Zappi charge points

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119486675#Comment_119486675

The Zappi app will tell you what energy it pushed out but it wont tell you it went to car A or B.

Assuming you only have one EV in the house then you can use the Zappi app to give you that data. The myEnergi online account has a download option but its not currently working but I suspect they will get that working as they are updating their website.

Another alternative is to put a kWh meter on the feed-in to the charge point and it will also give you the same data (i.e. kWh used). You can do that if you decide to go for something other than a Zappi but it will just be a digital display of total used. No pdf's etc.

I'd imagine your employer wouldn't be that fussy about proving it. A picture of the charge point meter every month would suffice surely?

stimpson

Depending on your milage, charging from home won’t be expensive. Eg. 15kWh/100km will cost you about €1.50 per 100km on night rate (roughy 10c/kWh), so about €7 for a 64kWh

What will be pricey is charging when you’re out and about (45c - 70c depending on provider). If you sign up for ESB and/or Ionity and/or GoCar then your account will show you all of the charge details and costs.

My advice would be to run down the battery when you know you are going on a long work trip and fully charge it on ESB when you go, then use that for your billing.

One more thing, if you aren’t there during the day then it doesn’t make sense to charge a home battery only to dump it into the car. You should use your house battery to power the house in the evening and charge the car on night rate.

machinedoctor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119486785#Comment_119486785

Okay thats useful info- I have a feeling based upon how the company currently handle our mileage and expenses they will require something more formal than a photo of a meter. It is also likely there will be 2 cars using the charger within the next couple of years so I might also look at other options,wallbox?

machinedoctor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119486940#Comment_119486940

As we will have a smart meter I dont think we will get near 10c per Kwh night rate but I get your logic around the battery and night time charging. There may be a complication here though given the company will likely reimburse us for the rate we are on from our provider. Does the myenergi App display exactly what charge comes from the grid/day rate/night rate/ Pv? I am guessing no.

Being honest I am wondering if the best solution for me would be a reimbursement of whatever the smart rate day rate(23-25c is the best I can see) is I am paying and charge as much as I can from the PV/battery. I do about 40kms per year with most of those trips in around 150km per day. I havent ordered the pv yet so just weighing the costs up.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119491077#Comment_119491077

The VW wallbox has the ability to record the kWh's delivered to each car. It can distinguish one car to another by you using different RFID cards to start the charge session depending on which car is plugged in and then you can generate separate reports. It gives a professional looking report with dates/time/kWh/card-used.

You could, of course, use the wrong card and charge your private car on the company card so the company would still need to trust that you are not gaming them!

You have to buy the top of the range one to get that capability as its the only one with the kWh meter included and that enables the reporting. Its targeted for your exact use case, i.e. business customers... so its not cheap!

Im sure some other charge point can do it too but I haven't heard of it. The Zappi cant distinguish anyway. The Zappi will give you a report but it will just list every session.

Another option is a dedicated company charge point. If you have 2 EV's get a second one for your private car.

machinedoctor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119491689#Comment_119491689

Thanks again for that info

I think I will put it to the company that if want what that business charger offers from a report then they can subsidise the extra cost or just trust the employees and I will purchase the more affordable eco model ! Either way they should be happy as everyone stands to save money and it helps meet their environmental objectives.

stimpson

Has anyone swapped a Zappi V1 tethered cable? I picked up a used type 2 cable which was from a Zappi V2. The seller told me there was some wires crimped onto the live and neutral, which were de-crimped from the cable for reuse with his new cable, but looking at the manual for the V1 I don’t see them. I’m going to open the box tomorrow but was hoping it’s going to be a straight swap for the 4 cables (live, neutral, earth and CP).

stimpson

To answer my own question, it’s a straight swap. The MK1 has coils around the live/live and neutral. Once you get the cores through the correct coils it’s fine. There is one control cable that is a straight swap. The cable was a bit narrower so needed some insulation tape to allow the strain relief to grab it, but it’s a handy 20 minute job if you know what you are doing.

budhabob

Outta of curiosity what is the cable specification from zappi to the fuse board? Getting external insulation done next month and given delays in EV deliveries it might make sense for us to run the cable

championc

The max it can draw in single phase is 7kW, so 6mm².

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119497863#Comment_119497863

Typically 6mm² but no harm in using 10mm².

You should also consider running two cat5e ethernet cables alongside it for internet access and CT clamp use.

slave1

10sq is a bitch to lay/bend

budhabob

Cheers folks, gonna run up to the attic and back down to the fuse box so can take gentle enough angles in the main.

Drumpot

How do you synch up with online zappi account?

When I input details online it says it can’t connect! Now I don’t know if my zappi box was ever connected to internet (I couldn’t figure it out on the settings) so maybe that’s the problem?

stimpson

Is it Mk1 or Mk2?

