I have ABB Terra AC EV charger and the latest firmware 1.8.2 bricked it. I have a MID version with display. After upgrade the display is blank and all the LEDs are off. When powering off and on I just hear a beep and nothing happens. I know there there is another similar case so there must be something wrong with the latest firmware. ABB must repair it or give a new one but I want to get rid of this charger. I don’t understand how come it is possible that software development at ABB is so pathetic.
I would like to get a charger with following features:
-Modbus TCP
-Ethernet connection
-Load balancing
-Energy meter
-Ability to change charging current at 1A steps
-OCPP
Maybe have a look at the Alfen Eve Single Line Pro - I have it installed and (with the add-on licenses required installed) it works well.
But there may be cheaper solutions out there - I had to take it due to requirements by my employer on metering and reporting.
OK, thanks. I had a quick look at the specs for Alfen and I am wondering about Modbus tcp. Load balancing can be done via external energy meter using e.g. Modbus tcp but can Modbus tcp be used for controlling the charger (e.g. change charging current)?
I use Easse, there has been alot of debate about it’s ability to fulfill all documentation of safety functions. But imfor me it was cheap and comes wit a prepaid simcard so i run my loadbalancing and spotprice optimization via easee cloud. Maybe not fulfill all your reqierments but may be cost effective.
You have to ask the seller for the license you require (Active Load Balancing). Afaik Alfen does not sell it directly, you can only check on their site the manual and what is required for which purpose.
See the Alfen Modbus documentation for details.
Make sure you get the user and password for the wallbox, otherwise you can’t access/configure it.
Should be contained in the box you receive.
Mine came fully configured (by my employer, paying for the charging), so I did not have to bother about it.
Can you send a link to that license. I ordered the Alfen box through my electrician and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know anything about this license. I’m mainly interested in Modbus so can I use Modbus without the license? I may be able to use my hardware (Ouman Ouflex) to do the active load balancing via Modbus tcp. At least I could control the charging current based on excessive PV power.
I haven’t got the Alfen box yet but my understanding is that you can connect an external energy meter either by using P1 or modbus tcp. Alfen box will then take care of load balancing.
You mean like PV excess power charging ?
(‘load balancing’ is a very misleading term for that and I haven’t heard that as a term before - that’s why I’m asking).
Given you have openHAB at hand - it can also query the meter and it can continuously instruct the charger via modbus to charge with a specific power/amperage - paying 200 € for that would be a silly move, wouldn’t it.
For that amount of money you’re almost getting my full-scale energy management system.
Or (co-)install evcc on your openhab box. Should work with both of your chargers, ABB and Alfen.
Load Balancing: Distribution of available power between wall boxes so in sum you do not exceed the limit of the power source.
Modbus is unlocked for the Alfen Box only by the Active load balancing license (Even if you do not need the load balancing feature at all) .
This enables you to use e.g. evcc to adjust the charging power to available solar power.
That makes a lot more sense.
But that’s only applicable if you have more than one charger.
So why @jlikonen did you want to have that ?
And while at it, what do you mean by ‘energy meter’ ? A stats function to show the amount you charged ? Or another brick as a prerequisite to do PV excess charging?
If that’s what you want, use openHAB instead to query your inverter.
If you don’t have a consumption meter so far, get a cheap separate one like a Shelly 3EM and compute excess power in OH. That way you have both, control and visibility of consumption in OH.
So without paying extra for that you cannot externally control the charger at all ?
What a hidden surcharge for a single charger deployment.
For me that’s a strong reason not to buy from any such company to run a business model like that.
If it was me in the OP’s place, I’d cancel the order.
There’s many more chargers available out there to match requirements.
e-go or Elli come to my mind.
Cheaper, too.
I have to admit that it was a somewhat annoying surprise to learn that I need to get this additional license in order to unlock Modbus.
I wanted to have e a charger with Ethernet and Modbus tcp and I think that there are not that many chargers with these features. ABB Terra has these features but if you want to use Modbus tcp then it’s via wifi. And the previous firmware broke the Modbus (and latest firmware bricked the box). I think e-go has only wifi. I admit that Alfen is not the cheapest one on the market.
I am using openHAB but freely programmable hardware (Ouman Ouflex AXL) will take care of automation at our house. With this Ouman unit I can control my heat pump (Nibe S1255) and additional hot water boiler either by excess PV electricity or by Entso electricity prices so openHAB just reads different parameters. Basically I wouldn’t need to run openHAB at all because the Ouman unit is completely autonomous. Of course I’m running openHAB 24/7 but mainly for influxDB persistence.
My aim is to control the Alfen box with the Ouman controller and I updated the program in the Ouman unit earlier this spring but couldn’t make any tests with ABB Terra box because Modbus stopped working.
Merely ANY charger can do Modbus.
If it’s only serial RTU connect a converter and you get Modbus TCP. 20€ on aliexpress.
And what’s wrong with WiFi ? Sure wired is better but it’s no must.
If needed put a repeater at your Ethernet cable end.
Cannot comment on your Ouman unit and plans other than that you asked on an openHAB forum.
To speak generally, it’s no good idea to have multiple controllers that have overlapping control circuits as they will interfere sooner or later.
So for any new automation, use a controller that can also address as many other automation use cases as possible, openHAB that is.
You’ll become happy about that choice when you need to add your next overlapping use case, e.g. a heat pump that you also want to feed with the same PV excess power in shared (well, load balanced as I learnt) manner.
That would break your car charging if that takes place on a different controller, let alone the amount of work and doubling of sensors, code and all.
