32amp Commando Socket on Tesla Gateway 2

[PITA]

Sorry I know Commando Sockets have been done to death, and I have searched but cannot find the info I need.

I've got an electrician coming over in two weeks to fit a 32 amp Commando Socket to the backup side of my Tesla Gateway 2.

The Tesla Gateway 2 currently has a 7kW Zappi Wall Charger fitted on the non-backup side.

Can anybody see a problem with this? ... or any advice for 'gotchas' etc

Objective is to be able to use the Tesla UMC and Commando at 7kW during Grid Blackouts from two Powerwalls & Solar when off-grid.

Thanks

 

[pgkevet]

I thought powerwall could only deliver 5KW continuous? How would a parallel link work to keep things balanced? Will you remember to drop the draw in the car when you plug in?

 

[PITA]

I thought powerwall could only deliver 5KW continuous? How would a parallel link work to keep things balanced? Will you remember to drop the draw in the car when you plug in?

We have Two Powerwalls, and authorised for 10kW continuous (and 15kW peak) discharge.

So it's no problem.

 

[PITA]

The idea behind this is for two reasons...

1) Commando Socket for emergency car charging during a Grid Outage (if needed). Our two Zappi Chargers are Grid-Tied and go off-line during a blackout.

2) If there's ever a reason in the future that you may want to avoid 'Smart Meters' or 'Smart Car Chargers' ... this could be used as a Domestic direct feed at 7kW to charge the car.

At the moment our 7kW Zappi is wired to the Gateway 2, and when charging during the day at 7kW... it's taking power directly from the Powerwalls, which might be Solar, or Stored Grid, or both. But... on the Zappi App it registers all the power as Grid Power, when it isn't. We don't use the Zappi Solar Surplus mode... so unfortunately it thinks it's all Grid power.

So a Commando Socket wouldn't register anywhere. It'll just look like Domestic Home Power.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Dunno if helpful but I don't have anything on the non-backup side (that I know of!) and I have a Tesla and Zappi charger (have used both of them together, although not during a power cut ...) and a Commando - not used that during a power cut either - and 2x PowerWall

My Solar maxes out at 15kW and I've charged both cars at 7kW at times

 

[PITA]

Dunno if helpful but I don't have anything on the non-backup side (that I know of!) and I have a Tesla and Zappi charger (have used both of them together, although not during a power cut ...) and a Commando - not used that during a power cut either - and 2x PowerWall

My Solar maxes out at 15kW and I've charged both cars at 7kW at times

If you've had the Commando Socket and Zappi wired into your Consumer Unit, then both will be on the backup side.

The issue I had with this originally, is if your car is charging and there's a Blackout (maybe early morning hours when you aren't aware), I didn't want the Zappi to continue draining the Powerwalls. This issue has now been fixed by the Tesla App options (but I'm not sure if this setting is only for Tesla Wall Chargers)

The other issue, during a blackout is overloading the two Powerwalls discharge 10kW rate. If the car is charging at 7kW, and house demand is 10kW (electric shower etc)... 17kW then a blackout... could spell trouble.

So both my Zappi car chargers are wired into Grid-Tied side. So if there's a blackout, all the Powerwall backup power only goes to the House.

Unless I emergency manually override the setup now with a Commando Socket. At which point I'll be aware of house load demands...

 

[Burley]

The idea behind this is for two reasons...

1) Commando Socket for emergency car charging during a Grid Outage (if needed). Our two Zappi Chargers are Grid-Tied and go off-line during a blackout.

2) If there's ever a reason in the future that you may want to avoid 'Smart Meters' or 'Smart Car Chargers' ... this could be used as a Domestic direct feed at 7kW to charge the car.

At the moment our 7kW Zappi is wired to the Gateway 2, and when charging during the day at 7kW... it's taking power directly from the Powerwalls, which might be Solar, or Stored Grid, or both. But... on the Zappi App it registers all the power as Grid Power, when it isn't. We don't use the Zappi Solar Surplus mode... so unfortunately it thinks it's all Grid power.

So a Commando Socket wouldn't register anywhere. It'll just look like Domestic Home Power.

It sounds like your Zappi is missing a CT clamp on the Powerwall so it can monitor battery activity. Ours is setup like yours, on the non-backup side, but it monitors AC Battery, so we can use the Eco+ Do Not Drain setting so it only supplies surplus solar. It also sees battery use as Eco rather than grid, so when Boosting, the battery contribution is shown as % green.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Not something I know about, but there are devices to stop car charging when house usage goes over some threshold - e.g. when Power Shower comes on ... maybe that could be useful - apart from power cut to also stop car charging from grid if PowerWall + Solar - House was less than 7kW car charge requirement

Unless I manually override the setup now with a Commando Socket. At which point I'll be aware of house load demands.

You'd get an alert, on phone, if there was a power cut - dunno if that would be enough to then manually stop the Commando charge (if one was in progress). Depends how often you might Commando-charge in future, and likelihood of power cut and whether you'd be available / awake?! to take action.

 

[PITA]

It sounds like your Zappi is missing a CT clamp on the Powerwall so it can monitor battery activity. Ours is setup like yours, on the non-backup side, but it monitors AC Battery, so we can use the Eco+ Do Not Drain setting so it only supplies surplus solar. It also sees battery use as Eco rather than grid, so when Boosting, the battery contribution is shown as % green.

OK, thanks for this.

Our MyEnergi setup isn't working at the moment.

I've got a Harvi, Eddi, Zappi 7kW, Zappi 22kW and they all aren't talking with each other.

I need to figure out why...

 

[PITA]

Not something I know about, but there are devices to stop car charging when house usage goes over some threshold - e.g. when Power Shower comes on ... maybe that could be useful - apart from power cut to also stop car charging from grid if PowerWall + Solar - House was less than 7kW car charge requirement



You'd get an alert, on phone, if there was a power cut - dunno if that would be enough to then manu7ally stop the Commando charge (if one was in progress). Depends how often you might Commando-charge in future, and likelihood of power cut and whether you'd be available / awake?! to take action.

Yeah, I always use the Zappi Chargers.

The Commando Socket is really as a backup emergency use item.