There are three different solar charging modes:
Eco
A dynamic mode that will continue charging if generation drops below the charging threshold. Eco Mode will use energy from the grid to top up the rate of charge if needed.
How it works:
- Eco Mode automatically detects when surplus is being fed to the grid.
- If more than 1.4kW of surplus is detected, Eco Mode will start a charge.
- If this surplus drops below the 1.4kW threshold, power will be drawn from the grid to make up the difference and continue charging.
- If the surplus level remains below 1.0kW for more than 5 minutes, Eco Mode will stop charging.
Eco+
A solar-only mode designed to use surplus generation exclusively. Will stop automatically if the surplus does not meet minimum charging requirements.
How it works:
- Eco+ Mode automatically detects when surplus is being fed to the grid.
- If more than 1.4kW of surplus is detected, Eco+ Mode will begin a timer before charging. This is to check that the level of surplus will be consistent enough to charge.
- Eco+ Mode will continue to charge until the surplus generation drops below the threshold of 1.4kW, at which point a six minute timer will begin. Charging will continue if the surplus generation climbs back over the threshold within this time frame. If the surplus threshold is not met during six minutes, Eco+ Mode will stop charging.
- During these timers, energy will be pulled from the grid so charging can continue.
Max
Uses a combination of solar surplus and grid energy to charge at the maximum possible rate.
Integration with other S&P App Features
Solar charging modes are designed to work seamlessly with any other schedules you may have set. Users are also able to override solar charging at any time if they require a faster charge using grid energy.
Schedules
Users can use both Solar Charging and Scheduled Charging at once. If both Solar Charging and a Schedule are active, Solar Charging will turn off during the scheduled times and charging will continue at full power from the grid. Once the schedule ends, the chargepoint will revert back to Solar Charging automatically.
Override
Users can override Solar Charging at any time with the Override button. When Solar Charging is overridden, the chargepoint will charge at full power from the grid. If Override is turned off, or the vehicle completes its charge, the chargepoint will revert back to Solar Charging automatically.
How do I access solar modes in the app?
- Solar charging can be turned on from the settings menu. You can access this by pressing the cog in the top right corner of the home screen.
- Once you're in the Settings menu, turn on Solar Charging under the 'General' tab.
- Once you've turned on Solar Charging, two new options should appear on the Home Screen. Tap these to turn on Eco or Eco+ mode.
