Mg5 not charging properly with zappi after service

[Ian MG5]

Hi all
I had solar panels fitted just over a week ago and have had a problem when charging from solar
It was charging fine from the start of the charging session but if a cloud past over or we turned an appliance on in the house it would come up with an error “RCD/PEN PROTECTION TRIP”

so I would have to reset it but the fault continued
So I called myenergi and they talked me through how to factory reset the zappi now all is good
I wonder if a factory reset may help your problem
???????

 

[Jomarkh]

Hi Ian, do you have an Eddi too?
My solar and battery went in last week and got a fair bit of free power from the sun in on Tuesday while at work.
Does all the correct information show up in your app?

 

[Ian MG5]

Hi Ian, do you have an Eddi too?
My solar and battery went in last week and got a fair bit of free power from the sun in on Tuesday while at work.
Does all the correct information show up in your app?

Hi
Just got solar at the minute battery packs due in next month
Yes I’m sending a fair bit of solar into the car (car battery @ 85%)now error has been fixed on the zappi
Can’t wait for my battery pack as I am sending electric to the grid at the minute and not even being paid for it as I am waiting for my DNO to send to octopus

???????

 

[mourneuk]

Wait…you need to send something to your provider to be paid for exports? I’ve been exporting for 2 months while waiting for my battery and no one has mentioned needing to send something to British Gas, and Octopus didn’t mention anything now I’ve switched to them.

 

[smokie]

Have you signed up for exports?

 

[mourneuk]

Have you signed up for exports?

Nope, wasn’t mentioned by the company that installed the panels and wasn’t mentioned by Octopus when I switched to them last week and even discussed having solar and exporting when on the phone to them.

 

[mourneuk]

Nope, wasn’t mentioned by the company that installed the panels and wasn’t mentioned by Octopus when I switched to them last week and even discussed having solar and exporting when on the phone to them.

Hmm reading up on it it HAS to have been done by the company installing the panels so maybe it was in the paperwork I signed when agreeing to the install and I have just forgotten. I'll have to call to check. Sigh.

 

[Ian MG5]

Hi
It was the covering letter in my info pack from the installer that told me what was in the pack and that I had to forward the MCS and the DNO certificate to my energy supplier
I’ve just received the link from octopus today so I will have a good read of it on my day off
???????

 

[Andrewpmg5]

Ya, I suspect its something to do with the car alright. I found another forum where they explained that cars that start/stop charging too frequently think there is a problem with the charger and to protect the car, it sends a "complete" signal to the charger so that it will stop sending any more power. This would be especially true on days this time of year where there is more intermittent clouds coming and going (so more start/stop on the eco + mode). They suggested changing the start/stop time frame to 240 seconds. This is a setting on the Zappi itself (can't do it through the app). Essentially what that then does is it tells the Zappi to continue charging at the minimum 1.4kw for up to 240 seconds after the surplus has gone below 1.4kw. On a decent day, there is a better chance that the sun will have come back out from behind a passing cloud by then and as far as the car is concerned, the charge was never interrupted so it never thinks there is any problem... That's the theory anyway. I set mine to 120seconds and I've had some good success with it. The charge complete did happen today but we had a really weird day today with lots of sun but lots of large clouds so there was many interruptions. The theory sounds about right and from what I can see in the logs, it goes to charge complete after about 7 interruptions. Hope that helps. I might have to increase mine to 240 instead of 120 as we move into September and will have more spotty weather. My theory though is that the latest software update introduced a battery safety check "feature" which is causing this issue for us

Thanks for your help on this! Wonder if zappi might be possible to get zappi to ignore the charge complete future releases.

 

[EVsince2016]

I have a Zappi v1, Eddi and of course solar PV.

The problem that I get with the MG5 is that it sometimes just ramps up to 7.2kw charging on Eco++ instead of just using spare power. So frustrating plugging / unplugging it until it works properly.

Eddi also sits on 'waiting for surplus' despite large amounts being exported. Software upgraded, extension lead for Rf58 cable, many calls to myenergie.

My next attempt to resolve issues to to move the hub apparently!

 

[mourneuk]

I have a Zappi v1, Eddi and of course solar PV.

