Eco Mode

What is Eco Mode?

Eco Mode, short for Economical Mode, is a smart charging solution integrated into all Zaptec home installations. This feature optimises charging based on energy costs and user-configured settings like departure time, energy requirements, and price zone.

How does Eco Mode work?

• Data gathering: Eco Mode collects information such as desired departure time, minimum energy (kWh), delivery area, energy cost, and available power to optimise charging and calculate how long the car needs to be finished by the specified time.
• Real-time pricing: Utilising day-ahead spot prices from Nord Pool, Eco Mode will collect prices for the coming 24-hour period ensuring accurate and real-time data for more precise charging.
• Zone selection: In the Zaptec app, you can select the exact price zone where your charger is located. Nord Pool prices vary by zone: Norway has five, Sweden four, Denmark two, and Finland one. If you don't log in to the Zaptec Portal to choose your specific zone, the default selections are NO1 for Norway, SE3 for Sweden, DK1 for Denmark, and FI1 for Finland.
  • Note: If you're unsure of your delivery area, please contact your power company
    Eco Mode is available in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, and the Netherlands where most customers have spot tariffs. If you have fixed prices (the same rate regardless of the time of day), Eco Mode won't provide financial benefits, just a delayed charging start. However, activating Eco Mode can still save capacity for others and benefit the electric grid, so we recommend using it even with a flat tariff.

Technical description 

When Eco Mode is enabled, the start time for charging is determined by two factors: your preferred settings and the current energy cost. Essentially, when you plug in your EV, the charger sends important data to Eco Mode to optimise the charging process.

Let's simulate a session manually with a charging speed of 5kWh. 

1. Estimate charging duration: Based on your preferred settings, Eco Mode first calculates how many hours are needed to achieve the desired charge.
2. Identify cheapest starting hour: Eco Mode finds the cheapest hour between when the car is plugged in and the departure time you set. This hour becomes the starting point for charging. For example, if the cheapest hour is from 11:00 pm to 11:59 pm, Eco Mode will plan to charge 5kWh during this time.
3. Compare energy prices: After selecting the initial hour, Eco Mode compares the energy prices before and after the planned hour. For instance, it will compare prices at 10:00 pm and 1:00 am. It will always choose the cheaper option.
   • Note: If the prices before and after the planned hour are the same, Eco Mode will choose the earlier hour, potentially starting the charging sooner. 
     
4. Repeat until complete: This process repeats until the desired amount of energy (kWh) is planned and achieved.

Activating Eco Mode

You can activate Eco Mode in the Zaptec app or Zaptec Portal. This will affect all charging stations connected to your installation.  Remember that power usage on distance can vary by vehicles and outside temperatures.

• In the Zaptec app: head to Chargers > Zaptec Services, and tap Eco Mode to configure settings and activate.
  Upon your next charging session, the charger's LED will turn green. You may notice charging scheduled for later. To start a session before the scheduled time, tap Start charging under Home in the app. To pause or stop a session, tap Pause charging.
• In Zaptec Portal:  navigate to Installations and choose the desired one. Access Settings, then enable Eco Mode under Power Management.
  
  

FAQs about Eco Mode

• How does Eco Mode and Zaptec Sense work together? Both services can be active simultaneously in a Home installation. Zaptec Sense prevents fuse overload, while Eco Mode ensures charging kicks in during the most cost-effective times.
  
  
• Can I use Eco Mode with third-party services like Tibber or Enegic? No, Eco Mode requires full control by Zaptec for optimal performance. If you enable Eco Mode it is no longer possible to update the available current using the public API. Third-party services will be deactivated if you activate Eco Mode. This means that you will not be able to use Smart Charging controls in third- party apps for Zaptec chargers. The third-party service will automatically be activated when you deactivate Eco Mode.
  
  
• Does Eco Mode work with multiple Zaptec Go chargers at home? Yes, Eco Mode affects all chargers in the system when activated, regardless of the quantity. Eco Mode uses manual power management (L1, L2, L3) to delay the charging start.
  
  
• Does Eco Mode consider the battery level of the car? (State of Charge (SoC)). No, the charger or Eco Mode doesn't know the exact battery charge level, potentially causing confusion in certain situations: 
  • If the car requires less or more energy (kWh) than the set Minimum energy, the session may start earlier than planned, potentially charging at non-optimal price hours.  
  • If the car demands more energy than the minimum, charging may continue beyond the Eco Mode plan until the battery reaches full capacity, possibly extending into less favorable price hours. 
    
    
• Are power grid tariffs taken into account with using Eco Mode? No, Eco Mode doesn't consider power grid tariffs. If you wish to reduce your peak demand usage we recommend adjusting the available charge current so that the effect (kW) is limited. At this time you cannot adjust the max current through the Zaptec App. Please contact us for further assistance.
  
  
• Is Eco Mode available in Stand Alone mode? No, smart functions are inactive in Stand Alone mode.