Lessons learnt on pod point car chargers and solar

[Other_Tucker]

We just had a callback from a PV/Battery job because the car charger was working for 30s then turning red and stopping charging. We had disconnected it for a week, but it was reconnected and had power, maybe it needed resetting somehow.

No the thing had somehow detected there was solar power on the supply and was refusing to work without wanting a software update from its mfrs. How? IDK but it did it deliberately, don't spend hours testing and reading instructions

 

[Dave123]

Hi

How did you resolve this issue? I have exactly the same issue on a job.

Many thanks

 

[littlespark]

Not sure, but what it will be warning of is an overvoltage.

Solar will feed out a few volts more than the incoming grid, which might be above the charge points threshold.

That threshold might be able to be adjusted.

Does the property have PV? Or a close neighbour?

Turn off the PV isolator as a check to see if EV stays on.
You can check voltage with an MFT tester. Should be a difference between EV being on or off.

The higher limit from grid without PV is, off my head, 258v… (230 + 10%) if it’s higher than that, contact supplier.

 

[Dave123]

I I’m bought about over voltage but the property seems to be 236-246.

So well below 253 which is an over voltage.

Did you manage to get podpoint to adjust the voltage?

Thanks

 

[littlespark]

I haven’t fitted a podpoint, but I know other charge points have a similar warning or cutoff for overvoltage.

Other possibility are bad earth, if spike… or faulty charger itself.

 

[Dave123]

I haven’t fitted a podpoint, but I know other charge points have a similar warning or cutoff for overvoltage.

Other possibility are bad earth, if spike… or faulty charger itself.

Sorry that previous message made little sense.

I had just fitted PV yesterday, I’ve rang podpoint who said they will update settings. I’ll see what happens.

 

[Other_Tucker]

Hi, OP here, glad to help.

We called the mfrs of the car charger and explained the problem. They, from their end communicated with the charger as it's on wifi and magically changed an internal software setting so it knows it's on a solar/battery connected CU

Which begs a couple of questions, how does the f*king car charger tell the difference, it wasn't on the essential inverter output half of the split board. And why does it care? can the mfrs just set it to do both