Tag: smart energy monitoring

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Why Smappee’s Updated Data Retention Policy is Excellent News

Why Smappee’s Updated Data Retention Policy is Excellent News

A parking lot indicating a Smappee commercial solution

Smappee has recently updated its data retention policy, reflecting its choice to retain data for longer time periods. Let’s see why this is a fantastic change for energy monitoring and management. And particularly so for Australia’s apartment blocks, businesses, and fleet EV charging applications.

How has Smappee data retention changed?

Smappee already retained data for decent lengths of time. Now, it will keep a more extensive archive for each user. For the Smappee Genius and Smappee Connect / Wi-Fi Connect, the changes in new data retention periods are as follows.

Data intervals:Data retention with old policy:Data retention with new policy:
5 Minute1 month6 months
Hourly3 months1 year
Daily1 year5 years
Monthly3 yearsUnlimited
YearlyUnlimitedUnlimited

Why is this change a great improvement?

This is a big step up in data retention, and it makes it easier to record and assess daily load profiles across all seasons. If you’re a facility manager, this can give you a clearer picture when you’re assessing available capacity for EV charging at the premises. You can use load profiles to:

  • Deliver the best possible charging service
  • Make the best possible use of solar panels and batteries
  • Plan better for future infrastructure, and
  • Minimise the impact on the electric grid.

More historical data simply means better decision making – whether you’re managing EV charging in strata properties, or for your business EV fleet.

A laptop showing energy consumption data using the Smappee platform, located at the Stone & Wood Brewing Co.
Stone & Wood Brewing Co in Byron Bay can easily access their energy and EV charging data to make savvy management decisions.

How Smappee Infinity helps

If you’re looking to make smart decisions about EV charging, the modular Smappee Infinity system puts you in charge when it comes to power monitoring and smart control. Here’s how.

For new EV infrastructure

Are you evaluating a building’s or premises’ capacity for EV charging infrastructure? It will really help to first build up an accurate assessment of the past 1-3 months of energy patterns. With Smappee Infinity, you can better understand how much capacity is left over after typical energy consumption is taken into account. You can also see whether an upgrade to the supply for the building would actually be required.

It typically costs less than $3,500 to have a Smappee Infinity system installed at the main switch board of your premises. Doing so could help you make smarter decisions about charging infrastructure, so this can be a relatively small (yet wise) investment.  

For existing EV infrastructure

Of course, if you’re using Smappee for a commercial or public setup then you’ll be using Smappee Infinity to monitor and manage EV charging. Real-time and historical data can be accessed from either your online dashboard or the smartphone app.

Depending on your setup, you can use your Smappee data over time to maintain overload protection and dynamic load balancing of the EV chargers. Smoother charging and better power management at your premises is good news for everyone.

Unsure about your next step for commercial EV charging?

You may be planning to install EV chargers for the first time, or wondering about the best way to go about upgrading. Vista Power Technologies can assist. We can help you build or develop the ideal EV charging system for your premises right across Australia. To get started, just get in touch with our team.

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8 Smappee-Compatible EV CPO Services in Australia  

8 Smappee-Compatible EV CPO Services in Australia  

It can feel like there are almost as many CPO services as there are EV chargers – so how do you choose the right option? You’ll no doubt want an easy way to manage EV billing and charging for your public site, business, strata apartment block or anywhere else you might have Smappee charging stations installed.

Keep reading for our roundup of the best Smappee-compatible CPO services available in Australia right now.

What is an EV CPO service?

A Charge Point Operator service, or CPO platform, is software that enables you to remotely manage and monetise multiple charging stations. Think of it as your EV back office system, where you can see information like status, power consumption and costs. Some platforms can help you to manage public EV charging, some help to manage EV fleet charging, and some can be used to manage multi-user accounts like those at strata properties.

A CPO service can also be referred to as an EV charging station management solution (CSMS) or charging management platform.

What criteria should a EV CPO service meet?

