EV chargers load curtailment & remote Ct. Recommend me a brand?

[1Justin]

Can anyone recommend an EV charger brand/type with load curtailment (throttling) which is easy to interface by manufacturers design, with a remote Ct clamp (via radio link)?

Situation as follows:

Customer in 18c manor house converted to flats, living third floor. Supply head is ~ 35M away with complex sub-main in 16mm singles inside 15mm copper water pipe (yes it is). Sub-main runs extremely difficult route through numerous old interlocking roof voids with level changes (owned by Others). Upgrade not impossible but a major difficulty, especially pulling in new SWA.
Supply head is 60A PME.
Customer has electric cooking (oven and induction hob), but no electric shower, and usual other electric domestic alliances etc, all on one floor.
The basic EV charger is remotely located about 40M in the opposite direction in a barn/garage. This is fed with SWA 10mm , EV charger on B32 breaker and is limited by original installer to 3.5 KW.

Customer has independently negotiated a price for DNO to upgrade the supply head, and has been intending to ask for EV charger to be unthrottled. I've advised him that with 16mm singles, in tight conduit, and possibly under insulation, he's not going to get a fuse upgrade recommendation for 100A or even 80A from me. I've been asked instead to price a new sub-main, but the route is a -------. - Really horrible.

Making use of Amendment 1, I would like a suggestion a brand and model of EV charger which will easily enable a remote-located Ct clamp for load curtailment of the charge rate, with a radio link (OK for ~ 40M and through some building materials), to a suitable replacement EV charger such that he can make the most of his 60A supply, and benefit form faster charging much of the time. I'd expect curtailment to kick in when washer/driers/oven/hob etc are all fired up. This may well be a lot easier (and probably cheaper) than an extremely difficult sub-main upgrade. Interface to EV charger ideally radio because new signal cable for that is also difficult. (Existing SWA is partly underground) . (Will also need open-PEN detector, separate or incorporated).

I'm not a registered EV installer with any of the brands so probably won't be picking that up even if it sounds good, but he needs a recommendation.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Obvious solution would the Myenergi Zappi as it can uses a Harvi for load management - the CT connects to Harvi which has a wireless link back to the zappi charger.
Here is where it gets complicated. if using a Harvi then the load curtailment is limited to a max load of 65A.
If you run a hardwired CT clamp from charger to incoming live tail then it can be 100A.
I Think the Harvi is probably the best option, as it has good range - I have had it connect with no issues over 40+ metres before now, with Harvi at front of house and charger at rear of back garden down behind a wall.

There is however a different option, if you install a matt:e with whole house/property load management then you could have a solution. this would allow any make of ev charger to be fitted
This is a standard pen fault matt:e with CT clamp, they come pre-configured to 60/80 or 100Amps, Place CT around live tail and install the most suitable one, so if 60Amp fuse - fit 60A version. the EV charger circuit simply loops in and out of the unit, if the ev max load being pulled into the property touches 60A then the matt:e disconnects the ev charger circuit to prevent an overload by the charger.
I fit a lot of these now and the local DNO WPD have been fine with this when there have been 60A looped supplies, discussion with the planners is key and they permit the charger to be installed and connected as long as this device is fitted as an alternative to digging the garden up and unlooping supply.

The load limiting units come in 60/80 or 100Amps and can have an RCBO if required or without. Cost £160 depending where you shop, cheaper if buying several units.

 

[1Justin]

Hi Gavin.
Thanks for the quick reply. I know of Myenergi and have looked at their products in the past, but not for a while.
The Matt:e (strange name) is a brand I have never come across so thank you for the quick pointer. Without much spare time, I might be away for a little while here digesting that and what I might do with it.
Useful tip.
Regards

 

[1Justin]

OK, that seemed straightforward enough. (Having checked Zapi 2 in more detail). I note your comment about the Harvi 65A limit for wireless and checking this on website agrees. 60A set it would be fine though. My outstanding concern about the range is (partly) eased by your 40M experience. I used to work with radio systems so I need some fairly good evidence. This one would be running from the CU location through probably several brick walls through intervening flats. (Not much easier if it were fitted at the supply head either, and also greater range). Think I'll talk to them about that one.

It turns out I had looked before at the Mat:e but hadn't twigged that strange brand name (It's SP-EVCP-R). This as you say would only offer full EV charger curtailment which is less than ideal. On another forum I also read that the contactor can be noisy under load. (It would be close to a bedroom since the CU is right inside the flat).

