Adding a Storage Battery to a Myenergi Eddi/Zappi configuration

[@marktiller1383]

I have a Tesla powerwall2, and I only only have 1 CT from my zappi, (oversight by me ), I can get round paying for another CT. I just change the batteries reserve for grid outages to 100%, easy to do, just a slider on the app. It makes the solar work as solar only. So if you set the zappi as solar only, it doesn't drain the battery or use grid to charge your car. So easy peasy with the versitility of a powerwall2. I've had my powerwall2 since August 2017, and I've been extremely pleased with it.

[@MarkyMark1668]

Great explanation. Thank you. Agree it would be best to have all the information available and programmable in an app.

[@chrisp7839]

"if only MyEnergi made their own battery and it was integrated into the configuration" - well, 4 years later - about to have a Eddie/libbi/zappi installed alongside my solar panels.

[@peterseddon8363]

The Moixa system I have is similar in its response, it takes time to respond to changes in solar output and home usage. This may be to prevent the battery being shocked and so prolong its life.

[@scottallan8239]

I’ve just bought the MyEnergi Zappi, Eddie, Harvi and hub to go with my PV array and battery, tbh I’m a bit lost as to how to set up the system with the CT clamp placements, channels etc so your video was really helpful. Ty 👍 Do you gave the Esense wire connected in the Zappi? I’m trying to find out where the other end of the cable attaches too.

[@davidramsay6142]

Let's hope myenergi do get into the battery solution and a seamless integration of their system. I am holding off buying EV charging and the power diverted to see if they do come up with a complete solution as I will need a battery late next year earliest or the following year as my solar PV expands.

[@philiponsolent7232]

Hello Nigel, where did you connect your battery ct clamp for the Harvi? I am trying to connect my Givenrgy battery but there doesn't appear to be enough power to turn the Harvi on.

[@EVPuzzle]

Harvi doesn't need power it uses power from the magnetic field of a live cable . I connect to my Eddi directly on a CT input I don't use a Harvi

[@philiponsolent7232]

Thanks for the reply, I was putting the CT clamps around a cable to induce the power to run the Harvi. I didn't appreciate that you can't use a DC cable to run the Harvi. I had to get my electrician to put the CT clamps inside the switch box. I also didn't know that you can run the Harvi from a 9 to 12v supply using a spare CT slot.

[@EVPuzzle]

No worries, yeah Hybrid inverters and DC aren't easy with the Myenergi kit

[@Joiedevivredesilives]

The Powervault does exactly that it will lower the grid charge or increase battery output if no solar. Plus you can manually adapt if you so desire Like today I have had it on charge from solar only.

[@Wayne-Jones]

Did you need a hybrid inverter as well as the battery? Or how did you get your battery power back to your mains supply?

[@noname1st139]

I am not seeing any info for my batteries, should there be a CT fitted on there too,I can see solar, grid car, is this the issue you faced? Thank you

[@EVPuzzle]

Yes you need a CT for any AC connected batteries to see them. If you've got a hybrid battery system then you aren't able to see them via myenergi. There's no DC power CT clamp

[@noname1st139]

@@EVPuzzle ah I see, that explains a lot, thanks for explaining that, was a head scratcher ha ha 👍

[@ek9772]

I did not realize until today that you had a Fronius and Victron product installation.

[@EVPuzzle]

It was Victron but now GivEnergy

[@ek9772]

@@EVPuzzle aha! So, it is part of the battery. Thanks. I have been researching batteries, and believe it or not I have been drawn to gel Lead batteries using a Multiplus II GX inverter from Victron as an ESS. It would need about 27.6-kWh of batteries, but available storage is only about 13.8-kWh. It should last for 9.3-years with this last amount available 100%, and if %DOD is 30% of 27.6-kWh, it should last over 13-years. A bank like this has 24 cells of 2-volts each. The cost for battery and inverter / charger is £4,900, and the cost per kWh is £0.0824.

[@EVPuzzle]

Very interesting. I too like the Victron Multiplus II but I'm favouring pylontech batteries but I'll look at these. Have you got a link for them. Curious.

[@ek9772]

@@EVPuzzle I looked into the Pylon Tech as well, but do a comparison of costs per kWh. autosolar.es/baterias-estacionarias-opzv-2v/bateria-estacionaria-576ah-2v-opzv-ultracell-uzv580-2 Remember that neither Lithium nor Lead like temperature extremes. So, whatever chemistry you choose, make sure you solve for temperature extremes.

[@ek9772]

@@EVPuzzlethese particular batteries by the way are manufactured in Liverpool in the U.K. ultracell.co.uk/www.ultracell.co.uk/products/uzv-batteries/2v.html

[@hicksonb]

Hi Nigel, I know this video is getting on but the principles are all valid. I note you have several ct’s at both ends of some of the circuits. Can I ask are you using multiple Harvi’s and have you now got home assistant involved too?

[@EVPuzzle]

Still not needing a Harvi. 2 cT on the Zappi and one on the Eddi are enough for grud, solar and battery . My other CTs are for Solaredge and a stand alone In house display

[@hicksonb]

@@EVPuzzle thanks for the response Nigel. No Harvi as I’ve a heat pump. All gear in the attic and CU 2 floors below in utility. Zappi 5ms to the right of that, so all too far from each other. Like you said in this video the info is sparse, but based on your video and 2 forum posts it looks like I need 2 Harvis, clamps on batt and PV in attic and Harvi with 1 clamp in CU for solar trip. That’s my guess anyway 😀

[@EVPuzzle]

Just so you know I extended one ct to reach the Zappi and that works fine . Worth a try

[@robmog88]

Nigel, was this video done before you realised the battery wasn’t working correctly? Will it make a difference when the faulty battery is replaced?