The problem that I get with the MG5 is that it sometimes just ramps up to 7.2kw charging on Eco++ instead of just using spare power. So frustrating plugging / unplugging it until it works properly.

Eddi also sits on 'waiting for surplus' despite large amounts being exported. Software upgraded, extension lead for Rf58 cable, many calls to myenergie.

My next attempt to resolve issues to to move the hub apparently!

Mine always did that and it turned out the clamp was in the wrong place.

 

[ElectricBenSolar]

Just installed a Zappi2 latest firmware, and Facelift MG5, seems to have the same issue: after a few clouds, stops charging, and have to reinitiate the charge from the MG5 app, not great...

I was hoping to just leave it on ECO+ and forget about it. (Another one of those things you find out only when it's too late, you have an issue and do a search and find it is in fact an issue, otherwise how would you know what to search for before buying all the hardware... Better than nothing I suppose but slightly annoying considering all the promises).

I understand it may well be a limitation with the MG5 software, and perhaps the Zappi not being able to push through a charge notification or something. But so far I have wasted quite a lot of energy being sent back to the grid as my car hasn't used it. Eddi tanks are full etc.

I wonder if there is a fix somehow without reducing the eco load (MGL), or extending the timer as others have suggested, this would only use more grid power, which is against the whole idea of using excess solar, "free" energy. MG could do an update?

 

[EVsince2016]

Just installed a Zappi2 latest firmware, and Facelift MG5, seems to have the same issue: after a few clouds, stops charging, and have to reinitiate the charge from the MG5 app, not great...

I was hoping to just leave it on ECO+ and forget about it. (Another one of those things you find out only when it's too late, you have an issue and do a search and find it is in fact an issue, otherwise how would you know what to search for before buying all the hardware... Better than nothing I suppose but slightly annoying considering all the promises).

I understand it may well be a limitation with the MG5 software, and perhaps the Zappi not being able to push through a charge notification or something. But so far I have wasted quite a lot of energy being sent back to the grid as my car hasn't used it. Eddi tanks are full etc.

I wonder if there is a fix somehow without reducing the eco load (MGL), or extending the timer as others have suggested, this would only use more grid power, which is against the whole idea of using excess solar, "free" energy. MG could do an update?

Just call MyEnergi support. There are loads of settings on Zappi to get around that.

My MG5 hates cloudy days on Zappi and the car eventually goes to sleep so you have to consider the Eco setting or just unplug / re-plug sometimes.

When Eddi is full, I run the heating pumps to release more space if I'm out

 

[Les burrows]

Hi I have had a mk1 MG5 SR and now the new one and the Zappi 2 for more than 2 years working with my solar array and had the very same issue, when the clouds came across it would pause the charge on Eco++ and after many attempts to avoid it I just gave up and only use Eco+ now which delivers around 1.4kw continuously along with any excess from the PV system,
True it takes that 1.4 from the grid but my concern was the contractors in the car being worn out or damaged with all the switching on and off so many times, so for what it takes from the grid a replacement inverter or built in charger in the car that would be a hell of a lot more than the cost of 1.4 kws and it still takes all the solar excess and puts it in the car.
Les

 

[ElectricBenSolar]

Hi I have had a mk1 MG5 SR and now the new one and the Zappi 2 for more than 2 years working with my solar array and had the very same issue, when the clouds came across it would pause the charge on Eco++ and after many attempts to avoid it I just gave up and only use Eco+ now which delivers around 1.4kw continuously along with any excess from the PV system,
True it takes that 1.4 from the grid but my concern was the contractors in the car being worn out or damaged with all the switching on and off so many times, so for what it takes from the grid a replacement inverter or built in charger in the car that would be a hell of a lot more than the cost of 1.4 kws and it still takes all the solar excess and puts it in the car.
Les

Hi Les, thanks for your reply. Yes, that makes total sense, I hadn't considered it may reduce the lifespan of internal parts in the car, I was just assuming it was either charging or not charging... A bit like a battery charger in the house. In which case, 1.4kw from the grid does sound the cheaper option, and makes sense why it's been changed by the manufacturers to do this rather than on / off etc. ?