Free EV Charger from GMP Vermont

[chalnick]

I just ordered an X and trying to figure out what charger to get.

I live in South Burlington, VT. To promote EVs, the local utility (Green Mountain Power) is offering free installation of a FLO Home X5 with a J1772 connector. It operates at up to 30 amps.

Do folks think that will work OK with the X, or should I pay Tesla to install a Tesla Wall Connector?

Any insight/advice would be appreciated!

 

[cgrubbe]

It will work just fine with the J1772 adapter that comes with the car. It’s hard to turn down free.

 

[Need]

30A is close to the Gen 2 UMC charging rate, so you will probably get about 18 miles per hour charging. If it is free, you might as well get it to see if it works for you.

 

[kev1n]

it will work but seems annoying not to just use the tesla one so you dont have to deal with adapters and not having the button on the handle.

i would probably sell the free one and cover the difference for a tesla HPWC or get the NEMA 14-50 put in

 

[tga]

If you use the GMP charging station, you can get also sign up for unlimited off-peak charging for $29.99/month.

In-Home Level 2 EV Charger - Green Mountain Power

If you drive a lot, the unlimited $30/month is a great deal. Using the J1772 adapter isn't a big deal. You can open the charge door with the keyfob. When unplugging, I push the release on the J1772 handle, wait for the ring to turn white and the port to unlock, and then release the handle and yank the handle out before the port re-locks. Releasing the button on the handle causes the J1772 handle to re-lock to the J1772 adapter, allowing you to pull them both out as one unit.

Once you get the timing of the button-dance down, it's really no different that using a HPWC or UMC, (without the "open the charge port" button), especially if you get another J1772 adapter to leave attached to the charging station permanently.

 

[cgrubbe]

You can open the charge door with the keyfob. When unplugging, I push the release on the J1772 handle, wait for the ring to turn white and the port to unlock, and then release the handle and yank the handle out before the port re-locks. Releasing the button on the handle causes the J1772 handle to re-lock to the J1772 adapter, allowing you to pull them both out as one unit.

Holding down the rear button on the keyfob will also unlock the charge port if it is in use.

 

[iCharge]

I just ordered an X and trying to figure out what charger to get.

I live in South Burlington, VT. To promote EVs, the local utility (Green Mountain Power) is offering free installation of a FLO Home X5 with a J1772 connector. It operates at up to 30 amps.

Do folks think that will work OK with the X, or should I pay Tesla to install a Tesla Wall Connector?

Any insight/advice would be appreciated!

Hello Chalnik
I talked to GMP as well, did you get this level 2 installed ?>

 

[jboy210]

Just curious, but is this a bi-drectional charger, where they use your battery in times of heavy load instead of buying electricity from a peaker gas plant.

 

[tga]

Just curious, but is this a bi-drectional charger, where they use your battery in times of heavy load instead of buying electricity from a peaker gas plant.

No, it's a standard J1772 EVSE. One-way into the car only. V2G (vehicle-to-grid) isn't real yet.

Green Mountain Power is installing powerwall2's in customer homes for the kind of virtual peaker plant you describe. Liberty Utilities has filed for a similar program in their NH service area.

Tesla Powerwall 2.0 - Green Mountain Power
Liberty Utilities files for Tesla battery pilot in NH

 

[jboy210]

No, it's a standard J1772 EVSE. One-way into the car only. V2G (vehicle-to-grid) isn't real yet.

Green Mountain Power is installing powerwall2's in customer homes for the kind of virtual peaker plant you describe. Liberty Utilities has filed for a similar program in their NH service area.

Tesla Powerwall 2.0 - Green Mountain Power
Liberty Utilities files for Tesla battery pilot in NH

These sounds like great programs. I guess that means that my utility, PGE, will not get them for awhile. There focus now seems not starting forest fires that kill people when their houses burn down.

 

[tga]

No, it's a standard J1772 EVSE. One-way into the car only. V2G (vehicle-to-grid) isn't real yet.

Green Mountain Power is installing powerwall2's in customer homes for the kind of virtual peaker plant you describe. Liberty Utilities has filed for a similar program in their NH service area.

Tesla Powerwall 2.0 - Green Mountain Power
Liberty Utilities files for Tesla battery pilot in NH

Forgot to add, GMP only offers a flat kWh rate with their program. Your only advantage with the Powerwall is whole-house backup (well, and feeling good about being part of the virtual peaker plant (VPP)).

Liberty is proposing time of use rates with their program (rates TBD). The battery can be used to self-supply during the critical peak period and charge at night off-peak. If you keep you consumption during the critical peak low enough, the battery will cover it and you won't draw from the grid, so you will be essentially paying off-peak (plus say 10% for charging inefficiencies). For car owners charging at night, this could be a big win. We'll have to wait and see what the commission approves.

 

[mikevbf]

Forgot to add, GMP only offers a flat kWh rate with their program. Your only advantage with the Powerwall is whole-house backup (well, and feeling good about being part of the virtual peaker plant (VPP)).

Liberty is proposing time of use rates with their program (rates TBD). The battery can be used to self-supply during the critical peak period and charge at night off-peak.

I am currently a GMP customer and signed on to powerwall program with installation supposed to take place in a month or two, but I am also paying off peak rates for charging my Tesla currently. If I can not continue to do that, I will probably cancel my powerwall install. It would just be too expensive to go back to a flat rate.