[@EVPuzzle]

Sort of. The impact of the dodgy battery isn't fully known. It appears to work ok between 99% and 40 % apart from consuming much more energy than I get back out

[@MrRichhole]

Now you have Multiplus with house on Critical Loads, how does Zappi know what the true solar excess is? Excess = Solar - Multiplus. But if Multiplus is feeding house via Critical Loads from its battery, then Zappi will see a Multiplus load of 0kW and so assume all the solar is excess. It then takes this resulting in battery discharge. Thanks

[@EVPuzzle]

Not sure what problem your referring to but my Zappi CT looks just at my solar output, it doesn't see the Victron at all. The only down side is the House use values in myenergi app are zero when the load is covered by the battery

[@otooleniall]

Myenergi are working on their own battery system. Systems take time to react and windy broken cloud days are hard for them to react to fast enough.

[@sjcsystems]

I don't understand that argument. When you consider the commercial battery arrays that come on-stream in milliseconds or less to smooth frequency or supply power, as in South Australia, then this must be a limitation on what can be done in a domestic environment. This sort of echoes that dreadful FullyCharged video when Robert had a power cut simulated and it took seconds to switch to battery.

[@theundertaker8273]

What do you think about sunsynk? I'm planning installation in near future and from opinion on Internet they looks decent

[@chriswilkinson7774]

Hi, for your battery set up do you have a separate inverter in front of the battery?

[@EVPuzzle]

Yes I do it's a bolt on ac coupled system rather than a hybrid inverter config

[@Miko-si9vw]

How to connect the batteries to make it work together to make the app manage what has priority

[@EVPuzzle]

Myenergi Hub gets the App working and controls priority of devices plus setting an export margin too

[@RichardOzanne]

Have you tried simulating a power cut yet, Nigel? It'd be interesting to see how a fully/partly charged battery dealt with that. I would guess there would be a few tenths of a second for the various gizmos to do their thing then it would fully run the house on stored power. Well, that's what I would hope for!

[@EVPuzzle]

Rick, the Victron inverter has a circuit for powecuts but it's only meant to power a circuit for emergency lights and or a plug or two, it doesn't power the whole house like a Powerwall. As this is a test we've not wired anything in at all

[@maramé.r]

MyEnergi now produce the Libbi battery unit

[@MichaelDoran23]

Is this an AC battery or DC battery install?

[@EVPuzzle]

If you follow my other battery videos you'll see apart from the Huawei install they were all AC, Puredrive, Givenergy and Victron

[@MichaelDoran23]

@The EV Puzzle is there a way to separate a dc battery to a different icon. My battery and generation are coming from the same icon and I can't see my generation. However I can see it from my inverter

[@EVPuzzle]

Not on myenergi no it has to be generation /battery. Myenergi only works with AC batteries really

[@marcbruneel1858]

Maybe the small spikes comes from the delay if the harvi's. Like you use an Bluetooth headset to listen to a TV program and come to the conclusion you've don't have lipsynchronisation any more.

[@EVPuzzle]

I'm aware the Zappi and Eddi reduce or increase rates by halfing them halfing again and again etc until the right level is reached. The various steps in reduction cause the delays I believe. I can only guess the battery works the same and doesn't add 2.3kw in one big jump

[@marcbruneel1858]

@@EVPuzzle what I thought becomes true. Most of the off the shelve systems works digitally, even with current clamps, instead of an analog. The Belgian smart meters have 2 output ports for the customer, a normal digital one with 1 sec update rate and a fast pulsed one with a refresh rate I think of 2000 per second. (It can be 10000 also) I don't own one yet and are not yet in the planning.

[@gavinpearson8854]

I have to say that my Powerwall does not suffer this problem - it reacts within seconds. As an example my system has generated a choppy 7.89 kWh today thus far and I have imported 0.04 kWh - according to SolarEdge. According to Tesla I have imported 0.1 kWh - my guess this is a rounding error based on display restrictions. I do not yet have any other smart tech though.

[@EVPuzzle]

Gavin, it's the smart tech that's the problem, mostly. Without the Eddi or Zappi it's s lot less complex and uses less grid resource, hence my search for clear priority settings to limit which device is receiving the Energy

[@gavinpearson8854]

@@EVPuzzle - could you do a test where you, temporarily, turn off all the smart stuff like the zappi and eddi and only have the battery and solar to test the theory?

[@EVPuzzle]

Yes, that's the sort of thing I'm doing. Tried and failed the other day to not use the induction hob. One day I'll get a clear day to do just that. Turning Eddi off is easy and Zappi isn't in use these days at all

[@johnrogers1423]

Is your battery AC or DC coupled?

[@EVPuzzle]

AC

[@johnrogers1423]

Thanks.

[@simonbroddle754]

These seem awfully complicated. I've had my initial array for over 12 years so getting a nice FIT as well. Why not take the house "off grid" and only use power from the batteries, then you don't need Eddi's and most of the other stuff. You never export anything and you only import to charge batteries. That you can do on a low tariff using Octopus Agile or something similar (if you actually need to!).

[@MikeIOW2]

If you're on FIT, it is likely you are "grid-tied". This means if you do what you suggest, you would lose your FIT payments.....

[@mollyfilms]

This is exactly why consumers won’t be buying this on mass. To complicated and not user friendly M.