Home charge points (purchase/problems/questions) (See mod note post#1)

rx8

KCross wrote: »

There are others too.
No priority switch required with Zappi.



I'd be surprised if the VW charge point can do Solar integration later this year. I think its in their plan but I wouldnt expect it. They might have load management but I'd bet Solar integration is further down the line.... the good thing is that the charge point can be updated so it is somewhat future proofed.



Yes.

Got this from Elli today:

thank you for contacting Elli support..

As of today, the coupling of Wallbox2 and the PV systems is not possible. We anticipate that either by the end of this year or beginning of 2021 this will be available.

KCross

rx8 wrote: »

Got this from Elli today:

thank you for contacting Elli support..

As of today, the coupling of Wallbox2 and the PV systems is not possible. We anticipate that either by the end of this year or beginning of 2021 this will be available.

Good to know. Will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Are you willing to wait until next year and take a chance on buying it now?

rx8

KCross wrote: »

Good to know. Will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Are you willing to wait until next year and take a chance on buying it now?

I think I'll go with the zappi, seeing as a priority switch isn't needed. Is there any other pv compatible ones that you know of?

zg3409

Jack lemmon wrote: »

I’ve a heat pump, which can draw a large amount of electric at times. What charger would be suitable?

Any charger that can sense the house load such as Zappi etc.

The charger will restrict power available to car so if you want the car to charge on night rate, you will need to time your heat pump to be off for as long as needed each night during night rate to ensure car is full. Both could possibly operate at 100% depending on other liads at night time in house and supply limit from esb

KCross

rx8 wrote: »

Is there any other pv compatible ones that you know of?

Its been a long time since I looked but when I did look the Andersen had an optional Solar integration but it wasnt great. It sensed the Solar generation and took it all even if it wasnt excess because they didnt have the ability to sense the mains feed.... they quite possibly have improved that since.... but its a very high priced charge point.
https://andersen-ev.com/andersen-a2/

Rolec were also supposed to be bringing one out that did Solar integration. Dont know if they ever released it but worth looking at their site.
http://www.rolecserv.com


And I think OpenEVSE also have the ability to do Solar Integration
https://www.openevse.com

And Zappi, of course, which seems to be the most popular and most advanced in its development. They were first to market and seems like a decent product.
https://myenergi.com/product/zappi/

There are probably others as there are new entrants to the market all the time now.... the VW one will be one to watch.

arestifamiliar

The wallbox copper is due to have OCPP protocol support before the end of this year, if your solar has OCPP support it will work.

I have the wallbox pulsar plus and have figured out how to control it from outside the app, it would be simple to have it change the current based on what the solar system was producing, but would require you to be comfortable running your own scripts.... Some people do this with the tesla charger too

bootser

Hi All, so installer arrived on time Thursday morning, showed me what he was going to install and I showed him where I wanted it. Job done in a couple of hours, no problem. The charger worked OK and throttled back the power to the car when I started the shower. It has an app that you can schedule charging, if you want and the socket is very small. However the installer did insist that he had to install the Isolater on it even though I had specified I didnt want it and there is a hub to be installed adjacent to the fuseboard inside. Otherwise very happy to recommend this route to anybody!:)

I've attached a pic, but just to be aware that he normally has the conduit going into the top of the isolater and then the EO side mounted to the isolater, so his usual instal would look slightly different(I specified this way).

FixdePitchmark

Nice - but kind of mad to get a mini charger like that - then put a big ugly isolator on top.

slave1

Wow, when they say mini they mean it

bootser

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Nice - but kind of mad to get a mini charger like that - then put a big ugly isolator on top.

Had to have it installed with the isolater.....;)

bootser

slave1 wrote: »

Wow, when they say mini they mean it

Yeah its pretty invisible from in front of the gutter!! But there is a second box in the hall which I would have preferred not to have, but its not too bad. At work at the min, I'll try to put a pic of it up later.

drunkmonkey

Do you really need the isolator? What's the problem if you don't..

KCross

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Do you really need the isolator? What's the problem if you don't..

Electrician opinions seem to differ on it.

Some interpret the regulations to say that it is required as the charge point is an "appliance" and insist on putting it in.
Others say its not an appliance (just a socket) and are fine to sign off without it.... Mine does not have one of those isolators so its down to the electrician and his willingness to sign a cert without it.

The idea of it, from an electrical standpoint, is that you have a way to disconnect the charge point in the case of a fault or for maintenance.

drunkmonkey

It’s just a socket would be my opinion, I assume it has its own fuse which you can turn off on the board if there’s a problem or for maintenance.

Cyrus

bootser wrote: »

Had to have it installed with the isolater.....;)

How difficult will it be to remove it ?

Electric Ireland / kn are doing mine and same won’t do without it

bootser

Cyrus wrote: »

How difficult will it be to remove it ?

Electric Ireland / kn are doing mine and same won’t do without it

Yeah, that was the same for me, KN install for Electric Ireland and EI insist on it for KN to get paid, so the electrician has no choice. Removing it is not a job I'd recommend for DIY, but mine now has a cloaking device fitted;) and yes its supplied from its own breaker in the fuseboard so I'd personnally be of the opinion that it's unnecessary.

Cyrus

bootser wrote: »

Yeah, that was the same for me, KN install for Electric Ireland and EI insist on it for KN to get paid, so the electrician has no choice. Removing it is not a job I'd recommend for DIY, but mine now has a cloaking device fitted;) and yes its supplied from its own breaker in the fuseboard so I'd personnally be of the opinion that it's unnecessary.

Any pics of the cloaking device ??

