Zappi charge points

Kevin Forde

Pretty easy to do, I did it to mine with an original Myenergi Zappi cable a couple of months ago.

Much like rewiring a plug but photograph internal wiring before removing old cable and replace everything in *exactly* the same way. There are a couple of CT (current sensor) rings that need to go around the cables in a specific way.
Make sure cables are done up nice and tight.

If that sounds at all worrying, then you should get an electrician to do it...

Replacement cables can be bought from Myenerrgi.

Replacement in accordance with instruction manual does not void warrenty - from manufacturers site -
https://myenergi.info/swapping-the-tethered-cable-from-type-1-to-type-2-t432.html

Kevin Forde

Did I mention that the power should be off at the board before attempting any of this?

Kevin Forde wrote: »

Pretty easy to do, I did it to mine with an original Myenergi Zappi cable a couple of months ago.

Much like rewiring a plug but photograph internal wiring before removing old cable and replace everything in *exactly* the same way. There are a couple of CT (current sensor) rings that need to go around the cables in a specific way.
Make sure cables are done up nice and tight.

If that sounds at all worrying, then you should get an electrician to do it...

Replacement cables can be bought from Myenerrgi.

Replacement in accordance with instruction manual does not void warrenty - from manufacturers site -
https://myenergi.info/swapping-the-tethered-cable-from-type-1-to-type-2-t432.html

the_amazing_raisin

Kevin Forde wrote: »

Did I mention that the power should be off at the board before attempting any of this?

Haha, don't worry I figured that one out myself

47akak

Has anyone on installed a Zappi V2 with solar PV and battery?

I want to future proof the install for a 2nd Zappi charger and solar PV with a battery probably on the AC side. I need a CT sensor for the house load and a separate sensor for the battery. There are 3 CT sensor inputs. Will the grid CT monitor the solar export or should I run a third cat5? Or is it ok to use the 4 twisted pairs in one cable for various things? It's no problem running cable right now. It will be a problem in future.

championc

47akak wrote: »

Has anyone on installed a Zappi V2 with solar PV and battery?

I want to future proof the install for a 2nd Zappi charger and solar PV with a battery probably on the AC side. I need a CT sensor for the house load and a separate sensor for the battery. There are 3 CT sensor inputs. Will the grid CT monitor the solar export or should I run a third cat5? Or is it ok to use the 4 twisted pairs in one cable for various things? It's no problem running cable right now. It will be a problem in future.

Yep, I have Solar PV, AC Battery and a Zappi v2.

Obviously, in this particular setup, the Zappi needs 3 CT Clamps to read all 3 independently.
One pair of a Cat5 should be all you need for each CT

gomamochi1

championc wrote: »

Yep, I have Solar PV, AC Battery and a Zappi v2.

Obviously, in this particular setup, the Zappi needs 3 CT Clamps to read all 3 independently.
One pair of a Cat5 should be all you need for each CT

Hi
I have a solis hybrid inverter with 4.8 kw pylontech batteries and solar array. Is it possible to connect the zappi 2 to the solar pv as I understand I can't as its dc coupled ie ct clamp comes after the inverter and the other ct clamp is on the mains.

championc

gomamochi1 wrote: »

Hi
I have a solis hybrid inverter with 4.8 kw pylontech batteries and solar array. Is it possible to connect the zappi 2 to the solar pv as I understand I can't as its dc coupled ie ct clamp comes after the inverter and the other ct clamp is on the mains.

Correct. The Zappi can only see the AC output of Hybrid inverters AFTER power is diverted to your batteries. You could maybe use the ECO mode to fudge it pulling xx% from the Grid, where xx% would equal the amount going to the battery, meaning that zero would go to the battery, but you could end up drawing from the grid.

You might be able to restrict the charging rate of the battery, so more power is exported out of the inverter, but with the risk of that going back to the grid.

Remember, a Zappi only starts charging in ECO+ mode once the solar excess is at least 1.4kW

the_amazing_raisin

championc wrote: »

Correct. The Zappi can only see the AC output of Hybrid inverters AFTER power is diverted to your batteries. You could maybe use the ECO mode to fudge it pulling xx% from the Grid, where xx% would equal the amount going to the battery, meaning that zero would go to the battery, but you could end up drawing from the grid.

You might be able to restrict the charging rate of the battery, so more power is exported out of the inverter, but with the risk of that going back to the grid.

