Note:
Eco Mode is available in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
What is Eco Mode?
Eco Mode is a smart feature available with all Zaptec home installations. It helps you charge your car when electricity is cheapest in the next 24 hours, using real-time prices from Nord Pool. Based on your preferences - like when you want your car ready and how much energy you need - Eco Mode schedules charging so your car is ready on time, while also saving you money.
How to activate Eco Mode
You can activate Eco Mode in the Zaptec app or Zaptec Portal. This will affect all charging stations connected to your installation.
- Open the Zaptec app.
- Tap the Installations tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Select your installation, and find Eco Mode, under Services.
- Enter your usual departure time, how much energy (kWh) you need, and your price zone. Remember that power usage on distance can vary by vehicles and outside temperatures.
- Tap Activate Eco Mode.
Once activated, the charger's LED light will turn green to show that Eco Mode is on. Charging will start when electricity is cheapest. if the best time to charge is immediately, it might start right away.
Tip:
If you need to start a session before the scheduled time, just tap Start charging in the app. To pause or stop a session, simply tap the Pause charging button.
You can also activate Eco Mode through the Zaptec Portal under Power Management in the Settings tab, but the app is the easiest and recommended way.
How does Eco Mode work?
Eco Mode automatically finds the cheapest time to charge your car based on your preferences and hourly electricity prices. It works by:
- Smart scheduling: It considers your preferred departure time, the amount of energy you need, and the available power to decide when to start charging so it's finished by the time you need it.
- Real-time pricing: By using day-ahead spot prices from Nord Pool, Eco Mode schedules charging during the cheapest hours within the next 24 hours.
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Zone selection: In the Zaptec app, you can set your price zone to ensure Eco Mode uses the correct local electricity prices. Nord Pool prices vary by zone, so selecting the correct zone helps Eco Mode calculate the best times to charge based on where you live.
For example, Norway has five zones, Sweden four, Denmark two, and Finland one. If you dont choose your zone, default settings will be used (NO1 for Norway, SE3 for Sweden, DK1 for Denmark, and FI1 for Finland). If you're unsure of your zone, contact your power company.
Technical description: How does Eco Mode choose when to charge?
When Eco Mode is turned on, the charger looks at two things: your preferences and the electricity prices. 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:
- Eco Mode checks your settings: Based on your preferred settings, Eco Mode first calculates how many hours are needed to achieve the desired charge.
- It finds the cheapest hour: Eco Mode searches for the least expensive hour between when you plug in your car and the time you set for departure. 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.
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It compares prices: After picking the initial hour, Eco Mode compares the energy prices before and after that hour to make sure it chooses the cheapest option. In this example, it would compare prices at 10:00 pm and 1:00 am. If the prices before and after the planned hour are the same, Eco Mode will choose the earlier hour, potentially starting the charging sooner.
- It repeats this process: Eco mode continues comparing prices until the desired amount of energy (kWh) is planned and achieved.
FAQ
No. Eco Mode does not know what electricity price plan you have. It uses spot-price tariffs, so if you're on a plan where prices vary by the hour, Eco Mode will help you take advantage of the cheapest rates. However, if you have a fixed-price plan, Eco Mode won't save you money directly but can still help balance the grid by delaying charging.
Yes, they can, but we don’t recommend using them together.
- Eco Mode charges your car during the cheapest electricity hours.
- Zaptec Sense prevents your fuse from overloading by managing available power.
When used together, Zaptec Sense may block Eco Mode if there isn’t enough power available for the planned charging session. This can result in your car not being fully charged, especially when electricity is cheap, but your household is using a lot of power.
Zaptec Sense currently manages only the charger, not the rest of your home’s power usage. We’re working on improving how Eco Mode and Zaptec Sense communicate for better compatibility.