EV Charger 7.4 / 22 with SMA Smart Connected

SMA EV Charger was developed for use with the Sunny Home Manager 2.0. This configuration also allows you to use intelligent charging management. However, even without the Sunny Home Manager 2.0, SMA EV Charger can be used as a standard wallbox and easily integrated into a PV system later on.

Dazu entfernt ihr bei der Inbetriebnahme einfach das Häkchen bei „Betrieb mit Netzanschlusspunktzähler“. Die Visualisierung im Sunny Portal und der SMA Energy App sowie die intelligenten Funktionen im Zusammenspiel mit dem SMA Energy System Home stehen jedoch nur in Kombination mit dem Sunny Home Manager 2.0 zur Verfügung.

When setting up the system, simply deselect the option “operation with grid-connection point meter”. Note, however, that visualization in the Sunny Portal and SMA Energy app and all the functions that come with SMA Energy System Home are available only in conjunction with the Sunny Home Manager 2.0.

Grundsätzlich kann der SMA EV Charger auch in Kombination mit dem Sunny Home Manager BT betrieben werden. Allerdings gibt es hier einige Einschränkungen: Unter anderem wird der SMA EV Charger im Sunny Portal nicht in der Geräteübersicht dargestellt, die Regelschritte sind deutlich größer, es erfolgt kein Event-Transport in das Anlagenlogbuch, SMA Smart Connected steht nicht zur Verfügung und eine Visualisierung und Steuerung über die SMA Energy App ist nicht möglich. Das Feature „Prognosebasiertes Laden“ muss dann über einen Umweg über die Parametereinstellungen auf der Benutzeroberfläche des Gerätes konfiguriert werden. Wer die intelligenten Lademöglichkeiten vollumfänglich nutzen will, sollte daher einen Wechsel auf den Sunny Home Manager 2.0 überlegen.

In principle, SMA EV Charger can also be operated in combination with the Sunny Home Manager BT, but with some restrictions: For example, SMA EV Charger does not appear in the device overview in the Sunny Portal; the control steps are much bigger; no events are transported to the system logbook; SMA Smart Connected is not available; visualization and control via the SMA Energy app are not possible. Forecast-based charging then has to be configured indirectly using the parameter settings on the device’s user interface. If you want to make full use of the intelligent charging options, you should thus consider using the Sunny Home Manager 2.0.

The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 currently supports one SMA EV Charger.

You can switch between fast charging and optimized charging using the rotary switch on the SMA EV Charger enclosure. Note, however, that you cannot configure fast charging mode via the SMA Energy app. If you set the rotary switch to the optimized switch position, SMA EV Charger will begin PV-optimized charging by default. Alternatively, you can then set a desired charging target via the SMA Energy app.

You can find the “slider” in the Sunny Portal by choosing load characteristics > optional energy requirements. In optimized charging mode, your electric vehicle will be charged with the minimum share of solar energy for SMA EV Charger. Depending on how your system is configured, for example, you should allow 20% grid-supplied power to ensure that the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 also performs scheduling for small PV systems or can take into account variable weather conditions. Rather than a static value, this figure is more of a target that the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 will aim to achieve throughout the day.

The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 regulates SMA EV Charger at one-minute intervals. Especially when conditions are variable, this may result in a discrepancy with respect to the actual level of PV power generation. So even if you have set 100% power generation, it is still possible that only a small amount of charging power is actually drawn from the utility grid. In addition, planning is done by the Sunny Home Manager 2.0 based on a schedule (hypothesis). Regular changes due to unforeseen events are absolutely normal.

During fast charging, the vehicle is charged with the maximum power that the vehicle and house allow. Any energy source is used here, so the system could potentially be drawing power from the home storage system to charge your vehicle.

During PV-optimized charging, SMA EV Charger charges the vehicle with the energy mix saved in the Sunny Portal (slider). Charging of battery prior to optional loads checkmark decides whether the battery or OPTIONAL load is supplied with the surplus solar power initially. Depending on how the slider is set, energy from the home storage system or utility grid can also be used to charge the vehicle.

During forecast-based charging, surplus solar energy is initially used for achieving the charging target configured in the SMA Energy app. If not enough of this energy is available for achieving the charging target, the home storage system is used. Once the home storage system is used up, the energy is drawn from the utility grid.

SMA EV Charger is designed for unidirectional AC charging of the electric vehicle in accordance with IEC 61851-1. Bidirectional DC charging at home is therefore not possible. This is prevented in particular by regulatory conditions. In addition, the galvanic isolation prescribed by the applicable standards results in high original costs for charging solutions. Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly offering vehicle models with communication in accordance with ISO 15118, thereby potentially enabling bidirectional applications. SMA is monitoring developments in this area with great interest.

