Intelligent Octopus's integration with smart chargers (Ohme Home Pro)

[Big Dunc]

I have long thought that "smart charger" is a mistake. e.g. Zappi et al doing "Excess solar so I'LL HELP MYSELF" isn't smart, its selfish.

Dumb Charger and something (else) that tells the car to charge is, I think, much better. Loads of scenarios that middle-ware can handle far better than a Zappi reacting to excess PV - including when Energy Supplier has Time-of-Use tariff and variable schedule from day-to-day.



Sure ... someone should have written a decent APP to do all that by now ... but I can't find one.

You can get something monitoring your surplus PV and it can turn a charger on or off. However, a dumb charger will only charge at full power or not at. The beauty of Zappi is that it modulates the charging speed to match the surplus. I know you could manually restrict the charging speed in the car (or car app) but that would be another layer of faff.
The MyEnergi / Zappi web portal has the facility for variable tariff's (i.e. those on agile), although I have never used it so cannot give any real detail about how good it is.

 

[vanhtu1987]

@Big Dunc It seems that Zappi supports switching charging mode on a schedule https://support.myenergi.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360020720298-zappi-charging-modes so it should do exactly what you want:
- The Octopus app is set up to integrate with Tesla
- The Zappi is set up to enable Boost mode automatically between e.g., 5PM (when solar generation effectively stops) and 9AM (or your expected departure time)
- At any other time, the Zappi reverts back to Eco mode to charge on excess solar only

I'm unable to understand how Intelligent Octopus could be inferior to SVR or Octopus Go when IO gives much more off-peak hours, and allows you to set the departure time as early as 4AM (so if you want to, the charging done at off-peak rates will never overlap with solar generation).

 

[WannabeOwner]

The beauty of Zappi is that it modulates the charging speed to match the surplus.

I have one - bought with that very intention, but I don't use it (Eco+ mode) and instead treat it as dumb charger and use API instead to adjust the AMPs to the car (notwithstanding that I had to write that). I appreciate that most people will have simpler setup compared to me (for now at least ...) I have PowerWall, 2x EV and 2x Charger and I have "requirements" for what gets charged each day depending on if car(s) will be at home or need to go somewhere (today or "soon"). So, for me, a Zappi just diverting to a car, once PowerWall is full, is far too simplistic - I need a solution that considers a wider picture.

 

[Big Dunc]

I am glad you have found a solution.
I have one Zappi, one EV, and one powerwall.
I should be getting a second powerwall in the next few months and am going for a second Zappi at the same time. No immediate plans for a second EV, but it is bound to happen at some point in the future.

 

[GeorgeSymonds]

Mod comment: while the merits of doing something are linked to the energy somebody might put into doing it, this thread is more about the “how” and not “why”. If we want a debate about the merits and issues of these schemes in an environment where more than one energy source is available (eg grid, solar, battery..) then maybe it warrants a thread if it’s own rather than derailing a thread which works for some even if not all.

 

[teotutulan]

@Big Dunc Intelligent Octopus is meant to balance the grid load so charging schedule is suppose to vary daily (even hourly). It's also quite common to see charging sessions that fall outside of the off-peak hours too.

Having finished setting it up using the Ohme Home Pro (no API integration), I'm quite pleased to see that in addition to the extra off-peak hours, we'll also get a guaranteed preconditioning time of up to 1 hour every morning (that is fixed according to one's setting in the charge schedule). This is a great benefit as we do use some electricity during these hours for cooking and the preconditioning without being on expensive rates helps a lot, something that is not possible with car API integration, and certainly not with Octopus Go.

And how did you set it up in the Ohme app, please, because it is doing my head in.
Let me explain my situation, it is not anything out of the ordinary and apologies if I am hijacking the thread.
Integration has been done with the Tesla app rather than with the Ohme Home Pro charger as I have been told that the charger needs to be "dumb"

Wall Charger Ohme Home Pro installed today, here are the settings in the app :
Dashboard : Charging Paused
No Charge schedules
Charge Preferences : save monies off, optimise for battery life off, favour green energy off.

IO setup, I have 3 charging slots tonight, from 11:30 to 12:00, from 12:30 to 1:30 and from 2 to 6:30.

If I try to bump charge the car, it triggers the wall charger into charging but it stops charging after a little bit. Assuming that I stop charging the car from the octopus app, it does not trigger the wall charger to stop charging the car.

There is no scheduled charge into the app, no scheduled preheating in the Tesla app.

Maybe it is still sorting itself out, but I would not want to wake up in the morning and find out that the car didn't charge properly. I know that it is a gamble, but I wish someone confirm or not if the settings are correct or not in the IO app/Tesla/Ohme App.