Remember, a Zappi only starts charging in ECO+ mode once the solar excess is at least 1.4kW

I've been looking at getting solar with a Victron Quattor inverter. The Quattro essentially acts as a pass through inverter, you connect the power from the grid to AC-in and the solar/batteries to DC-in and it sends power to the house on AC-out


I've been thinking it might work better with a Zappi if I connect the Zappi between the Meter and the Quattro inverter, then when the Quattro is exporting the Zappi will see this and charge the EV without draining the battery


I'd need to check this with Victron and MyEnergy but it might be a solution for people considering DC coupled batteries

championc

cruisey1987 wrote: »

I've been looking at getting solar with a Victron Quattor inverter. The Quattro essentially acts as a pass through inverter, you connect the power from the grid to AC-in and the solar/batteries to DC-in and it sends power to the house on AC-out


I've been thinking it might work better with a Zappi if I connect the Zappi between the Meter and the Quattro inverter, then when the Quattro is exporting the Zappi will see this and charge the EV without draining the battery


I'd need to check this with Victron and MyEnergy but it might be a solution for people considering DC coupled batteries

First of all, you can only connect inverters which have been specifically certified for Ireland. A general EU EN-50438 is not sufficient.

Secondly, you need to understand that electricity is not like water. It flows everywhere simultaneously. What happens is that sources feed of the highest voltage, so generated power in your home will ways be about 1v AC higher than the grid, and this is how it is used or is unused, is exported (or more to the point, drawn out) from your house

So the only benefit that there can ever be Solar and Inverter wise is if you could have Solar PV DC going straight into a car as DC, since you convert it to AC and the car converts it back to DC

garo

Question for Zappi v2 owners. I usually leave my charger in Eco+ mode with an overnight boost timer. I find that occasionally after the car has finished charging but the cable still connected to it the car will start drawing power at the full 7.4 kW during the day to “top up”. Shouldn’t this not be happening when I am still in Eco+ mode. I have solar and right now there is almost no export so the car should not be charging at all during the day.

jspuds

garo wrote: »

Question for Zappi v2 owners. I usually leave my charger in Eco+ mode with an overnight boost timer. I find that occasionally after the car has finished charging but the cable still connected to it the car will start drawing power at the full 7.4 kW during the day to “top up”. Shouldn’t this not be happening when I am still in Eco+ mode. I have solar and right now there is almost no export so the car should not be charging at all during the day.

I have a Zappi v1 but think its the same, have you set the green level in eco+ to 100%?

garo

jspuds wrote: »

I have a Zappi v1 but think its the same, have you set the green level in eco+ to 100%?

Ah good point. I set it to 55% back in October to catch the last rays. I'll up it to 100%. But even so shouldn't be charging at 7.4kW in Eco+.

the_amazing_raisin

Does anyone know what the minimum charging power of the 3 phase Zappi is

AFAIK it's 1.4kW for single phase, so would it be 4.2kW for 3 phase

Does that mean if you're on a 3 phase supply you'll need to be exporting 4.2kW before your Zappi will kick in?

graememk

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the minimum charging power of the 3 phase Zappi is

AFAIK it's 1.4kW for single phase, so would it be 4.2kW for 3 phase

Does that mean if you're on a 3 phase supply you'll need to be exporting 4.2kW before your Zappi will kick in?

I think it's 6 amps.

I wonder was that the issues around the three phase zappis and the Hyundai/kia when switching between the eco mode and the normal charge mode.

Maybe it can choose whether to charge on single phase or 3 phase.

the_amazing_raisin

graememk wrote: »

I think it's 6 amps.

I wonder was that the issues around the three phase zappis and the Hyundai/kia when switching between the eco mode and the normal charge mode.

Maybe it can choose whether to charge on single phase or 3 phase.

I'm guessing here, but if it can do single phase mode I assume it's only on L1, as the car probably can't charge on single phase via L2 or L3

graememk

cruisey1987 wrote: »

I'm guessing here, but if it can do single phase mode I assume it's only on L1, as the car probably can't charge on single phase via L2 or L3

Yeah.

Only on L1.. oh I get ya. If you have 3 phase you'd have a 3 phase solar Inverter.

When the Kia/hyundai charge on single phase I think they bridge the L1&2 together. And didn't release it when it switched to 3 phase. Tripping breakers and the like.

garo

garo wrote: »

Ah good point. I set it to 55% back in October to catch the last rays. I'll up it to 100%. But even so shouldn't be charging at 7.4kW in Eco+.