When SMA EV Charger is installed, it is vital that the charging cable supplied is connected as shown in our manual. If the lines are not connected as shown there, single-phase charging cannot start. Three-phase charging begins only when a large amount of surplus power is available. The charging cable must be installed only by an electrically qualified person.

This is because the maximum charging power of SMA EV Charger is currently restricted based on current. When restricted to 11 kW, the maximum charging current of the device is 16 A. To prevent the device’s fuse protection level being exceeded, single-phase charging of the vehicle will not exceed 3.5 kW either. This problem will be fixed in a future software update so that, if the electrical installation permits (e.g. line cross-sections, fuse protection), single-phase charging with up to 7.4 kW will be possible even when SMA EV Charger is restricted to 11 kW.

The SoC of the vehicle battery is not transmitted to the vehicle via PWM communication (pulse width modulation) as standard during charging in accordance with IEC 61851-1. The SMA EV Charger therefore has no current information on the state of charge of the vehicle battery and cannot use this information to optimize energy management.

No, because there is no standard transmission of the SoC via PWM communication (pulse width modulation) from the vehicle to the charging station.

The integrated boost function enables single-phase charging with up to 7.4 kW. The integrated symmetry feature ensures that the country-specific unbalanced load limit (4.6 kW in Germany) is adhered to at all times. This is possible, however, only when a single-phase (battery) inverter is connected in the same phase as SMA EV Charger. A three-phase inverter feeding into the grid is not sufficient here. Alternatively, large loads can be connected in the other two phases. The boost function itself does not need to be activated. As soon as solar power is available and the necessary conditions have been fulfilled, power from the utility grid and solar power are automatically combined for faster charging.

Thanks to power outage protection, SMA EV Charger can be easily integrated into an existing energy system at any time. Optimal utilization of the available connection capacity means that the house connection does not need to be expanded. When multiple loads are operated in parallel, SMA EV Charger automatically and dynamically reduces the charging power of the electric vehicle before a critical overload is reached, which prevents fuses from blowing. When the solar power professional sets up the system, the nominal current of the selective main miniature circuit breaker and not the SMA EV Charger fuse protection should be specified under “nominal current of the point of interconnection”.

As standard, the minimum charging current is set to 6 A (in accordance with IEC 61851-1). Depending on the vehicle connected, this may need to be changed. Due to its internal charging electronics, the Renault ZOE charges without any issues only from a charging current of 10 A. Ask your vehicle manufacturer about the minimum charging current for your vehicle. Any change to this value also affects the start of charging and the switching threshold of automatic phase-switching.

Automatic phase-switching by SMA EV Charger enables maximum utilization of self-generated solar power. This poses no danger to the electric vehicle’s on-board charger because there is a 120-second changeover pause between single- and three-phase charging – in other words, active single-phase charging is stopped and three-phase charging is activated after a short wait. An integrated hysteresis prevents constant switching between the phases.

SMA phase-switching is like a manual interruption in the charging process and causes no vehicle damage when the equipment is properly installed and configured (relay switchover time).

Provided that no digital signal source (e.g., ripple control receiver, remote terminal unit) is connected, the digital inputs of SMA EV Charger can be used to connect, for example, an external key switch. This means that an external key switch can be connected to the fast stop and configured during commissioning via grid management services > active power control. This ensures that charging will not start until it has been approved.

Configure active power control only if a digital signal source is connected to the digital inputs of SMA EV Charger. Without this, SMA EV Charger will not charge the vehicle because it is still waiting for charging approval via the digital inputs. Activation of the function can be found in the log book of the Sunny Portal as the “active power limit” / “fast stop active” message.

SMA EV Charger is implemented with an MID-compliant energy meter, but is not suitable for billing purposes (e.g., settlement via your employer or tax office) due to its systemic integration into the energy system. See terms of use for the Sunny Portal, Section VII.

This is a known issue with first-generation ID.3 models which can only be solved by a software update of the vehicle. Within the framework of our in-series field tests with various vehicle models, we observed that the vehicles no longer “fall asleep”, even during optimized charging, following the extensive software update 2.1.

Charging with the SMA EV Charger is not only about charging the electric vehicle, but rather the fact that the solar power generated from your system can be used intelligently for this purpose. E-mobility is only sustainable when the charging current comes from renewable energy sources. Thus, it is the intelligence of the SMA EV Charger that makes the device slightly more expensive than standard wallboxes at first glance. However, it enables you to make the best possible use of your valuable solar power through intelligent functions such as automatic phase-switching. As a result, you can charge sustainably at an unbeatable low cost. Using the flexible charging modes, you can decide for yourself anytime whether you want your car to be ready to go quickly or whether you simply want to charge it in a particularly sustainable and affordable way.

The SMA EV Charger meets all the required radio emissions standards for Australia. The AU declaration of conformity can be found in the download area of our product page.

The charger itself (AC on-board charger) is integrated in the vehicle. A wallbox / charging station is required to ensure compliance with the safety functions and control the charging process.