Felexicon

KCross wrote: »

Electrician opinions seem to differ on it.

Some interpret the regulations to say that it is required as the charge point is an "appliance" and insist on putting it in.
Others say its not an appliance (just a socket) and are fine to sign off without it.... Mine does not have one of those isolators so its down to the electrician and his willingness to sign a cert without it.

The idea of it, from an electrical standpoint, is that you have a way to disconnect the charge point in the case of a fault or for maintenance.

Those interpretations are now done away with. RECI have said every charge point requires local isolation.

zg3409

Felexicon wrote: »

Those interpretations are now done away with. RECI have said every charge point requires local isolation.

Could isolation be fitted inside house? I understand local isolation in particular for dishwashers and washing machines that are often fitted where they can't be unplugged if they start smoking. It makes perfect sense to have an above counter switch for a dishwasher. I often fit isolators for showers as a switch outside bathroom, rather than pull cord inside bathroom.

Felexicon

zg3409 wrote: »

Could isolation be fitted inside house? I understand local isolation in particular for dishwashers and washing machines that are often fitted where they can't be unplugged if they start smoking. It makes perfect sense to have an above counter switch for a dishwasher. I often fit isolators for showers as a switch outside bathroom, rather than pull cord inside bathroom.

No. It was explained to me by RECI that it had to be accessible, within 2 meters of the charge point.
They made the argument that if it was inside, the door could be locked and it couldn't be isolated in case of fire etc.
I think it's a bit of a flakey reason but there was no arguing it.

Kramer

Felexicon wrote: »

No. It was explained to me by RECI that it had to be accessible, within 2 meters of the charge point.
They made the argument that if it was inside, the door could be locked and it couldn't be isolated in case of fire etc.

So anyone can switch off my EV without my knowledge, leaving me with an uncharged car in the morning, unable to get to work :rolleyes:.

Even worse, anyone can switch off my charge point, likely unlocking my Type 2 cable, at least from the charge point & possibly, from many cars also - easy way to steal my expensive cable :rolleyes:.

Charge points have RCD protection, both in the charge point itself & in the consumer unit feeding the charge point. It's madness mandating an isolation switch outside, accessible to all in sundry, to stop my car charging overnight, on my own private property.

What madness can they come up with next?

drunkmonkey

Do charge points go on fire? like If the kids dipped the cable in a bucket of water or something, I assume the fuse just trips on the board. If a kid sticks their tounge in the cable/socket and it's on what happens?

If the car is on fire your hardly going to go over and turn off the isolator beside it. A. Your probably fast asleep or B. You've enough sense to go nowhere near smoking lithium.

eagerv

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Do charge points go on fire? like If the kids dipped the cable in a bucket of water or something, I assume the fuse just trips on the board. If a kid sticks their tounge in the cable/socket and it's on what happens?

If the car is on fire your hardly going to go over and turn off the isolator beside it. A. Your probably fast asleep or B. You've enough sense to go nowhere near smoking lithium.

Others could probably explain better than me but I think the charger only goes live when the car accepts electricity.

KCross

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Do charge points go on fire?

Never heard of it happening.
Some early Rolec's had an issue where the inbuilt trip switch would overheat and melt (happened my own) but they never caught fire. They always tripped first and the plastic, apparently, is fire resistant to some degree.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

like If the kids dipped the cable in a bucket of water or something, I assume the fuse just trips on the board. If a kid sticks their tounge in the cable/socket and it's on what happens?

The cable isnt live until the car and charge point exchange some low voltage messaging and confirm that everything is good. As soon as you pull out the cable it goes dead before it even leaves the socket.

They can lick the cable all they like!

rx8

On the isolator switch, did I read somewhere before here that it's only needed if the cable from the distribution board is more than 3 metres long ??

Mine are either side of the same wall, so 2 metres would definitely cover it.

Felexicon

rx8 wrote: »

On the isolator switch, did I read somewhere before here that it's only needed if the cable from the distribution board is more than 3 metres long ??

Mine are either side of the same wall, so 2 metres would definitely cover it.

That used to be a guideline people worked off and I'm sure you'll find plenty of people who will do it but the official line is it needs an isolator

Gumbo

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Do charge points go on fire? like If the kids dipped the cable in a bucket of water or something, I assume the fuse just trips on the board. If a kid sticks their tounge in the cable/socket and it's on what happens?

If the car is on fire your hardly going to go over and turn off the isolator beside it. A. Your probably fast asleep or B. You've enough sense to go nowhere near smoking lithium.

Has your kettle ever gone on fire after spilling water on it

Even if you drop the cable end in water, it’s still
Not pulling any power at that point h til the car and charger are connected and start “talking”

drunkmonkey

Has anyone a shopping list for a self install and then just get the sparky to finish it off.
What type of cabling do I need? What charging lead? I'm probably going to go with an unthetered EO mini.
Do you need to wire it from the fue box inside the house is or is it from the meter box outside.
Going to get the sparky in just to make sure I've enough power.

unkel

I'd urge you to go tethered. You will be using it thousands of times. Imagine having to get out your cable each and every time?

It connects inside your consumer unit (fuse box) in your house via a 40A RCBO. You will need 6mm2 triple core standard electrical cable or 10mm2 if your run of cable is more than 10m. Then some ducting and the charge point itself, that's all.

Cyrus

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Has anyone a shopping list for a self install and then just get the sparky to finish it off.
What type of cabling do I need? What charging lead? I'm probably going to go with an unthetered EO mini.
Do you need to wire it from the fue box inside the house is or is it from the meter box outside.
Going to get the sparky in just to make sure I've enough power.

charging lead should come with the car id imagine?