GivEnergy EV charge point installation & Solar integration - Never empty your battery again!!!

Let take a look at installing, commissioning and setting up the awesome ‪@givenergy‬ EV charge point and integrate it with an existing solar PV system and 5kW GE hybrid inverter.
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We also discuss buried cable depths, PEN faults and outdoor consumer units.
I really like these charge points in terms of installation and they integrate well with GE setups. However I have heard of some curious fault notifications from a good friend who has one.
I will be putting one on my system soon to see if it ends the house battery drain both my wallbox and prior Zappi have given from time to time.
Check out www.powersonic.co for any EV or PV proposals and dont forget to like and subscribe!
Thanks

[@mark_just_mark]

Is that a funky new video intro???😎

[@electrician247]

An experiment with editing lol.

[@sergiofernandez3725]

Nice work Mark

[@lughead7632]

Hi Mark, great video. Can I ask what version of the GE app you are using in the video. Mine is 3.3.7 and I can't find that "stop the ev discharging the battery" setting. Many thanks.

[@flyingpigmx4083]

Hi Mark , what software you using for the design aspect please ?

[@electrician247]

Modecsoft electricalOM

[@DragonXDrei]

Should mention that the GivEnergy gateway can only take 40amps, so if you have too many panels, it won't read them.

[@electrician247]

This install doesn’t feature a gateway. I assume you mean the PV input to a gateway? That’s some sized domestic array to be above 40A lol dare say most G99 circumstances would limit things before the capacity of an AIO/gateway. Still ways to accommodate bigger systems with a gateway using Lora and direct connection to the consumer unit. In terms of reading the panels, the gateway doesn’t work like that. It takes an AC input from a separate PV inverter. So you are half right and half wrong.

[@munirshafi2647]

How do you turn off the blue LEDs at the front of the unit to stop the neighbours complaining as they flash a lot.

[@martinphipp3571]

Via the portal. You can disable the lights

[@SPDTDL]

Just purchased a 4 year old new build. It has an EV charger installed using 2.5mm T&A, with a 25A MCB on the consumer unit. Charger has been capped to 25A using dip switches inside the unit. When I plug my car in, as expected it’s capped at 25A which is fast enough for me. Is this OK or should I be expecting a house fire? 😅

[@electrician247]

That would depend on the cable installation method. Conduit, in insulation or clipped direct. Not a setup I would recommend tbh

[@SPDTDL]

@@electrician247 Thanks for the reply. I managed to find out it’s 'clipped direct'. However, below the consumer unit is a switch that enables me to turn the EV charger on and off. 20A Double Pole switch. I assume this would not be a good thing having 25A passed through it?

[@electrician247]

@@SPDTDL yes that should be replaced for a suitably sized isolator. Tbh I would want the circuit adjusting. I would doubt very much it is ungrouped and not in any insulation along its run.

[@Blackf1ngers]

So would we not be better off to do away with PEN fault systems (which clearly have issues and limitations not only what you have outlined here, but also voltage issues, external metallic pipework, lighting etc) and simply install a supplementary TT rod to all electrical installations. Perhaps as a mandatory upgrade for all new notifiable works, not just EV installs?

[@electrician247]

We are guided by BS7671 that we should be installing earth rods as a support for PME connections. However with the PME still in place and the way earthing systems in the ground work it wouldn’t remove that danger in urban areas. Equally moving to purely TT is counter intuitive. The risk generally with lights and metal work is limited as interaction is low. The issue with EVSE and solar to a point is the detection and subsequent direction of consumers to those locations. That’s the big and important difference for me anyway