 

[rob@rar]

I recently switched to IO when I bought my MY. Initially I connected IO to my Tesla and had no end of problems, basically it didn't work for a week, always charging at peak rate prior to 11.30pm despite me repeatedly stopping the charge when I spotted it was happening. Following advice from a Facebook group I disconnected IO from the Tesla and connected it to my Ohme Home Pro and it has worked faultlessly since then, even charging over the last couple of evenings when lots of people reported charging problems because Tesla's server didn't seem to send a wake-up command. I strongly recommend you connect IO to your Ohme charger rather than your Tesla.

 

[Jwdrums]

I recently switched to IO when I bought my MY. Initially I connected IO to my Tesla and had no end of problems, basically it didn't work for a week, always charging at peak rate prior to 11.30pm despite me repeatedly stopping the charge when I spotted it was happening. Following advice from a Facebook group I disconnected IO from the Tesla and connected it to my Ohme Home Pro and it has worked faultlessly since then, even charging over the last couple of evenings when lots of people reported charging problems because Tesla's server didn't seem to send a wake-up command. I strongly recommend you connect IO to your Ohme charger rather than your Tesla.

Hey rob@rar I have same setup, charging being controlled by the Ohme home pro. It's working flawlessly as you describe but as yet I'm yet to see any charging slots outside of the 11.30pm-5.30am window - have you? All my charging needs are met by the overnight so is it favouring that time by default do you know? Cheers

 

[vanhtu1987]

And how did you set it up in the Ohme app, please, because it is doing my head in.
Let me explain my situation, it is not anything out of the ordinary and apologies if I am hijacking the thread.
Integration has been done with the Tesla app rather than with the Ohme Home Pro charger as I have been told that the charger needs to be "dumb"

Wall Charger Ohme Home Pro installed today, here are the settings in the app :
Dashboard : Charging Paused
No Charge schedules
Charge Preferences : save monies off, optimise for battery life off, favour green energy off.

IO setup, I have 3 charging slots tonight, from 11:30 to 12:00, from 12:30 to 1:30 and from 2 to 6:30.

If I try to bump charge the car, it triggers the wall charger into charging but it stops charging after a little bit. Assuming that I stop charging the car from the octopus app, it does not trigger the wall charger to stop charging the car.

There is no scheduled charge into the app, no scheduled preheating in the Tesla app.

Maybe it is still sorting itself out, but I would not want to wake up in the morning and find out that the car didn't charge properly. I know that it is a gamble, but I wish someone confirm or not if the settings are correct or not in the IO app/Tesla/Ohme App.

@teotutulan the following setting should work if you want charger integration (what you have is car API integration which is working as expected):
- No charging schedule in the car i.e., it shall charge immediately once plugged in if power is available
- One active schedule in the charger: either the target percentage (if car API integration is enabled) or the added miles (if not), and the departure time is between 4AM-11AM.
- Prefer Green Energy, Save Money, Optimise for Battery settings all disabled in the Ohme app
- Octopus app should be set up to use the charger integration rather than car's integration: either will work but the above settings only apply to charger integration (and to be fair, it has a lot of advantages).

I used car API integration in the beginning but since I've got a 2nd EV: I've switched to charger integration and that mostly works a lot better. It's more stable and the preconditioning works great in the morning where we use this time for some cooking as well.

 

[rob@rar]

Hey rob@rar I have same setup, charging being controlled by the Ohme home pro. It's working flawlessly as you describe but as yet I'm yet to see any charging slots outside of the 11.30pm-5.30am window - have you? All my charging needs are met by the overnight so is it favouring that time by default do you know? Cheers

It’s not entirely obvious, to me at least, what schedule has been set when I look at the Ohme app. However, I’ve not done a huge amount of mileage since getting my Tesla so haven’t needed much more than two or three hours of overnight charge on any individual day. This seems all to have taken place within the guaranteed off-peak hours. I have a couple of days over Easter when I’ll run the battery down to low levels, so I’ll be interested to see of charging is scheduled outside the core off-peak hours.

 

[Jwdrums]

It’s not entirely obvious, to me at least, what schedule has been set when I look at the Ohme app. However, I’ve not done a huge amount of mileage since getting my Tesla so haven’t needed much more than two or three hours of overnight charge on any individual day. This seems all to have taken place within the guaranteed off-peak hours. I have a couple of days over Easter when I’ll run the battery down to low levels, so I’ll be interested to see of charging is scheduled outside the core off-peak hours.

