GivEnergy Visual Content Manager, Andy Rogerson, aka EV Man (EVM), recently did his first Instagram Live.
The video has also been posted on the GivEnergy YouTube channel.
In the video, Andy answered your questions about GivEnergy kit. He discussed:
- Wi-Fi dongles
- Guidance on home battery installations in lofts
- GivEnergy Gateway
- GivEnergy All in One
… and a whole lot more.
Read below to find the written version of what Andy mentioned in the video.
“Hello!
I’m Andy. Some of you may know me as EVM.
I’ve got lots of questions which have been sent to me beforehand. So, without further ado, let’s get started.”
Question 1: Is GivEnergy considering DIY for additional installs?
“Unfortunately, the answer is no.
You still have to go down the GivEnergy approved installer route. That’s because we need to maintain standards when it comes to installation.
Even for customers who have all the technical knowhow, approved installation is still necessary for safety reasons. Not to mention this validates the 12-year warranty.”
Question 2: What are your plans regarding Wi-Fi dongles?
“The answer to this comes straight from Head of Testing & Systems Security, Paul Landregan (aka the Stig of GivEnergy).
The Wi-Fi 6 dongle is in development right now. They’re currently undergoing testing.
You’ll be able to turn off local access point on request.
There’s also TLS, end-to-end encryption, and everything else you’d expect from a modern Wi-Fi dongle.
Hopefully, we’re not too far away from that being released.”
Question 3: Can you install batteries in lofts?
“There are a lot of things to consider when answering this question.
Too much to mention in this video.
We might do a video on this in future.
Essentially, this relates to the new PAS 63100:2024 guidelines.
If you want to find out what GivEnergy has to say about this, you can read our blog post.”
Question 4: What is happening with the Gateway Island Mode firmware?
“We are aware that some installers are running into testing anomalies when commissioning All in One battery systems in an off-grid state.
We have a solution which we are implementing during commission. This will resolve the vast majority of issues. If issues persist, you can contact support.
For those not aware, the Gateway is the device that enables you to keep the electricity running in your property in the event of a power cut.
Just having a home battery isn’t enough to power your property in the event of a grid outage. You need to have a Gateway.
There may be a video coming out on this topic in future.”
Question 5: Why do GivEnergy batteries require a canopy, even though they are IP65-rated?
“The reason for the canopy is ventilation.
On the top of the inverter is a heat sink, similar to the one you’d find on your laptop. It’s there to allow the device to cool when it gets too hot.
If the heat sink is full of leaves or other debris, this could stop it from cooling down.
Similar to how a laptop heat sink works. If it’s full of dust, it won’t be able to get rid of the heat.
In a nutshell, that’s what the canopy is for.
My battery at home is in the garage. However, if it were outside, we would need a canopy.
Again, we may do a video on this topic in future.”
Question 6: How does UK weather affect the performance of batteries installed outside?
“Anyone with experience driving an electric car will know the answer to this already.
When you drive an electric car in winter, the battery has slightly reduced range due to the cold.
Batteries work less efficiently in cold weather. Home batteries are no different.
This is true of all home battery brands and is not something unique to GivEnergy.
I have already done a video on this topic.
It’s all to do with the temperature of the battery cells inside the unit. If the temperature falls to below 10 degrees Centigrade or below, this will affect the performance of the battery.
Below 5 degrees Centigrade and you might see something like a 10% drop in efficiency.
Lower than 0 degrees Centigrade and the battery will stop charging, though it will still discharge.
Below -10 degrees Centigrade and the battery will stop discharging.
The way to keep the temperature of the battery stable is to regularly charge and discharge.
For me, I charge my battery at night when importing electricity is cheaper because I’m on a time-of-day tariff. Even if I weren’t on a time-of-day tariff, I would still charge my batteries at night when it’s really cold during the worst weeks of winter.
This means the battery will maintain a certain amount of heat during the day until it can be charged again.
The temperature of the battery is something you can monitor via the GivEnergy app.”
Question 7: As an installer, can I buy from you directly?
“Unfortunately, you cannot.
That’s not because we don’t like you. It’s simply because we only sell in bulk – container sized volumes.
So, to buy from us, you will have to go through a wholesaler. You can find a list on the website.”
Question 8: Are there any plans to add Google Home integration to GivEnergy systems?
“At this stage, the answer is no.
The automation that we want to concentrate on is using the app.
Google Home Assistant can be integrated with the GivEnergy app.
This is how we want the integration with other apps to work. So, Google Home integration is not something that’s going to happen anytime soon.”
Question 9: Can you connect solar to the All in One
“Yes.
All you need is a separate inverter. At present, the All in One is an AC coupled inverter which connects to the battery. To connect to solar panels, you’ll need a separate inverter.
I have a hybrid inverter. This means that one inverter can connect to both the solar panels and the battery.”
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed this live Q&A and would like to get involved next time, follow us on social media to get upcoming dates and to send in your queries. We look forward to chatting!