 

[tga]

I am currently a GMP customer and signed on to powerwall program with installation supposed to take place in a month or two, but I am also paying off peak rates for charging my Tesla currently. If I can not continue to do that, I will probably cancel my powerwall install. It would just be too expensive to go back to a flat rate.

I guess I should have stated that GMP isn't requiring you to go on a TOU plan with the Powerwall. I can't imagine they would force you give up TOU if you had it just to get a Powerwall.

Liberty is planning to make it a combo deal (at least that's what the PUC filing said) - you want the Powerwall, you have to take the new 3-tier TOU rate. I don't know if you can get the new 3-tier rate without taking a Powerwall.

 

[mikevbf]

I guess I should have stated that GMP isn't requiring you to go on a TOU plan with the Powerwall. I can't imagine they would force you give up TOU if you had it just to get a Powerwall.

Liberty is planning to make it a combo deal (at least that's what the PUC filing said) - you want the Powerwall, you have to take the new 3-tier TOU rate. I don't know if you can get the new 3-tier rate without taking a Powerwall.

I guess I misunderstood you. GMP fine print actually does say you have to go to a flat rate on the program. I am going to call them the next couple of days to see if there is any wiggle room on this point. Hopefully, I will find I just misread their fine print and go to the drug store to buy a much delayed purchase of glasses.

 

[tga]

I guess I misunderstood you. GMP fine print actually does say you have to go to a flat rate on the program. I am going to call them the next couple of days to see if there is any wiggle room on this point. Hopefully, I will find I just misread their fine print and go to the drug store to buy a much delayed purchase of glasses.

That seems sort of silly on their part. TOU is good for them, since it uses market forces to shift load off-peak. Unless they are concerned about loosing revenue due to TOU. But if that's the case, you could just argue they didn't design the rate properly...

 

[JonKohler]

New Model S owner here in Essex. I looked into home charging after I found that the silly GMP charger at Hannaford doesn't seamlessly work with the default / adapter that they give you with the car. No worries.

Only drama is I went and bought the $500 Tesla charger, before I went and looked back at GMP's offerings.

It isn't clear, can you still do the 30/month program with the Tesla charger? or do they NEED to install their own charger for it to work?

 

[tga]

You need their charging station. It is internet connected so they can stop charging during peak events. The Tesla wall connector doesn't have that remote control capability.

 

[iCharge]

New Model S owner here in Essex. I looked into home charging after I found that the silly GMP charger at Hannaford doesn't seamlessly work with the default / adapter that they give you with the car. No worries.

Only drama is I went and bought the $500 Tesla charger, before I went and looked back at GMP's offerings.

It isn't clear, can you still do the 30/month program with the Tesla charger? or do they NEED to install their own charger for it to work?

Jon,
you probably found this out already, but pe rmy limited research GMP does NOT do the wall charger install. They will just ship it to you.
for now they only have the ChargePoint ones left. They exhausted their supply of Flo EVSE

ChargePoint WiFi
Flow [ LAN but can do with wifi via adapter ]

GMP controls EVSE via WiFi and flat bills 29.95/mo for all use via EVSE and 'reserves the right to' shut off the EVSE during peak demand times.

How are you liking the MS so far

 

[mikevbf]

That seems sort of silly on their part. TOU is good for them, since it uses market forces to shift load off-peak. Unless they are concerned about loosing revenue due to TOU. But if that's the case, you could just argue they didn't design the rate properly...

This morning Tesla/SolarCity vans pulled up in my driveway unannounced to install 2 powerwalls under a special GMP program that would cost me $30 a month for 10 years while allowing GMP to draw from the powerwalls to help stabilize their grid during peak power demands. I was supposed to get back up power out of deal.

Butttt, it does turn out in order for me to participate in the program I would have to change from TOU rate to a flat rate. Given how much I drive my MX, I estimate that would cost me up to an additional $70/month making for a total cost of $100/month for 10 years to get the powerwalls. That's $12,000! for two powerwalls I do not own or get to fully control. How much does it cost to buy them outright now?

I had to sendt the trucks away with no install after waiting years . I talked to someone at GMP and there is no wiggle room on this until they start the next program. Oh well ... Hopefully they will sort this out in the next round and I will get my powerwalls in the next decade.

 

[iCharge]

This morning Tesla/SolarCity vans pulled up in my driveway unannounced to install 2 powerwalls under a special GMP program that would cost me $30 a month for 10 years while allowing GMP to draw from the powerwalls to help stabilize their grid during peak power demands. I was supposed to get back up power out of deal.

Butttt, it does turn out in order for me to participate in the program I would have to change from TOU rate to a flat rate. Given how much I drive my MX, I estimate that would cost me up to an additional $70/month making for a total cost of $100/month for 10 years to get the powerwalls. That's $12,000! for two powerwalls I do not own or get to fully control. How much does it cost to buy them outright now?

I had to sendt the trucks away with no install after waiting years . I talked to someone at GMP and there is no wiggle room on this until they start the next program. Oh well ... Hopefully they will sort this out in the next round and I will get my powerwalls in the next decade.

yeah, they've been pretty strict on those terms. I decided to not install them for similar reasons.
also FYI to others watching this thread, the free Level 2 charger program ends this [or next] week.