Signing Up for Loop Optimise: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide will walk you through the steps to sign up for Loop Optimise, our AI-driven Home Energy Management System (HEMS). Loop Optimise helps maximise the earnings made by your battery system.

Step 1: Provide Your Basic Information

When you begin, you'll need to provide information in three main categories:

1. Your home address
2. Your tariff details
3. Your solar and battery details

Make sure you have a recent energy bill handy, as you'll need specific tariff information - both separately for import and export - for Loop Optimise to work accurately.

Step 2: Enter Your Tariff Information

The tariff information must be accurate, as Loop Optimise will optimise your energy usage based on it.

• Supported Tariffs: Currently, Loop Optimise supports four Octopus Energy tariffs and one from British Gas:
  • Octopus Energy: Agile, Flux, Intelligent Go (with or without export), Outgoing Export.
  • British Gas: Electric Driver v7.

Note: If you’re newly set up with solar, your export tariff may take longer to activate, as providers often delay export registration.

Step 3: Provide Solar Array Details

To help Loop Optimise understand your solar array’s output, you’ll need to provide either:

• Array Capacity: Input the maximum output in kilowatts (kW). 
• Number of Panels and Orientation: If you’re unsure of your arrays capacity, you can count your panels – each panel typically outputs about 400 watts. For example, 10 panels would yield roughly 4 kW. 
• Direction of Your Panels: Whether you’ve provided details for array capacity or number of panels, you’ll then need to indicate the primary direction your panels face. If they face multiple directions, choose the dominant one.

Step 4: Indicate If You Have a Solar Diverter

If you use a solar diverter (e.g. for heating water or charging your EV), please let us know. A solar diverter directs excess solar energy to other uses rather than exporting it to the grid. Loop Optimise works best when the diverter is turned off, as it could otherwise affect the accuracy of optimisation and earnings estimates.

Step 5: Enter Electric Vehicle (EV) Information

While EV information is not yet part of the Loop Optimise algorithm, including it allows us to anticipate future features.

Step 6: Input Inverter and Battery Details

Loop Optimise requires the following details about your inverter and battery:

• Inverter Type: The inverter connects your battery and solar setup, enabling control. Select your inverter from our list of supported manufacturers.
• Battery Model: Choose your battery from the available options. Loop Optimise allows different brands for inverters and batteries (e.g. a GrowWatt inverter with a GivEnergy battery).

Step 7: Check for a G99 Export Permission

This step is only flagged if your battery and inverter have discharge rates greater than 3.68kW. You’ll need to confirm whether you’ve applied for a G99 export permission certificate. This certificate lets you export electricity to the grid at a higher rate than the default.

Step 8: Connect Loop Optimise to Your System

The final step is to connect Loop Optimise to your battery:

• Connection Details: Enter the required credentials based on your battery manufacturer. For GrowWatt, for example, this includes a username and password.

Loop Optimise will verify the connection to ensure it’s valid. If any issues arise, you’ll be prompted to check your connection.

Step 9: Complete Setup and View Dashboard

Once connected, you’ll reach the completion screen. Initially, the Loop Optimise dashboard won’t have an action plan, as it takes about half an hour for data to populate. After that, you’ll be able to view your energy insights and start benefiting from optimised battery management.

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