If your site is in Australia, it’s important to look for a CPO service that:

  • Is available and supported in Australia.
  • Supports the remote management of your specific electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). For example, you may be looking for a CPO platform that’s compatible with the Smappee EV Wall or Smappee EV Base.
  • Suits your charging, billing and analytics purposes. Apartment blocks can have different needs to fleet charging.
  • Is compatible with the Open Charge Point Protocol 1.6 (OCPP 1.6) for integration.
  • Is intuitive to use on your smartphone or browser, and
  • Is approved for grants in your area, if you’re applying for any.

So based on the criteria above, here are eight leading options. Pricing guides were correct at the time of writing, but be sure to check directly with the provider for up-to-date pricing.

7 top CPO platforms in Australia you can use with Smappee

1. Chargefox

Suitable for: Public EV charging, shopping centres, retailers, councils, commercial fleets, apartment buildings.

Chargefox is Australia’s largest EV charging network, managing over 10,000 EV charge sessions a month. Not only do they have an intuitive app for drivers, but they also have software for charge point operators that enables real-time monitoring and remote management of charging stations. You can set dynamic pricing for on-peak and off-peak hours, and manage RFID cards across commercial fleets.

Chargefox is already being used to manage chargers at major shopping centres around the country and is set to be used for WA’s new 7,000km EV charging network. We’ve set up many solutions already using Smappee and Chargefox, so we know it’s a solid choice in Australia.

Pricing guide:

Chargefox offers a tiered pricing model, starting at $330 per annum per charge port for public subscription and $165.00 per annum per charge port for private subscription. Visit the website for a quote.

2. Noodoe EV OS

Suitable for: Public EV charging, commercial fleets, public fleets, resellers, hospitality, residential charging, retailers.

The Noodoe EV operating system is used across 14 countries, and the company has an office in Queensland as well as the US and Taiwan. Noodoe has a clean and modern interface for charge point operators, where you can see real-time snapshots of your charging stations and automate payment processing and smart scheduling.

Noodoe is structured with add-on microservices that you can use to meet your needs. For example:

  • Retailers could offer free charging voucher codes to attract EV drivers to local sales.
  • Building managers can customise their billing system to be prepaid or postpaid.
  • Hotels can create integrated membership systems with different rates for different users, or offer charging codes to guests or VIPs.
  • CPOs can enable Load Management to ideally balance multiple chargers without needing electrical upgrades.

Another great feature is Noodoe’s smart alert and self-recovery system, which helps provide peace of mind about your charging points.

Pricing guide:

Pricing begins at $149.99 per annum per charge port, plus a percentage of each public transaction. You can visit the website to book a demo and request a quote.

3. Charge N Go

Suitable for: Public EV chargers, shopping centres, retailers, councils, commercial fleets, apartment buildings.

Charge N Go EVNet provides a solution for private, shared and commercial charger management. Its modular structure means it can be customised to suit your application, whether you’re managing charging stations at a shopping centre or within a strata property. This platform is feature-rich with automated billing and payments, load management, API integration and flexible user management. You can also gain insights into your charging management through usage, costing and charging session analysis.

The Charge N Go platform has been used for clients including Knight Frank, apartment blocks and condominiums, and the Lumi rideshare service.

Pricing guide:

Charge N Go’s platform fee is $275.00 platform fee per annum per connector for Public EV charging. For apartments and business use, enquire about the community package at $225 per annum per connector. There’s a management fee of $0.10 per kWh, and an optional 4G data package is also available.

4. GreenFlux

Suitable for: Public EV chargers, shopping centres, retailers, commercial fleets.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, GreenFlux has been around for over a decade and is used across five continents. GreenFlux’s CPO software is a solid option for smart EV charging, so you can have multiple cars charging simultaneously without overloading the grid. You can also use GreenFlux to easily handle reimbursement billing for employees, wholesale billing to other CPOs, and retail billing complete with invoices for customers.

