355

Cheers. Yes, we have the night rate but we usually charge the OH's EV overnight as it is used during day.

I just want to soak up as much excess into my EV during day as most driving done evening and weekends.

slave1 · 27-05-2022 5:31pm

More panels then to get you over the 1.4kW more easily, pumped 21kW into the EV today from excess

Gumbo · 27-05-2022 8:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119122987#Comment_119122987

Today was my biggest export ever. Exported nearly 12 kWh. I wasn’t home to take advantage but that was after my water filled and battery filled. 😭

unkel · 28-05-2022 2:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119122987#Comment_119122987

Same here. 21kWh into the car yesterday, today probably at least as much. And that's just from switching the charging on and off a handful of times from the car's app on my phone. I only have a dumb charge point at the moment. Thinking of getting the new wifi Zappi this week as I dislike having to micro manage this stuff. That said, not to make the OP overly optimistic, you and I have a very large PV array.

It's not even a particularly sunny day here in Dublin, but I am likely to make around 100kWh of energy from my solar renewable systems today. That's enough to provide electricity and hot water for an average Irish home for a week

kevin101 · 23-09-2022 1:51pm

Hi all

Only recenty when I plug my ev into ny zappi v2 on eco or eco+ i am pulling 7.2kw from grid and panels. Obviouly during the day i only want solar going to the car. Is there a setting that needs to be changed. I have a 5kw solar array.

It used to pull 1.4kw or above only from panels but has changed recently. Likley something I have done

Thanks

zg3409 · 23-09-2022 1:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119655181#Comment_119655181

Ring myenergi in UK. Their phone support may be better help than you get here.

unkel · 23-09-2022 1:57pm

You need eco+ setting and then what's wrong with your setup is that you have your "minimum green level" set far too low. Probably something like 10% or 20%. Depending on your wishes, you can set this to up to 100% (never import any electricity from the grid to charge your car)

It's explained under 3. here:

https://myenergi.com/wiki/zappi-v1/zappi-charge-modes-and-boosts/

slave1 · 23-09-2022 4:31pm

As Unkel says...here's the App view, ensure sliding bar is set to 100%

kevin101 · 23-09-2022 5:25pm

Thanks all

Will try tmrw as at work now.

Cheers

kuang1 · 23-09-2022 5:33pm

Isn't there a downside to that though? That if the charge is stopped and started frequently based on the generated power being over/under 1.4kw, that it's not good for the EV's battery life?

Or is that a negligible thing to be worried about?

zg3409 · 23-09-2022 6:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119656321#Comment_119656321

It's not bad for battery life but physical switches called contactors switch on and off and these have a limited life. Eventually these contactors will wear out and need to be replaced. If you say permanently leave the car at home on solar a life of say 1,000,000 cycles might be met particularly on days that are partly sunny with clouds. There are delays built into zappi to help with this and cars feature extra stuff to prolong their life too. It's like pulling up your handbrake 30 times a day.

slave1 · 23-09-2022 6:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119656321#Comment_119656321

You can change the frequency by changing the default 30seconds setting so if clouds pass then the Zappi will import from the grid for max two minutes which gives you better chance of not cycling the EV contactors, albeit at the cost of importing from the grid. I've mine set for two minutes and was 96% excess today, 4% import (Eco+ at 100%)

kevin101 · 25-09-2022 11:33pm

Thanks all. Working a treat again. Must gave moved the slider from 100% inadvertently on the app.

budhabob · 03-04-2023 10:05am

Sorry for dragging up an old thread, but the info here is the best I have seen.

Have a Tesla MY RWD about 2 weeks now so still figuring things out. Had a zappi installed recently and have a 4kw PV array.

What is the MGL for a MY (I see 0.7 for Hyundai above)? And presumably all the settings changes are in the zappi itself rather than the app?? App seems to have limited setting options other than starting / finishing.

Zappi 1.4kw excess threshold for EV charging

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