Do I Need Energy Management at Home if I Have an EV?

You’ve got a Tesla Model Y and you’re thinking of adding another EV to the mix. Or maybe you’re thinking about taking the first step and buying your first ever electric vehicle.

The question is, what impact will this purchase have on your home’s total power supply and what should you do about it?

How much power does your household have? 

Your household’s power capacity plays a key role in determining the impact adding an electric vehicle to the mix will have on the overall supply. 

The average Australian house has a 63-amp feed with approximately 14,000 watts. To break this down, watts is the amount of power your appliances can draw, which is calculated by multiplying the amps by power voltage.  

EV’s typically charge around 7000 watts, which is significantly higher than other appliances like an induction cooker, pool pump, and kettle, that draw around 2000 watts. Hot water systems will generally use around 1125 watts, and an air-conditioning unit comes in at the 3000-watt mark. However, the likelihood of using all these appliances in your home simultaneously is very low. In the rare case that more power is drawn than the system can handle, the main switchboard will simply turn off and power will be cut off.   

But what if you add a second or third EV at 7000 watts into the mix? This completely changes the game and basically presents you with the option of a grid infrastructure upgrade or an energy management system. 

What is home energy management?

Energy management is an effective way of managing your power without upgrading to three-phase, which is a costly and time-consuming process. Put simply, this basically means that you’ll be able to manage your EV charge speed without inconveniencing your daily life. 

EVOS Energy’s home solutions combine both our 7.4kW charger with the MyEVOS app, allowing you to set a schedule for your EVs and ensure that you know exactly how much power your EV is drawing. You’re also able to adjust your charging rate to correspond with your solar output. This makes the MyEVOS app a powerful tool even if you do have a single electric vehicle that may not be overloading your home’s power. 

Further, if you have two or more electric vehicles, the power will be allocated to the car that needs more power, or other preset measures, ensuring that the charge is best allocated to the avenue that needs it most.   

Energy management goes beyond saving money and reducing your environmental impact, increasing the overall efficiency of your home and leading to a more sustainable and comfortable living environment. 

If you have any questions about EVOS’s energy management solutions, reach out to our friendly sales team at sayhi@evos.com.au