With APIs and a white label option for their Charge Assist app, GreenFlux is flexible enough to suit a range of different EV charging needs.

Pricing guide:

GreenFlux pricing depends on the solution you require – visit the GreenFlux website for a demo and tailored pricing.

5. Charge Hub

Suitable for: Public charging, electric bus fleets, electric forklift fleets, solar carports, apartment buildings.

Charge Hub is a locally supported CPO software option, with a base in Brisbane and coverage across Australia and New Zealand. Charge Hub promises up-time availability of 99.9%, together with dynamic load management and options for fixed or dynamic tariffs.

Charge Hub gives you options for payment management, so you can choose pay-as-you-go or invoice driver accounts collectively at the end of the month. You can also set different prices for different groups of users, which is useful if you want to offer free charging for staff while charging the general public at the same station. It’s easy to see data such as time spent charging, per kWh used and idle time.

Pricing guide:

Charge Hub has tiered pricing, starting at $280+GST per annum per charge port for public access and $180+GST per annum per charge port for semi-public access. Visit the website to arrange a quote.

6. Chargebay

Suitable for: Public EV charging, commercial fleets, public fleets, apartments, retailers.

Chargebay offers a comprehensive EV billing and management platform. You can set flexible pricing modes across different customer groups based on a flat rate per charge, charging or waiting time, location, or by other criteria. Or, you might prefer to simply maintain reporting and access control for a fleet at a lower rate without the bells and whistles. Chargebay supports dynamic load balancing to help you get the best out of your existing EV charging setup (and rooftop solar systems, if applicable), and reporting makes it easy to keep an eye on what’s happening with your charging points.  

Chargebay also offers 24/7 customer support, with physical locations in WA and Victoria.

Pricing guide:

Chargebay offers tiered pricing plans based on one year and two year subscriptions, with the ability to choose from Reporting and Access Control only or Paid Charging Sessions depending on how you plan to manage and monetise your chargers. Visit the website to request a quote.

7. WeVolt

Suitable for: Individuals and businesses wanting to monetise their charging stations with a simple solution, including strata buildings.

WeVolt is a homegrown startup originating in Perth, Western Australia. WeVolt launched in August 2023 so it’s still early days, but the platform allows individuals and businesses to manage and receive real-time payments from their EV charging stations. You can use the fresh-looking app, or log into the browser-based platform to see electricity usage and payment details. WeVolt seems well suited for those wanting a simple solution without complex management features, though the company is able to set up custom solutions for large networks.

Pricing guide:

WeVolt has a tiered pricing plan for those with single chargers, multiple chargers and at the enterprise level. The best way is to get in touch for pricing via the website.

8. CasaCharge

Suitable for: Home EV charging, apartment charging, public charging and fleet charging.

CasaCharge is another Australian CPO solution compatible with Smappee EV chargers, which promises lower operating costs with its billing and load management service. It’s simple to log in and view usage statistics, sessions in progress and manage RFID cards. Phone and email support is local to Sydney, so you’re never on your own.

Pricing guide:

Visit the CasaCharge website to request a quote and get further details on pricing.

If you provide a Smappee-compatible CPO service in Australia that’s not yet listed, please get in touch so we can add your service!

Which CPO services are approved for the NSW EV Destination Charging Grant and WA Charge Up Grant?

WA and NSW currently have grant schemes in place to co-fund the cost of EV charging infrastructure in these states. In order to be eligible for either, you’ll need to choose approved charging EV chargers and EV charger software. You can check the individual lists below.

Approved list for the NSW EV Destination Charging Grant >

Approved list for the WA Charge Up Workplace Grant >

Vista Power Technologies is an approved provider for both the WA and NSW grants, and can help with both private and public subscriptions. If you’re looking for the right EV charging solution for your site, we can help you. Contact us today to get started.