Thanks

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

OK, that seemed straightforward enough. (Having checked Zapi 2 in more detail). I note your comment about the Harvi 65A limit for wireless and checking this on website agrees. 60A set it would be fine though. My outstanding concern about the range is (partly) eased by your 40M experience. I used to work with radio systems so I need some fairly good evidence. This one would be running from the CU location through probably several brick walls through intervening flats. (Not much easier if it were fitted at the supply head either, and also greater range). Think I'll talk to them about that one.

It turns out I had looked before at the Mat:e but hadn't twigged that strange brand name (It's SP-EVCP-R). This as you say would only offer full EV charger curtailment which is less than ideal. On another forum I also read that the contactor can be noisy under load. (It would be close to a bedroom since the CU is right inside the flat).

Thanks

The earlier matt:e models had awful din rail and screws so the contactors vibrated. I havent had this on the newer models. No complaints from customers and fitted around 20 in last six months

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Another trick to extend the range of the harvi is use a cat5e to extend the CT Clamp then place the harvi outside in a plastic enclosure. This could avoid a lot of internal walls.
I have done this before as the house prefabricated concrete and like a bomb shelter. I drilled out and ran the cat5e and placed the harvi on corner of house this allowed a pretty clean line of sight to charger in rear garden.

 

[Daisy-evchargers]

Can anyone recommend an EV charger brand/type with load curtailment (throttling) which is easy to interface by manufacturers design, with a remote Ct clamp (via radio link)?

Situation as follows:

Customer in 18c manor house converted to flats, living third floor. Supply head is ~ 35M away with complex sub-main in 16mm singles inside 15mm copper water pipe (yes it is). Sub-main runs extremely difficult route through numerous old interlocking roof voids with level changes (owned by Others). Upgrade not impossible but a major difficulty, especially pulling in new SWA.
Supply head is 60A PME.
Customer has electric cooking (oven and induction hob), but no electric shower, and usual other electric domestic alliances etc, all on one floor.
The basic EV charger is remotely located about 40M in the opposite direction in a barn/garage. This is fed with SWA 10mm , EV charger on B32 breaker and is limited by original installer to 3.5 KW.

Customer has independently negotiated a price for DNO to upgrade the supply head, and has been intending to ask for EV charger to be unthrottled. I've advised him that with 16mm singles, in tight conduit, and possibly under insulation, he's not going to get a fuse upgrade recommendation for 100A or even 80A from me. I've been asked instead to price a new sub-main, but the route is a -------. - Really horrible.

Making use of Amendment 1, I would like a suggestion a brand and model of EV charger which will easily enable a remote-located Ct clamp for load curtailment of the charge rate, with a radio link (OK for ~ 40M and through some building materials), to a suitable replacement EV charger such that he can make the most of his 60A supply, and benefit form faster charging much of the time. I'd expect curtailment to kick in when washer/driers/oven/hob etc are all fired up. This may well be a lot easier (and probably cheaper) than an extremely difficult sub-main upgrade. Interface to EV charger ideally radio because new signal cable for that is also difficult. (Existing SWA is partly underground) . (Will also need open-PEN detector, separate or incorporated).

I'm not a registered EV installer with any of the brands so probably won't be picking that up even if it sounds good, but he needs a recommendation.

Hi , do you mean the home current balancing function between the ev chargers and home electrical appliances ??? Our ev chargers is with such functions. if you need it, maybe we can discuss more together

 

[ziggy256]

Obvious solution would the Myenergi Zappi as it can uses a Harvi for load management - the CT connects to Harvi which has a wireless link back to the zappi charger.
Here is where it gets complicated. if using a Harvi then the load curtailment is limited to a max load of 65A.
If you run a hardwired CT clamp from charger to incoming live tail then it can be 100A.
I Think the Harvi is probably the best option, as it has good range - I have had it connect with no issues over 40+ metres before now, with Harvi at front of house and charger at rear of back garden down behind a wall.

There is however a different option, if you install a matt:e with whole house/property load management then you could have a solution. this would allow any make of ev charger to be fitted
This is a standard pen fault matt:e with CT clamp, they come pre-configured to 60/80 or 100Amps, Place CT around live tail and install the most suitable one, so if 60Amp fuse - fit 60A version. the EV charger circuit simply loops in and out of the unit, if the ev max load being pulled into the property touches 60A then the matt:e disconnects the ev charger circuit to prevent an overload by the charger.
I fit a lot of these now and the local DNO WPD have been fine with this when there have been 60A looped supplies, discussion with the planners is key and they permit the charger to be installed and connected as long as this device is fitted as an alternative to digging the garden up and unlooping supply.

The load limiting units come in 60/80 or 100Amps and can have an RCBO if required or without. Cost £160 depending where you shop, cheaper if buying several units.

Hi Gavin, a load limiting device (80Amps) covering my whole house might be just what I need, do you have any more details on these devices please?