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I saw a very alarming video on here recently where an old, dumb Rolec EVSE was shown continuing to charge a car, even with the Earth wire pulled out & floating in mid air!!! I've also seen a reference elsewhere to an un-named, but commonly seen in domestic situations EVSE that failed to do any Earth leakage testing. I wonder what make that might have been...
3 years ago I replaced the Rolec Controller in my 2015 Rolec, using a a Viridian controller as I wanted to be able to adjust the charging current. That controller may or may not have done better testing, but there was no additional current-transformer or other kit added, so it's hard to see how it could do better.
Viridian have now produced a much better item, their "EVSE Protovol Controller 2.0 (EPC 2.0)" which has "support for DC leakage protection and will detect DC currents of 6mA or greater, disabling the charging session and making the equipment safe". It also has "PEN Loss Detection system - the ability to protect the user in the event of a failure/loss of the PEN conductor in the distribution network. The EPC 2.0 will disconnect all live conductors and the protective earth conductor, amking the equipment safe until the fault is fixed".
This new controller supports tethered and untethered EVSEs, 16A & 32A switch-settable choice, and any other current from 6A to 32A can be set by an external resistor or supplied voltage signal, for those solar etc uses. Has a choice of 2 drivers for cable-locking motor/solenoid; I deselected this as n/a for me. A nice thing!
My EVSE is inside the gge, but car is usually on the drive when it's being charged, I could be standing in a puddle at the same time, and I believe this is one of these borderline situations where the EVSE should maybe have an Earth Rod fitted? I'm not a sparky, just wanting to be safe. I've seen a lot of mention of devices that negate the need for an Earth Rod, and I think it's this PEN Loss Detection system that permits that. So my belief is that this new Viridian EPC 2.0 is about as safe as you can get, and I gather it meets the latest regs, which maybe the original Rolec no longer would. So does this mean there are a lot of rather dangerous original-model dumb Rolecs out there? A qn I can't answer.
So I decided to get an EPC 2.0, with all the bells & whistles. EPC 2.0 is available from ecoharmony.co.uk for e.g. Usual disclaimer, no connection, just a satisfied customer.
My EVSE already had a Garo RCBO replacing the original v nasty Rolec one 3 years ago, and this stays. The Rolec Contactor seems to be ok, so that also stays. The Rolec LED light on the front panel has the wrong polarity for the original Viridians to use, so that was replaced with a clear window (v thick tape) 3 years ago. (Haven't checked the polarity on this new one, but I expect it to be the unchanged). The Viridians have built-in LEDs so you can see what state they are in.
One extra component was needed, that ecoharmony don't have on their their site, though it's shown in the circuit diagram and mentioned. This is a single pole Contactor, to isolate the Earth in case of PEN Loss. As all my other components are rated 40A (not sure about the Rolec Contactor, but is definitely 32A at least & shouldn't see > 32A ever) I wanted a 40A single pole Contactor. Garo do one, the "GK40 1NO 230V AC". Amazingly, I can only find one distributor online who stocks this, and they're in Ireland! All the other contactors seem to be 2 or 4 Pole, which is a waste of a pole, and probably more expensive than necessary. Whether you could split the Earth line and take it through 2 poles of a 2-Pole 20A contactor I don't know, but I feel this is risky as the poles are bound to open at microscopically different times, so one pole must in theory be left trying to carry a surge current of 40A at the same time as trying to kill the arc. Ok this is worst-case scenario, but that's the point, to cope with a worst-case.
Only modification to the Rolec case was to snap-off two green plates under the top waterproof lid that lets you get at the RCBO, as I put the new Contactor beside that clipped onto the standard rail, and lined the 2 items up to fit.
The EPC 2.0 comes as standard with a small Current Transformer (CT) with black & yellow twisted-wire leads, this gets the Earth wire to the car fed through it and does the PEN Loss testing. An optional extra is the RCM Residual Current Monitor which is a small box with 4 wires out, and a built-in CT; this gets the L & N wires to the car fed through it, so any imbalance means problems, current going where it shouldn't, and again a signal goes to the Viridian which shuts down the system. So now all 3 heavy-gauge wires to the car go through contactors, and all are isolated completely in case of an error. This comes with an excellent manual, and my wiring was exactly as per their supplied 230V diagram in section 6.3, they even label the terminals on the contactors & coils! Was no problem to fit this. Pics below show the new arrangement inside my Rolec, I have to say it's now a tangle of wires! But nothing's getting trapped as I close the lid (carefully!).
Prices of items (VAT included):
1 x Garo RCBO 1+N 40A char B 6kA Type A (RCBOGRB40)(A) = £ 22.02 in July 2017 (meteorelectrical.com similar today)
1 x Garo 40A Contactor 1 Pole 230V 1 Normally Open N/O AC/DC Coil Modular DIN Rail = £ 37.95 Nov 2020 (a1electrics.com, easier to search "GK40 1NO 230V AC" on eBay as payment easier, same shop.)
1 x Viridian EPC 2.0 EVSE controller & 6mA DC RCM kit (EPC20B10 + DCS6-01) = £184.80 (ecoharmony.co.uk)
+ a few short bits of wire for the new Contactor, and some wire-terminal crimps.
Total = call it £250 in round figures.
Rolec with new EPC 2.0 fitted. (BTW entire thing was isolated by small CU with Breaker & RCD both off, before you moan about the RCBO being on!)
Viridian EPC 2.0
PEN Loss CT, comes with EPC 2.0
DC Leakage Sensor / RCM Support module, located just above Rolec Contactor on LHS.