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Guide to Smart EV Charging in Strata Car Parking

Smappee EV Charging Strata Car Park

Guide to Smart EV Charging in Strata Car Parking

Smappee’s EV Line Providing Smart AC and DC EV Charging Solutions

Many would agree that an oversimplified yet accurate way to describe installing and managing EV charging in a strata car park would be somewhat complicated.

The following guide provides insights and important considerations when looking into EV charging in a strata complex. Also provided is a list of solutions that can be combined to make the process much more palatable and manageable.

Key considerations include:

  • Power Monitoring to Determine Capacity
  • Electrical Infrastructure Requirements
  • Load Management to Prevent Overload
  • Usage Reporting to Allocate Costs
  • Automating Electricity Cost Recovery
  • Sourcing Finance for Project Costs

As the authorised agent for Smappee in Australia, and experts in energy monitoring and EV charging, Vista Power Technologies can provide a solution to all the above hurdles. This makes implementing an EV charging network within a strata facility as simple as it can be, by leveraging the latest technologies and best practices.

Let’s break down each of the challenges that may be presented in an EV charging project and look at the solutions we have available.

Smappee Web-Base Dashboard Reporting on site Consumption and Solar Production

Power Monitoring to Determine Capacity

The first step any facility should take in evaluating their capacity for EV charging infrastructure is collecting some electrical consumption data over a period of 1-3 months. This is to determine what additional capacity they have for EV charging and whether an upgrade to the supply for the building is required.

For example: the building may have a 200A three-phase supply, but how much of that capacity is left over after household consumption and common loads?

Thankfully this can be achieved quite easily by installing a Smappee Infinity system at the main switch board. This can collect grid import data and provide reporting on electricity usage over time via a cloud-based dashboard, accessible via the free web app.

Typically costing less than $3,500 for supply and installation of this system, facility managers and owners corporation members can quickly gain access to this valuable data and determine what charging capacity they have available to work with.

The other benefit of installing the Smappee Infinity system for this purpose is its ability to be used for overload protection and dynamic load balancing of the EV chargers (see load management section).

Electrical Infrastructure Requirements

Once a strong understanding of available supply capacity has been developed, a decision can be made as to the size of the EV charging supply. Typically, a separate power distribution board (EVDB) will be installed to feed the charging stations. This would be rated to a little above the maximum excess capacity measured during the power monitoring step.

Previously, industry practice would be to install individual circuits for each charging station. This significantly adds to the cost for circuit and earth leakage protection, cable tray, cabling, and labour. Not to mention the issue of potentially hundreds of cable runs throughout the car parking areas to individually feed power to each car park.

Our solution for this is to utilise a specially developed flat cable system that can supply multiple charging stations off each circuit breaker. This significantly reduces cabling and cable tray requirements, whilst also providing a much tidier solution.

Flat Cable System Example

One of the key benefits of this cable system is that it can be initially installed as backbone electrical infrastructure. Apartment owners can then easily tap into this system at the time of making the switch to an electric vehicle.

Load Management to Prevent Overload

EV charging is no small load. At 7.4kW for single-phase charging stations, and up to 22kW for three-phase units (when referring to AC type charging), the total potential load can grow rapidly. Just 10 x three-phase charging stations have a load potential of 220kW or more than 300 amps. Many buildings just don’t have the capacity to support these sorts of loads.

This fact alone makes a load management system a critical requirement to any site looking to install many EV charging stations – even when a large supply capacity is available.

Overload protection aside, there is also the need to fairly share the available load across all the charging stations. This is called dynamic load balancing. In a nutshell, the system needs to monitor the available (excess) capacity at the grid connection, and then spread any available power across all the active charging stations.

The good news is that when Smappee EV Wall charging stations are used, the Infinity system installed at the power monitoring step can also be used for overload protection and load balancing control.

There is only an upfront cost to enable this feature on each charging station and no ongoing fees for this functionality. This makes the Smappee EV charging load management solution one of the lowest cost options on the market when considering both upfront and ongoing costs.