Drumpot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498754#Comment_119498754

Sorry, how would I know that? :(

Black_Knight

Newbie Zappi owner today. Testing it out tonight. Am I right in saying to schedule charging, I set the mode to Eco+, and create a schedule, then leave it alone. I've this done, but it says "WAITING FOR SURPLUS", so i'm unsure if that'll start charging at 7kW when the schedule starts.

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793155#Comment_119793155

Correct 😊

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793171#Comment_119793171

Excellent!

So does the schedule overrule all?

Or will my schedule work today, and tomorrow when I've enough solar to charge the car (outside of my schedule) will it charge solely off the sun? I'd assume not, but then that'll be a slight PITA having to enable and disable the schedule in order to be able to use eco+ during the day, and night rate during the night

championc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793171#Comment_119793171

Is ECO+ not for Solar surplus, but with a minimum of 1.4kW ? That's certainly the way it operates during the day.

Surely FAST is the only way to get 7kW charging ?

_dof_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793531#Comment_119793531

If you have it set to Eco+ and there's a solar surplus during the day, it'll send that surplus to the car once the surplus meets the minimum amount (default 1.4kW).

The boost function will charge the car at the maximum 7kW for single phase. You can trigger the boost in a number of ways, like pressing the button on the charger or in the app, or configuring the boost schedule. You can choose what days and times the boost occurs in the schedule.

If the solar surplus during the day has already filled the car, then the boost won't be able to add any more when it kicks in.

What you have described its the normal use case I think, use Eco+ to get any free charge during the day, then schedule to charge on night rate too, to make sure the car gets charged before the morning.

_dof_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793726#Comment_119793726

Boost also gives 7kw. So you can have it as Eco+ mode as the standard mode and then schedule the boost to charge at full whack on night rate. that way you get the bonus of as much free charge during the day, but guaranteed to top it up at night.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793726#Comment_119793726

The scheduled charge is a boost charge and overrides the set mode and always charges in FAST mode and then reverts to the original mode.

cannco253

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793155#Comment_119793155

@Black_Knight

FYI when you use the schedule on the zappi to charge overnight with an ID.4 - when you connect the car to the zappi and leave it so that it starts at the later scheduled time, the charge port in the ID.4 will initially turn red and the VW app will notify a charging error has occurred - ignore them and let the zappi do its job overnight.

Doesn’t happen with the Leaf, maybe just a VW thing.

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793892#Comment_119793892

Yup. Used to that from my old rolec after I put a Shelly into it to make it "smart". Shelly is on a timer, car is connected, can't start charge, weconnect complaints etc, but it charges just fine when the Shelly relay triggers

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119793726#Comment_119793726

ECO+ will only charge once the minimum solar threshold you have configured is available, and if that is below 1.4kW, it will supplement it from the grid.

If your solar drips below that set threshold then the charge pauses completely.

Scheduled Boost will override that and give the car the full 7kW, whether that be solar, grid or a mix.

In my case I have no solar installed so ECO+ only ever starts a charge during the Scheduled Boost times which I have set to align with night rate.

ECO will charge any time the car calls for power and will use as much of the solar output as it can, if it's available, but will ultimately supply the car with a minimum of 1.4kW and draw any shortfall from the grid.

It would then ramp up to the full 7kW during scheduled boosts and use whatever's available from solar and draw the rest from the grid.

In my case without solar that would mean my Zappi would constantly draw 1.4kW from the grid any time the car was plugged in and was calling for power, which I don't want, as arriving home at 5pm and plugging in would mean drawing almost 10 units at day rate before night rate kicks in.

FAST will give the car the full 7kW at any time, day or night from either solar or grid.

stimpson

1.4kW is needed to commence the charge, but it will maintain a charge down to 700w (IIRC). And Eco+ will only supplement from the grid if it’s set to do so. The leaf slider in the app dictates how much solar to use to maintain a charge. At 100% it will stop charging if there is no excess solar. There is a timer in the Zappi box menu to ensure that passing clouds don’t cause the charge to start and stop

bricky06

I've recently moved to an estate where two of my neighbours I can see have Zappis. Both are installed directly beside the meter box but one of them seems to have an external fuse box or something in addition to the Zappi and safety switch. Can anyone hazard a guess as to what this would be for?

Houses are 3-4 years old and all have heat pumps with no solar for reference. The two houses would seem to be identical. I haven't had a chance to get talking to them since moving to ask about it.

I'm looking at getting a zappi installed soon and had hoped it would be a relatively simple install. I thought due to Zappi's built in load balancing there would be no need for additional work like an external fuse box (or whatever it is).

denismc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795051#Comment_119795051

It may be more convenient in some cases to install a new consumer unit close to the meter box if the original consumer unit is in a bad location. This can reduce the need for routing cables through the house.

bricky06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795167#Comment_119795167

OK so maybe one guy was OK with running cables through the house and the other wasn't. Makes sense, thanks.

The consumer unit is in a central hallway. Is it the done thing / possible to run cables up to the attic and back down to install the charge point on the exterior wall? Or is it just general practice that cables are routed around skirting boards etc.?