Garo Contactor on left, RCBO on right.
Rolec 32A Contactor
Rolec powered up, gently-pulsating blue Led visible through clear window.
3 years ago I replaced the Rolec Controller in my 2015 Rolec, using a a Viridian controller as I wanted to be able to adjust the charging current. That controller may or may not have done better testing, but there was no additional current-transformer or other kit added, so it's hard to see how it could do better.
Viridian have now produced a much better item, their "EVSE Protovol Controller 2.0 (EPC 2.0)" which has "support for DC leakage protection and will detect DC currents of 6mA or greater, disabling the charging session and making the equipment safe". It also has "PEN Loss Detection system - the ability to protect the user in the event of a failure/loss of the PEN conductor in the distribution network. The EPC 2.0 will disconnect all live conductors and the protective earth conductor, amking the equipment safe until the fault is fixed".
This new controller supports tethered and untethered EVSEs, 16A & 32A switch-settable choice, and any other current from 6A to 32A can be set by an external resistor or supplied voltage signal, for those solar etc uses. Has a choice of 2 drivers for cable-locking motor/solenoid; I deselected this as n/a for me. A nice thing!
My EVSE is inside the gge, but car is usually on the drive when it's being charged, I could be standing in a puddle at the same time, and I believe this is one of these borderline situations where the EVSE should maybe have an Earth Rod fitted? I'm not a sparky, just wanting to be safe. I've seen a lot of mention of devices that negate the need for an Earth Rod, and I think it's this PEN Loss Detection system that permits that. So my belief is that this new Viridian EPC 2.0 is about as safe as you can get, and I gather it meets the latest regs, which maybe the original Rolec no longer would. So does this mean there are a lot of rather dangerous original-model dumb Rolecs out there? A qn I can't answer.
So I decided to get an EPC 2.0, with all the bells & whistles. EPC 2.0 is available from ecoharmony.co.uk for e.g. Usual disclaimer, no connection, just a satisfied customer.
My EVSE already had a Garo RCBO replacing the original v nasty Rolec one 3 years ago, and this stays. The Rolec Contactor seems to be ok, so that also stays. The Rolec LED light on the front panel has the wrong polarity for the original Viridians to use, so that was replaced with a clear window (v thick tape) 3 years ago. (Haven't checked the polarity on this new one, but I expect it to be the unchanged). The Viridians have built-in LEDs so you can see what state they are in.
One extra component was needed, that ecoharmony don't have on their their site, though it's shown in the circuit diagram and mentioned. This is a single pole Contactor, to isolate the Earth in case of PEN Loss. As all my other components are rated 40A (not sure about the Rolec Contactor, but is definitely 32A at least & shouldn't see > 32A ever) I wanted a 40A single pole Contactor. Garo do one, the "GK40 1NO 230V AC". Amazingly, I can only find one distributor online who stocks this, and they're in Ireland! All the other contactors seem to be 2 or 4 Pole, which is a waste of a pole, and probably more expensive than necessary. Whether you could split the Earth line and take it through 2 poles of a 2-Pole 20A contactor I don't know, but I feel this is risky as the poles are bound to open at microscopically different times, so one pole must in theory be left trying to carry a surge current of 40A at the same time as trying to kill the arc. Ok this is worst-case scenario, but that's the point, to cope with a worst-case.
Only modification to the Rolec case was to snap-off two green plates under the top waterproof lid that lets you get at the RCBO, as I put the new Contactor beside that clipped onto the standard rail, and lined the 2 items up to fit.
The EPC 2.0 comes as standard with a small Current Transformer (CT) with black & yellow twisted-wire leads, this gets the Earth wire to the car fed through it and does the PEN Loss testing. An optional extra is the RCM Residual Current Monitor which is a small box with 4 wires out, and a built-in CT; this gets the L & N wires to the car fed through it, so any imbalance means problems, current going where it shouldn't, and again a signal goes to the Viridian which shuts down the system. So now all 3 heavy-gauge wires to the car go through contactors, and all are isolated completely in case of an error. This comes with an excellent manual, and my wiring was exactly as per their supplied 230V diagram in section 6.3, they even label the terminals on the contactors & coils! Was no problem to fit this. Pics below show the new arrangement inside my Rolec, I have to say it's now a tangle of wires! But nothing's getting trapped as I close the lid (carefully!).
Prices of items (VAT included):
1 x Garo RCBO 1+N 40A char B 6kA Type A (RCBOGRB40)(A) = £ 22.02 in July 2017 (meteorelectrical.com similar today)
1 x Garo 40A Contactor 1 Pole 230V 1 Normally Open N/O AC/DC Coil Modular DIN Rail = £ 37.95 Nov 2020 (a1electrics.com, easier to search "GK40 1NO 230V AC" on eBay as payment easier, same shop.)
1 x Viridian EPC 2.0 EVSE controller & 6mA DC RCM kit (EPC20B10 + DCS6-01) = £184.80 (ecoharmony.co.uk)
+ a few short bits of wire for the new Contactor, and some wire-terminal crimps.
Total = call it £250 in round figures.
Rolec with new EPC 2.0 fitted. (BTW entire thing was isolated by small CU with Breaker & RCD both off, before you moan about the RCBO being on!)
Viridian EPC 2.0
PEN Loss CT, comes with EPC 2.0
DC Leakage Sensor / RCM Support module, located just above Rolec Contactor on LHS.
Garo Contactor on left, RCBO on right.
Rolec 32A Contactor
Rolec powered up, gently-pulsating blue Led visible through clear window.