Where there are existing EV charging stations on site, or the property owners want the option to use various brands of charging stations, a third-party system can be used for this load management functionality. However, this option does come with ongoing annual fees.

Usage Reporting to Allocate Costs

Okay, now we have the electrical infrastructure and load management sorted. We now need to consider how billing will be managed. Because the power is typically drawn from the site’s common supply, EV charging sessions need to be tracked to ensure apartment owners can cover the costs for the electricity required to charge their vehicles.

Smappee EV Charging Management Dashboard – Whitelisted User Consumption Reporting

Where the strata want to manage things with minimal ongoing costs, the owners corporation can manually manage the billing of apartment owners for their EV charging consumption. This would involve running a monthly or quarterly report via the Smappee EV charging management dashboard, on a per user basis. This will allow a bill to be raised based on an agreed cost per kWh.

Automating Electricity Cost Recovery

If it’s preferable to have billing managed automatically, then there are third-party platforms available including our own Vista Charge service.

Utilising a third-party platform has its benefits, including being hardware agnostic. This allows apartment owners to choose any EV charging station compatible with the latest Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP).

These solutions are typically used for automated billing management, where the user downloads a smartphone app, creates an account, and adds their credit card details. The charge point operator (CPO) then takes payment at a set amount per kWh after each charging session and reimburses the strata owners corporation on a monthly or quarterly basis.

The only drawback with this scenario is that there are ongoing costs, which typically include annual service fees and transaction fees. However, this is often considered to be worth paying to reduce the responsibility placed on property management.

Sourcing Finance for Project Costs

Now that we’ve packaged everything up and are ready to go ahead with a solution for EV charging infrastructure in strata car parking, there’s one final hurdle: managing the upfront costs.

Most apartment owners aren’t going to want to fork out more than $1,000 each to cover these costs. Especially the ones that aren’t yet ready to switch to electric propulsion, regardless of the tangible increased value on their property for EV ready car parking.

With this in mind, we recommend talking to a strata finance specialist who can package up the project costs for payment over a 3-5 year period (for example), allowing apartment owners to incorporate the project costs into their quarterly OC payments. This might be somewhere in the vicinity of an additional $100-$150 extra per quarter.

By managing things this way there is a little less financial shock to everyone, and the barrier of approvals by apartment owners can be somewhat reduced.

Conclusion

So, there we have it. By utilising the right technologies and solutions available, the complicated challenge of EV charging in a strata car park is made a little less daunting and a little more approachable.

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Developers Combine EV Charging & Energy Monitoring with Smappee

EV Charging & Energy Monitoring with Smappee EV Wall

Developers Combine EV Charging & Energy Monitoring with Smappee

EV Charging & Energy Monitoring with Smappee EV Wall
Smappee EV Wall with Home Energy Monitoring and Optimised Solar Charging

Residential developers around Australia are capitalising on the demand for smarter, more sustainable homes – and they’re using one neat little box to achieve both. Smappee EV Wall combines EV charging and energy monitoring capabilities in one sleek yet richly-featured system. It’s proving an ideal option for freestanding homes and multi-unit developments alike.

Why are sustainable features becoming so popular with home buyers?

The demand for smart and sustainable homes is on the rise. Energy efficient homes can fetch higher prices: around 2.4 or 9.4% higher respectively for a six- or seven-star rated home, compared to a three-star home. Home buyers are increasingly aware of both the environmental and cost savings that a sustainable home can bring. It simply makes sense that developers would meet this demand. However – until recently it’s been a complex endeavour to include both energy monitoring and EV charging within new homes.

Smappee EV Wall is changing this. This small, attractive system barely takes up a small 30cm square on a wall and complements any architectural style. It looks great – but it’s what’s under the hood that has Aussie developers so invested.

What’s different about Smappee EV Wall?

This European-designed charging station is unique in its design and functionality. Whether you’re an architect, builder or developer, consider these features for your new builds. Your clients and home buyers are sure to love the benefits.