Same. Would be interested to know what you find

 

[teotutulan]

@teotutulan the following setting should work if you want charger integration (what you have is car API integration which is working as expected):
- No charging schedule in the car i.e., it shall charge immediately once plugged in if power is available
- One active schedule in the charger: either the target percentage (if car API integration is enabled) or the added miles (if not), and the departure time is between 4AM-11AM.
- Prefer Green Energy, Save Money, Optimise for Battery settings all disabled in the Ohme app
- Octopus app should be set up to use the charger integration rather than car's integration: either will work but the above settings only apply to charger integration (and to be fair, it has a lot of advantages).

I used car API integration in the beginning but since I've got a 2nd EV: I've switched to charger integration and that mostly works a lot better. It's more stable and the preconditioning works great in the morning where we use this time for some cooking as well.

Done it, managed to get it working. TBH, it was working even before, it was me who was paranoid and overthinking things. I will see when the bill is here and then kill them. Made sure I get all the screenshots. But it was charging last night, from 7:22 PM until 08:26 AM, with various pauses. I got notifications when charging was stopping and later on I could see that it has started at a certain moment. I will need to adjust the limits as they are currently set for 70% on both car and charger, but other than that, I am OK.
Will upload some pics when I am home.

Thanks a lot for our help.

 

[WannabeOwner]

But it was charging last night, from 7:22 PM until 08:26 AM, with various pauses. I got notifications when charging was stopping and later on I could see that it has started at a certain moment

I may be on wrong wavelength? but if there is a risk that the car charges at "odd times", instructed by Power Company, and then they fail to charge you the right rate for that period ...

... TeslaFi (and other's 3rd party Tesla API loggers I'm sure) will record when the car charges (to the minute) which would provide evidence if that was needed.

Referral will get a month's trial (instead of normal 2 weeks), which might be enough to do the sanity-check.

 

[Phil Fifield]

Intelligent only works when it has control of the charger or the car. The Zappi is not on Intelligent so it has to be controlled by Intelligent via the Tesla.
Zappi has to be on "fast" dumb charger mode. To charge from the sun, Zappi needs to be in eco mode, but that means if Intelligent instructs the Tesla to charge over night, then the Zappi says "no, sorry, no surplus sun".
It is one way or the other. I really wanted to make it work, but it didn;t.

I’ve had my Zappi and MYLR on IO for a month now, still haven’t quite got my head around what settings I should use. IO gives me a schedule ok, should I switch the Zappi to Fast, then stop charging on the Tesla app..? Or is there some other way - all help gratefully received! Thanks

 

[Drew57]

.....should I switch the Zappi to Fast, then stop charging on the Tesla app..? Or is there some other way - all help gratefully received! Thanks

Exactly what I've done since Jan 2022 & the car has charged correctly with IO every time.

- Also make sure there are no schedules, departure times etc on the Zappi or car.
- Set the same target SOC on both IO and Tesla apps (ie 90%/90%).
- Choose whatever departure time you require on the IO app

 

[Phil Fifield]

Exactly what I've done since Jan 2022 & the car has charged correctly with IO every time.

- Also make sure there are no schedules, departure times etc on the Zappi or car.
- Set the same target SOC on both IO and Tesla apps (ie 90%/90%).
- Choose whatever departure time you require on the IO app

Thanks - just one further question - when you have an IO schedule and switch to fast, charging starts immediately (whatever time it is, can be peak rate) - how long is it before IO takes over? Obviously stopping charging using the Tesla app is a workaround, would be good if you could just plug in and leave the whole system to work out charging - minimising any peak rate usage.

 

[rob@rar]

Obviously stopping charging using the Tesla app is a workaround, would be good if you could just plug in and leave the whole system to work out charging - minimising any peak rate usage.

I have a MY and a Ohme Home Pro. IO is connected to the Ohme charger. When I plug the car in it starts to charge, but it is always just a matter of seconds before the charging is stopped and a schedule is calculated.

 

[DaveNN]

I've come to the conclusion that relying on IO to schedule a charge ( to the requested level, with plenty of amps in reserve) is a lottery.
I've taken to smart charging a few hours before 11.30pm, so I know I'm going to, at least , get those hours on charge.
My M3 goes into the bodyshop for a bit of work- a none fault bump in early November- that could take weeks at best. Think I'll let octopus know beforehand and simply remove the car for a few months and reactivate my wall charger, using the timed scheduled.

 

[browellm]

I've come to the conclusion that relying on IO to schedule a charge ( to the requested level, with plenty of amps in reserve) is a lottery.
I've taken to smart charging a few hours before 11.30pm, so I know I'm going to, at least , get those hours on charge.
My M3 goes into the bodyshop for a bit of work- a none fault bump in early November- that could take weeks at best. Think I'll let octopus know beforehand and simply remove the car for a few months and reactivate my wall charger, using the timed scheduled.

Do you have an Ohme Pro?