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Zappi Smart Chargers
- Thread starter Hairyman
- Start date
Send message to Anthony Agius (@decryption on Twitter). He’s got one and writes EV articles for drivezero.com.au and I’m sure he’d be happy to help you.
baillies
Member
Direct link to review for convenience
https://www.drivezero.com.au/charging/review-myenergi-zappi-ev-charger/
I've just discovered that the Telsa supplied charger is not "smart" in that it will draw energy from the grid if it needs to. I now realise that Tesla a going to supply me a product which won't be useful to me as I want to maximise my solar charging from panels.
That was a really helpful video Scully, thanks.
That was a really helpful video Scully, thanks.
There are some good Australian you tubers doing ev stuff. Also look up ludicrous feed and tesla in the gong.
I just found Tesla in the Gong's blog... hilarious!
How am I going to focus on finding answers to the home charging issue! Too many distractions!
Well, yes. I would think though that on Tesla’s “to do” list is to provide a smart charging capability for those with a PW2 and a Tesla, since Tesla can communicate with both, it knows when there is solar excess, and could tell your Tesla to take the excess.
Until then, adjust your charging timers to maximise solar charging. That’s what we did with our LEAF - on the 3 days of the week it is not driven to work, it starts charging at 07:30 hence takes the solar (if there is any). It only draws 2.4 kW so anything above that goes into PW2.
Chuq
Active Member
“if there is any”. That’s surely the problem. In Sydney, often the clear skies are variable, with periods of cloud interrupting good sunshine.
Maybe I’m overthinking it!
The occasional cloud doesn’t matter much. It needs to be overcast for extended periods to not generate any meaningful solar. I guess my point was that, since we don’t have a “smart” system, the next best option is to manually shift demand to maximise the likelihood of charging with solar. It won’t always work, but it does work a majority of the time.
In the best case of clear sunny days, we now have 38 kWh of battery that can store sun energy (24 kWh in the LEAF and 14 kWh in the PW2) hence maximise self-consumption and hold on to power that would otherwise be exported to the grid. And the worst case is there is no solar and the LEAF charges from the grid - but at the “shoulder” tariff in the morning, not peak.
The other thing is because we have a battery, if we are not charging the car overnight but charging in the morning, the battery is generally not empty. So if there is little or no solar, it will charge from the PW2. If the sun comes and goes, it will sometimes draw from PW2, sometimes from solar directly. I estimate our car is charged from solar directly or indirectly over 80% of the time.
Dborn
Confirmed
Powershop now has an EV tariff that for me in Sydney is 7.94c/kWh. This is between midnight and 4 am. Hardly worth the expense of doing anything else!!
How much will it charge in 4 hours given an optimal setup? Also is that EV tariff for the whole house and not just the EV? The meter would not be able to discriminate would it. So could u run your heating/AC on that rate too. I am also on Powershop and plan to switch several properties to the EV tariff If I can.
Perhaps it might be worth the expense of a Zappi if one does not already have a Wall connector, have solar and a need to charge during the day as well.
I’m using this plan with Powershop. With the HPWC and a 3 phase connection you can get 44kWh into your car during the low tariff period (0000-0400). It does seem that the incidental consumption in your house gets charged at the same rate, although I am not exactly certain.
In NSW Powershop will pay you more for your excess solar during the day than it costs you overnight to fill the car. For that reason I have not gone with a Zappi.
Dborn
Confirmed
I run whatever i can at that rate. There is no discrimination. So, yes, i run my spa and aircon. I get 100km per hour on my 3 phase setup, but I have dual chargers on my 85 from 2014. Plenty of time to fully charge from empty.
All good info. Interestingly I am with Powershop at three properties, none of which are on the EV plan. While investigating the deal I see these EV plans involve time of use charges that range from the super cheap tarrif 0000-0400 that may only be 9c depending on which state you live in, to over 40c at peak which is very high (42 in Vic). Whereas my existing Powershop plan is flat rate at 28c 24/7.
So unless one is routinely charging the car every night, to take advantage of the EV tarrif, the higher peak rate for power consumption in the late afternoon and evening could ameliorate quite a bit of the EV gains. Food for thought.
Indeed, food for thought.
That's why it doesn't make sense to me that powershop offers this rate. In fact, I'd rather they charge me less at the shoulder times as they are the high cost times for me (unless it's cloudy).