Optimised charging with solar power and off-peak rates

As an electric vehicle is plugged in to charge, the Smappee EV Wall can use Artificial Intelligence to optimise charging from solar power (if the building is equipped) and when the lowest electricity tariffs apply during off-peak times. Because the system can charge up to seven times faster than a regular socket, this supports faster charging when costs are lower. Smart charging schedules can be fully customised based on the home buyer’s lifestyle and driving needs, using the Smappee app or dashboard.

Example of the Smappee dashboard reporting card showing solar only charging for a Tesla Model 3

Cost energy analysis and energy monitoring

Home buyers will be pleased that they can monitor their charging sessions, energy consumption, production and costs in real time through the app or dashboard. This makes it simple for households to keep their energy usage and costs low, adjusting settings to suit their preferences.

The Smappee EV Wall is fitted with overload protection, which means blown fuses won’t be a concern when charging a vehicle from home. The equivalent model for commercial applications, called the EV Wall Business, can also support dynamic load balancing for both overload protection and solar-only or solar-optimised charging. This system is ideal for multi EVSE installations.

Because the EV Wall comes with an integrated Smappee Infinity system, this can also be set to monitor and control power consumption across the household. The system will also be expandable in the future to include water monitoring.

Example of the reporting included with the Smappee smartphone app

Multiple activation options to suit different development types

The Smappee EV Wall is incredibly flexible for residential homes because it offers multiple activation options.

Smappee EV Charging Session Types
Session activation method options available on the Smappee dashboard

Plug and charge

If the plug and charge option is chosen, the system will be set to simply activate when any electric vehicle is plugged in. Anyone can plug their car into the charger and start charging. This activation method best suits applications where the charging station will be installed inside a garage or a private parking area. This method can be used with either simple charging or with smart charging enabled.

Swipe and charge

Swipe and charge provides access via an RFID card and gives greater control over who can use the charging station, enabling you to install a station in a shared area or on the front wall of a garage. Anyone with an authorised Smappee Smart Charge Card can plug in their car and wave the card in front of the light to start charging. This can be invaluable if you need to keep ‘freeloaders’ from using the system; for example, in the carpark of an inner-city apartment block. The RFID cards can also be linked back to each user to track usage or calculate billing.

Tip: For multiple charger installations such as in a hotel, motel or large carpark, the EV Wall Business and EV Base provide ideal capabilities.

Scan and charge

This third option enables the homeowner to monetise their Smappee EV Wall. Anyone with an electric vehicle can choose to plug in the connecter and scan a QR code to start charging, using an app to pay by Mastercard or Visa. The homeowner can choose to provide discounts right up to 100% for certain users. Scan and charge involves setting up a payment agreement via Smappee, so the homeowner can receive any payments periodically.

Homeowners can also switch between activation methods to suit their needs. For example, if they have a charging station outdoors at their holiday home and don’t want anyone using it while they’re away, they can simply disable the system. If they forget to flick it back off at the end of their holiday, no problem – they can control the system remotely!

Remote monitoring and EV charger control

When residential developers install a Smappee EV Wall in a new home, they can promise convenience to whoever buys the property. The resident will be able to use the Smappee app or dashboard to control the state and output of their charging system from anywhere with internet access. They can remotely start and stop charging, control the speed of charging, and update smart charging schedules to run at optimal times. The Smappee app is intuitive and designed to support both simple and advanced customisation.

Integration options for home automation

The Smappee ecosystem supports an exciting range of possibilities for home automation. Certain charging stations, thermostats, appliances and battery storage systems can be connected with the Works with Smappee network. The ecosystem also supports integration with third-party systems using IFTTT, Home Assistant, and some custom code on a Raspberry Pi.

No ongoing app reporting or control costs

Developers can install Smappee products without any concern about locking the home buyer into costly subscriptions, because there are no ongoing reporting or control costs involved. Once the system is installed, the resident is in control and can access their energy usage and controls via the Smappee app or dashboard. There is no subscription fee for Smappee users.