So I did a fast charge the other night and when the Zappi started pulling it showed electricity coming from the sun symbol and not the grid. And in the morning it had 33% next to the green symbol. I am positive the CT sensor is hooked to the right wire next to the meter. And last year it was detecting grid export/import correctly.

KCross

garo wrote: »

So I did a fast charge the other night and when the Zappi started pulling it showed electricity coming from the sun symbol and not the grid. And in the morning it had 33% next to the green symbol. I am positive the CT sensor is hooked to the right wire next to the meter. And last year it was detecting grid export/import correctly.

Maybe the CT configuration in the Zappi menu has been reset to defaults?
Did you do a firmware update recently?

garo

Nope no firmware updates. I did have an RCD fault last month. The indicator turned red - after the car had fully charged overnight but was plugged in. I will check the CT config again.

garo

Turns out I had both CT1 and CT3 set to Grid. I only have one CT so not sure where the config came from.

47akak

With the Zappi V2, I read in the thread it doesn't need a RCBO, they're not expensive, just wondering why that is or if there is any reason not to use an RCBO with the Zappi V2?

championc

47akak wrote: »

With the Zappi V2, I read in the thread it doesn't need a RCBO, they're not expensive, just wondering why that is or if there is any reason not to use an RCBO with the Zappi V2?

Personally, I just went the total belt and braces route - for the sake of a few quid

stiofan85

championc wrote: »

Personally, I just went the total belt and braces route - for the sake of a few quid

Thanks for this. Got my Zappi in yesterday and sparks was not able to verify the integrated RCD despite showing him the manual. He didn't have the required tester (which I only found out about when I looked up testing the RCD on a Zappi on YouTube...)

He is coming back to install a RCBO tomorrow. What type of RCBO did you have installed? I just want to make sure it's the right one he gets - I understand the high level operation of an RCBO, but I don't understand the difference in say type A/B, or the timing etc...

Thanks

Gumbo

stiofan85 wrote: »

Thanks for this. Got my Zappi in yesterday and sparks was not able to verify the integrated RCD despite showing him the manual. He didn't have the required tester (which I only found out about when I looked up testing the RCD on a Zappi on YouTube...)

He is coming back to install a RCBO tomorrow. What type of RCBO did you have installed? I just want to make sure it's the right one he gets - I understand the high level operation of an RCBO, but I don't understand the difference in say type A/B, or the timing etc...

Thanks

Should the registered sparks not be supplying or at the very least specifying it?

stiofan85

Gumbo wrote: »

Should the registered sparks not be supplying or at the very least specifying it?

He is getting it and specifying. I'm asking what Championmc put in.

championc

stiofan85 wrote: »

He is getting it and specifying. I'm asking what Championmc put in.

It's a 32A Gato RCBO. It says B32A if that is the bit about whether it's A or B. I just went to the local wholesalers and asked for a 32A RCBO and that's what they gave me

Mickeroo

Anyone with a gen 1 zappi had this happen?



Only noticed it today, could have been like that for a while. Presume I've been wrapping it too tightly around the unit and it's gradually messed up the covering.

Gumbo

stiofan85 wrote: »

He is getting it and specifying. I'm asking what Championmc put in.

32A Curve B According to their website.

https://myenergi.com/product/zappi/#product-specs

graememk

Mickeroo wrote: »

Anyone with a gen 1 zappi had this happen?


Only noticed it today, could have been like that for a while. Presume I've been wrapping it too tightly around the unit and it's gradually messed up the covering.

Ive seen that happen on a lot of strain reliefs from welders to computer cables,

Im sure a new strain relief/gland could be got and the cable re-terminated, you'd lose a couple of inches.

Prevention of it would be keeping that first loop a bit looser, not pulled tight around it. (same goes for any cable, the smoother the bend at joints the better.

Mickeroo

graememk wrote: »

Ive seen that happen on a lot of strain reliefs from welders to computer cables,

Im sure a new strain relief/gland could be got and the cable re-terminated, you'd lose a couple of inches.

Prevention of it would be keeping that first loop a bit looser, not pulled tight around it. (same goes for any cable, the smoother the bend at joints the better.

Would I be OK to just stick a bit of masking tape around it for now? It's working away fine just a bit worried it would get damaged. Now that I've spotted it I'll make sure I make the first loop loose anymore.