Frequently Asked Questions

Batteries

• Is the Powervault 3 able to do more than one charge cycle per day?  

  Powervault 3 is designed to do more than one charge and discharge cycle per 24 hours. The number of cycles that take place in one day is dependent on both house demand and the amount of solar generated.  Particularly during the summer months, you can expect the Powervault to do more than one cycle per day due to there being more excess solar for the battery to store.

  The Powervault 3 is also able to do more than one cycle in a slightly different way as well. For example, it may be that you force charge the battery overnight on cheap rates and then discharge it in the morning. Following this, the battery may charge again from solar during the same day and discharge later in the evening.

  Powervault 3 is able to store energy for any period of time. If there is no demand from appliances in your home during the day, Powervault 3 will continue to store the energy until it is required.

  You can also set your battery to ‘only charge’, meaning it will not discharge. Therefore, preserving the energy in the battery, to be discharged whenever it is convenient for you.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• What Type of Battery technology is used inside Powervault 3?

  Powervault 3 and Powervault 3^eco use Lithium-ion battery technology to store energy in the home.

  Powervault 3 uses high-performance Lithium-polymer (Li-MNC) cells, which offer a long-life and come with a 10-year warranty.

  Powervault 3^eco uses recycled Lithium-manganese-oxide (LMO) cells from electric vehicles, which are low-cost and come with a 3-year warranty.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

Cost Saving

• Will Powervault 3 Affect my feed-in tariff payments?

  No, Powervault 3 will not have any effect on your Feed-in tariff, which you will continue to receive in full.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• How much can Powervault 3 save me per year?

  Energy savings will vary for each household depending on the size of your solar array, energy consumption profile and energy tariff. However, by installing a Powervault 3 you can expect to save up to 65%* on your electricity bill. You can save up to 50% by storing excess solar from their solar panels and a further 15% when combined with off-peak tariff charging.

  Powervault customers can also generate savings of up to £688/year through a combination of Octopus Agile tariff optimization and GridFLEX payments**

   

  * Savings are based on a 4kWh Powervault 3 unit installed in a property with a 3.68kWp (~12 panels) solar photovoltaic system with average UK solar generation (assuming load factor of 11% used by BEIS). Assumes electricity consumption of 3,100 kWh per annum (Ofgem-average) and standard variable E7 tariff, which is subject to annual increases of 5% (representing average historic increase).

  **Saving is based on a Powervault customer with an annual electricity demand of 8000kWh/year switching from a standard variable to Octopus Energy Agile Tariff and the customer receiving £120/year in GridFLEX payments from Powervault ltd.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

General

• How will I be able to monitor my Powervault 3?

  Powervault 3 owners are able to log-in to a customer portal, where they can monitor their batteries performance. Here, they are also able to set a schedule unique to their Powervault 3.

  The schedule can be seen on the ‘schedule banner’, below the ‘Power Generated’ graph.

  The online portal tracks the home’s electricity consumption and records home electricity demand, battery storage, discharge and export over time.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• Can I run my kettle or Iron off a Powervault 3?

  Powervault 3 has a 5.5kW inverter built into the system. Without a DNO G99 application the battery can have a maximum continuous power output of 3.68kW. With an application, it can have a maximum continuous power output of 5.5kW.

  The battery is designed to supply power to the base load of your electrical demand over the course of the day. However, it can also power specific high-energy appliances such as the kettle or Iron individually over short periods of time.

   

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• How do I reset my Powervault 3?

  There are 2 ways to reset your Powervault 3.

  1. There is a small button on the right-hand side of the unit. You can press this to do a soft reset of the battery. You may need a pin or small screwdriver to reset it. See video below for a demonstration of how to do this.
  2. You can turn the red rotatory switch on the left-hand side of the unit 90 degrees and turn it back again (vertical is on, horizontal is off). This is effectively turning the battery off and on again, like a hard reset. See video below for a demonstration of how to do this.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• Can Powervault 3 store low-cost electricity from the grid?

  Powervault 3 is compatible with time-of-use tariffs such as ‘Economy 7’ EDF Energy Go Electric and the Octopus Energy Agile tariff. Powervault 3 can be programmed to charge from the grid during off-peak times to store low-cost electricity from the grid. This functionality is known as ‘force charge’. It is provided via Powervault’s online customer portal, where it is possible to set a unique schedule for your battery.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• What is GridFLEX?