The Smappee EV Wall station can be installed in under an hour and works with any typical electrical supply, including 1-phase power up to 7.4 kW or 3-phase up to 22 kW. It’s available with a Type 2 socket, or a tethered 2.5m or 8m type 2 charging cable to suit a range of parking scenarios.

Most importantly, it provides future-ready EV charging & energy monitoring for long-term value.

The Smappee EV Wall is a simple, smart and sustainable way to help your properties stand out in the market

To discuss solutions for your development project within Australia, contact the team at Vista Power Technologies on 1300 878 287. We’re equipped to support implementations of any size, from single homes and townhouses to high-density buildings.

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Home Energy Monitoring with Smappee Infinity

Smappee Infinity Online Dashboard and Smartphone App
Smappee Infinity Online Dashboard and Smartphone App
Smappee Online Dashboard and Smartphone App

By installing energy monitoring in your home you can identify high energy appliances & opportunities to reduce costs

Many people use a set and forget approach to their rooftop solar system but this is a risky and potentially expensive approach. Imagine receiving your power bill only to discover that your system hasn’t been working properly for the past 2 months and you’ve been unknowingly running your house on expensive electricity from the grid. This is where having a good energy or solar monitoring system really comes into its own. The old adage ‘knowledge is power’ was never truer than when managing your rooftop solar and home energy use.

Most solar installers offer a basic feed from the solar inverter, often at extra cost, which gives you information about your solar production.  It won’t, however, give you any information about your energy consumption patterns and compare this with your solar production. This is not really surprising considering the core business of inverter manufacturers is not energy monitoring software.

If you really want to maximise your savings by knowing what’s going on with your rooftop solar and your energy usage then you need to consider a quality, third party home energy monitor.

Optimising your Rooftop Solar

With the loss of generous feed-in tariffs a few years back, you need to be using as much of your solar as you can in your home (self-consumption), minimising the use of expensive grid electricity. A complete smart energy management solution will allow you to optimise your solar by simultaneously monitoring solar generation and controlling appliances to maximise self-consumption and minimise cost.

Home Energy Monitoring Versus Smart Home Energy Management

There are many solar or energy monitoring solutions available on the market however not all systems are created equal. Inverter based systems will tell you how many kilowatts your solar system is generating, how much grid electricity you are using and how many kilowatts of solar you are exporting to the grid.

To get the full picture, and to really take control of your energy use, you’ll want something more powerful. If you can see how the power consumption of individual appliances in your home and your solar generation work together, then you’re getting a complete picture.  Armed with this information you can really start to take control. This is where Smappee Infinity comes in.

The Power of Individual Appliance Monitoring

One of the things that sets Smappee Infinity apart from its competitors is how it can ‘reach’ into your home, monitoring individual appliances, and balancing your consumption with your solar generation, so that any excess solar power goes direct to your smart appliances.  With world-leading European technology, the Smappee smart energy management system can monitor and manage the energy use of individual appliances. It can even identify the ‘footprint’ of certain home appliances using its unique NILM technology.

The Smappee mobile app and Smappee dashboard are easy to use and give you a clear view of all your energy use whether you’re at home, working or on holiday. You can immediately see what appliances are guzzling energy and what your level of ‘always on’ or standby power is. You can even set up rules to turn things on or off depending on the amount of solar being generated, such as automatically turning on the pool pump when the solar generation is high or turning the air-conditioning down automatically when solar generation drops.

Smappee is quick and easy to install by a qualified electrician. It’s clever, modular nature means it will grow with your needs – want to add batteries or an electric vehicle? Smappee will manage the energy flows across these and ensure that it is optimised against your solar generation. As more and more smart appliances coming on to the market, Smappee future-proofs your home and adds value.

The Smappee Infinity complete smart home energy management system ultimately gives you control and peace of mind.

For more information on how Smappee can help you optimise your solar and energy use, check out the Smappee Infinity overview here or feel free get in touch.

