With Enphase’s IQ EV Charger, you can control your EV charging experience—from how and when you charge your vehicle’s battery to the impact of each charging session.
Powered by intuitive, cloud-based technology, IQ EV Chargers include app-controlled profiles and customizable schedules, which allow you to create a solution for your unique charging goals. In addition to enabling EV charging using low-cost clean energy, the IQ EV Charger can help you optimize your ongoing charging needs with a session-wise charging summary, remote start/stop capabilities, and more.
This article will outline how to use the "Profiles" and "Schedules" features within the Enphase app, including the value you can unlock by combining an IQ EV Charger with an Enphase energy system.
Introducing Profiles for EV charging
Profiles are applicable for EV charging when an IQ EV Charger integrates with an Enphase Energy System. Seamlessly unified with other Enphase Energy System components (like home solar, battery storage, etc.), the IQ EV Charger can communicate intelligently with your entire home to optimize the electricity use on your property.
To access Enphase App profiles, follow Menu>Settings>Profiles, where you can select your system-level settings and customize EV charging as part of your Enphase Energy System.
Solar, battery storage, and EV charging | Profiles
When incorporating an IQ EV Charger with solar and battery storage, you can access customized settings in the Profiles section, such as Self-Consumption, Savings, and Full-Backup.
Self-Consumption
The Self-Consumption profile enables you to minimize your environmental impact by maximizing usage of your own solar power to run home appliances and charge electric vehicles.
All home appliances will first be powered by solar energy and a battery. Any excess solar and battery capacity after powering home loads will be diverted toward charging the EV battery. You can also conserve your battery only for home loads by toggling OFF the "Use battery for EV charging" inside your battery settings (Menu>Settings>Battery). By keeping your EV plugged in, you can ensure that all the excess solar energy being produced is being consumed for EV charging.
With additional off-peak or custom add-on schedules, you can ensure your EV is always charged.
Savings
This profile optimizes grid independence and maximizes savings. Solar and battery power are prioritized to run your appliances and charge your EV before grid-supplied electricity is used. If the Savings profile is enabled, your electric vehicle will be charged with any available excess solar during off-peak hours only. Additionally, if the "Use battery after peak hours" toggle is enabled for your EV charger, power is pulled in from the battery as well.
To avoid high utility bills from EV charging, the Savings profile will ensure your vehicle is never charged during peak-demand hours when energy prices are at their highest unless an add-on schedule is set.
Full Backup
The Full Backup profile ensures you and your property can be prepared for potential blackouts by keeping your batteries charged. Exclusively available to those with integrated home batteries, the Full Backup profile charges the EV using excess solar power and keeps the home battery on standby for emergency weather conditions.
Storm Guard
By enabling the Storm Guard alert on the top of the Profiles page, you can stay prepared for outages without sacrificing optimized system performance. This setting ensures your EV and home battery are fully charged in case of a storm alert. Excess solar energy is used first for EV charging, followed by grid energy, if required.
Solar + EV Charging | Profiles
Alongside an Enphase PV Solar Energy System and consumption-monitoring equipment, you can optimize the performance of your IQ EV Charger (as well as your entire home energy system) using the Self-Consumption profile.
Self-Consumption
The Self-Consumption profile maximizes the amount of solar power used to run your home appliances and charge your EV. Whenever your EV is plugged in with the Self-Consumption profile selected, the excess solar energy produced by your panels (beyond what is used to run home appliances) will be diverted to your IQ EV Charger.
For example, your Enphase Home Energy System produces 10 A of excess solar current. If 80% of this is diverted to your IQ EV Charger (per standard breaker ratings), 8 A (80% of 10 A) of solar energy would be used to charge your vehicle.
Schedules
Schedules can be used with any of the profile settings listed above for an IQ EV Charger integrated with an Enphase Energy System. For an IQ EV Charger as a standalone equipment, schedules can be accessed through Menu>Settings>EV Charger>Schedules.
Off-Peak Schedule
The off-peak hours recommended in the app are specific to you based on your utility provider and utility plan. This schedule ensures your EV charges at 100% power level during off-peak hours. Power is first drawn from excess solar and battery (if available), followed by grid power. Since grid rates are less expensive during off-peak hours, this schedule aims to minimize your EV charging expenses while ensuring your EV is charged and always ready.
Custom Schedule
Suppose there are certain times during the day when you wish to charge your EV, irrespective of whether it is powered by solar or grid energy. In that case, this schedule is a perfect choice. You can charge as per your preference and set reminders to plug in the EV before the schedule begins.
Which Enphase system profile is best for your EV charging goals?
With its profiles, add-on schedules, and reminders, you can set up your IQ EV Charger to operate in a way that aligns precisely with your lifestyle. By combining your IQ EV Charger with the other elements of an Enphase Energy System, such as solar and home battery storage, you can unlock even more financial and environmental benefits over the lifetime of your EV.
The Savings profile is best for you if you want to spend less on utility costs. Combined with off-peak scheduling, you can minimize the lifetime charging costs of your EV.
On the other hand, if your goal is higher sustainability, the Self-Consumption profile ensures your EV is always powered using excess solar production and only supplemented with grid energy if an add-on schedule is set.
Lastly, in conjunction with a home solar battery, the Full Backup profile is a great user setting in your back pocket to prepare for inclement weather conditions.
No matter what your profile, the Enphase App is filled with customizations, reminders, and features that give you complete control over your EV charging when your vehicle is plugged in.
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