  Powervault 3 reduces customers’ energy bills by storing free solar energy or cheap, off-peak electricity from the grid. You can also receive £120/year from Powervault when you sign up to our GridFLEX platform. This will enable Powervault’s proprietary GridFLEX™ platform to occasionally control your Powervault 3 battery and support the grid when it is under stress.

  The £120/year payment is guaranteed by Powervault Ltd for a period of two years. The payment will be paid annually in arrears from the date of installation.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

Installation

• How Long does Powervault 3 take to install?

  The Powervault 3 usually takes around 3 hours to install in the home. They are always installed by one of our Approved Powervault Installers. It will be necessary to turn the power off in the house for a few hours during the installation.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• Where should Powervault 3 be installed in my home?

  Powervault 3 must be installed on the ground floor within 25 meters (wiring distance) of the property’s consumer unit (fuse box). Powervault 3 must also be connected to the internet, either, via an ethernet cable or Wifi. The warranty on the Powervault 3 is only applicable if the system has a good internet connection for 90% of the time that it has been installed.

  The Powervault 3 should be installed in a ventilated area with nothing that will restrict airflow around the unit. This is to ensure optimal temperature and prevent overheating. Typically, they are installed in utility rooms, hallways and garages.

  It is also worth noting that a Powervault does make a noise, no more than a washing machine, but we recommend not to install the unit in living areas where the noise would be disruptive.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• Can I move my Powervault 3 to a different location post installation?

  Once Powervault 3 has been installed, we recommend keeping it in its original location. If you do need to move it to another location, we can arrange for the system to be moved for an additional charge.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• Will Powervault 3 be compatible with my solar PV system and inverter?  

  Powervault 3 can either be installed as an AC- or DC-coupled system. Connecting your Powervault 3 system on the AC-side is very simple; Powervault 3 is compatible with all solar inverters and PV systems and is very easy to retro-fit to your existing solar supply. If your existing solar inverter fails or if you are installing a new solar array, then you can connect your solar direct to your Powervault system as a DC coupled system.

  Powervault’s hybrid inverter has two DC-inputs so you can also choose to connect your solar system directly. Should your existing solar inverter fail, you can rely on Powervault 3 to take its place, preventing you needing to spend money on a new inverter.

   

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• Does the Powervault work with a solar power diverter e.g. iBoost?

  Generally speaking, power diverters are compatible with the Powervault. The power diverter will kick in first to heat to your hot water. Once your hot water is hot, then any excess solar will charge your Powervault until it’s full.

  However, in some cases, the power diverter clamp and Powervault clamp, which both measure export, can get confused. In these cases, we recommend simply setting up a hot water timer instead during the daytime. This maximises the chances of solar heating your hot water, with the Powervault contributing the remaining power.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

Technical

• Steps to take if a Powervault 3 goes offline:

   

  1. Please check if there are any lights on the unit or not. These can be seen on the right-hand side near there communication board. Also check if there is any noise coming from the unit. If not,
  2. Please check the consumer unit for any tripped fuse switches (these would be in the down position). If you need support with this, you can send us a photo during office hours. If it has not tripped,
  3. Could you also check that the breaker on the left-hand side of the unit is upwards. If it is,
  4. Please reset the unit by turning the red rotary isolator on the left-hand side 90 degrees, then turn it back again. Once this is done, wait 5-10 minutes to see if any noise or lights come on.

  If all of the above is okay, then please could you check the internet connection to the unit:

  5. Check the wifi router is on and working. It would be worth resetting the router.
  6. Check the Ethernet cable is connected well and has been clipped in at the Powervault, router, and TP Links.
  7. Reset and re-pair the TP Link box. Hold down each button for 15 seconds to reset the devices. Turn these off and press the buttons on both devices within two minutes of each other. The three lights on the front of the TP Link should all be green when there’s a good connection.

  If none of the above works, then please contact the Powervault customer service team on 0203 653 1111.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• What is the maximum rate of charge for the Powervault? 

  The battery charges at a maximum rate of around 2.7-3.3kW. At maximum power, a 4kW battery therefore needs around 2 hours to fully charge and an 8kW needs around 3-4 hours to fully charge.

  Updated: 22 June 2020

• What happens to Powervault 3 in a Powercut?

  During a Powercut the Powervault 3 will shut down. This is because the system must comply with G98 regulations, which ensures all power inverter systems do not export to the grid during black outs. Once the power cut is over, the battery will need manually rebooting. You can do this by turning the red rotator switch on the left-hand side of the unit 90 degrees and turning it back again. This essentially turns the unit off and on again.

  Updated: 22 June 2020