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Focusing on Future Homes with the Green Building Council of Australia

Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) Future Homes Partnership
Green Building Council Australia Partnership
Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) Future Homes Partnerships

Vista Power Technologies is officially here to help when it comes to developing Australia’s smart, sustainable, and connected new homes.

As of July 2020, we have proudly joined the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) as a Future Homes Associate Partner.

What does this mean? It means we will be working closely with the GBCA as they set the new standard for sustainable, comfortable, and healthy homes in Australia through their Future Homes program.

Why Future Homes?

It’s expected that over half of the buildings that will exist in 2050 will be built after 2019, so Australia has an incredible opportunity to develop new standards in green living. Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is the not-for-profit industry association that developed the Green Star rating system. GBCA’s vision is to create healthy, resilient and positive places and it brings together over 550 industry companies, investors, and developers as well as local, state, and federal governments to lead the sustainable transformation of the built environment.

GBCA’s Future Homes program is setting a standard for newly built Australian homes that will be:

  • Comfortable and healthy to live in, created with products that are better for us.
  • Resilient to potential future climate change, including water efficiency and design that takes future changes like fires, floods, and heat stress into consideration.
  • Efficient and powered by renewables, to create a net zero energy home to the advantage of residents and the wider community.

How we are getting involved

GBCA is consulting with the wider industry to develop this future-proof standard, including Vista Power Technologies. We will be providing feedback on the possibilities and benefits associated with real-time energy monitoring and smart control of loads and appliances in households. We will also be developing a standard solution for households using the Smappee Infinity system, which opens up the options for IoT-connected (Internet of Things) devices and can be used for live sub-metering.

VPT Managing Director Sam Frost says that Future Homes presents an exciting opportunity to optimise the way we design and plan our homes. “It has become extremely obvious over the last few decades that we need to improve the way we consume natural resources and interact with energy to reduce our negative impact on the environment. We need to ensure our planet remains liveable for our future generations, including the wildlife we share it with. We need to actively implement strategies to slow and even reverse the damage that has been done to our planet.”

“The Future Homes program is one way we can work to minimise our day to day impact on the environment by using smart and proven technologies to reduce emissions whilst maintaining a comfortable home environment. By implementing certain ‘Green’ technologies we can also create opportunities to save money by reducing energy costs.”

So how does smart energy monitoring fit into Australia’s future homes?

In a big, big way! Home energy monitoring systems (HEMS) will be key in reaching the net zero energy vision for new homes. They can help to identify high-use appliances, provide detailed insights, and control of home energy usage, and cut power bills in a time where electricity costs continue to increase.

Home energy monitoring can also open up an exciting world of possibilities for connected and IoT devices; allowing control over lighting, air conditioning, entertainment systems, smart speakers, connected appliances, electric vehicle charging and more.

The Telsyte Australian IoT@Home Market Study 2019 found over half of Australia’s households already had at least one IoT home product installed by the end of 2018. It is also expected that each Aussie household will have more than 37 connected devices by 2023, with around half of those devices IoT-connected.

Telsyte’s survey showed that almost a third of Australians want to modernise their home to make it smarter.

As Sam says, “What I think we will see in the future is a standard of homes that provide a high level of comfort and liveability, whilst requiring minimal energy from fossil fuels, along with utility bills that are a fraction of what they cost today.”

How you can create your own smart home

Smart home energy monitoring is not just for brand new homes, apartments and townhouses – it’s also incredibly easy to have your electrician install a system in your current home. The Smappee Home Energy Monitor or Smappee Infinity System is an ideal entry-level option to monitor real-time energy consumption, while the Smappee Infinity system opens up even greater options for connectivity and energy management. The Smappee Switch can be added to either solution to provide easy and remote appliance control, as well as a number of additional options such as gas and water monitoring. Simply get in touch to tailor a solution to suit your needs.

Learn more

If you’re looking for more information about GBCA’s exciting Future Homes initiative, you can follow this link for more details?

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