Energy Monitoring Sensors

Energy monitoring sensors measure what a property is generating and consuming, and feed that data to the EV charger so it can charge on solar surplus or back off when the house is under load. We stock the MyEnergi Harvi (£85), a wireless self-powered sensor that enables solar diversion and load monitoring without running CT clamp cabling back to the charger. Free UK delivery.

Load Management / MyEnergi Range / All Accessories / Home EV Chargers

What does an energy monitoring sensor do?

It tells the charger what is happening on the rest of the electrical system. Without that information a charger simply draws its rated current until the car is full. With it, the charger can wait for surplus solar generation before starting, throttle back when the oven and shower are on, and report accurate consumption. It is the component that turns a smart charger from a timer into something that actually responds to the house.

What is the MyEnergi Harvi?

The Harvi (£85) is a wireless sensor that reads current via a CT clamp and transmits the reading to a compatible MyEnergi device — typically a Zappi charger. Its advantage is that it is self-powered and needs no data cable back to the charger, so the clamp can go on the incoming supply or a solar inverter that sits nowhere near the charge point. On a retrofit, that often saves a long and awkward cable run through a finished building.

Do I need one for solar charging?

You need some way for the charger to see your generation. Some chargers take a hardwired CT clamp, which is fine if the consumer unit and charger are close together. Where they are not — a garage charger and a loft inverter, for example — a wireless sensor like the Harvi is what makes solar diversion practical. Check what your specific charger supports before buying: the requirement varies by brand, and several chargers include their own solution.

Is this the same as a load balancer?

Related but not identical. A load management device such as an Easee Equalizer exists primarily to protect the main fuse by controlling the charger's output. An energy monitoring sensor primarily gathers data — generation and consumption — which the charger then acts on, whether for solar diversion or load limiting. Some installations need both, some need one, and an increasing number of chargers build the function in. The charger's specification is the place to check.