NED FAQ
Here's some common questions that we get from prospective customers about ned, and so we thought we would share these with you for your benefit:
What kind of devices can NED manage for me?
Solar Inverters, Battery Inverters, Smart Cables, Electric Vehicles, Smart Air Conditioners, and other smart appliances. Please contact us to confirm if your model of appliance or device can be managed by ned
Inverter and Hybrid Inverter brands that we can fully manage including for Solar Curtailment on negative FiT include:
- Fronius
- Victron
- GoodWe
- SunGrow
- SolarEdge
Additional inverter brands that we can monitor (but not yet curtail for negative FiT in a viable way) include:
- SMA
- Enphase
Solar and Hybrid inverter brands that we do NOT support (due to manufacturer's restrictions) include:
- Solis / Ginlong
Battery brands that we've integrated with include:
- RedFlow ZCell / RedFlow ZBM
- LG RESU
- BYD
- SunGrow
- PylonTech
- 'Homebrew' - yes, home brew assembled battery packs!
Please note we do NOT yet support the following battery types:
- Tesla Powerwall / Powerwall 2
- AlphaESS
EV Makes and Models that we can manage include:
- Tesla Model S
- Tesla Model 3
- Tesla Model X
- Tesla Model Y
Smart Cables controlled by NED have been used by some clever people to manage the following:
- Second Fridge (controlled by price and min/max on/off timers)
- Pool Pump (controlled by solar output)
- Heat Pump hot water system (controlled by solar output)
- Bitcoin miners (controlled by solar output and buy prices, mine when it's cheap!)
Even if your brand of equipment / appliance is not yet listed, please contact us first before ordering, we're always happy to expand our compatible equipment, which is good for us and good for you too.
Do I need an electrician to install NED?
No! If your appliances, devices and equipment are already installed, an electrician is not required to install ned. Installation of NED is a two step process, 1/ plug NED into to your internet router / modem with the ethernet cable. 2/ plug NED into a standard power point socket
Are you an Electricity retailer?
enlightened group is not an electricity retailer, and we do not require you to switch electricity providers / electricity retailers. We can however suggest some plans for you to select from, from a number of retailers in order to attempt to reduce your bill - but we do not get any ‘kickbacks’ from this, financial or otherwise.
How much can NED save me on my electricity bill?
A typical household of five, with solar and a battery sized to a day’s worth of your electricity consumption, can save approximately 40% against the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). There are many factors that affect this off course, such as the amount of energy your solar generates, the performance characteristics of your battery, and of course the pattern of consumption in your premise.
How much power does a NED consume?
About 10-15 Watts (it’s like having a mobile phone or internet modem plugged in all the time)
How much internet data does NED consume?
NED uses approximately 100 - 300 MB per month in basic operational mode. The usage can go above this amount if we need to provide you remote support for example, where usage may increase to around 1GB per month. NED assumes your internet service is available to it generally on a 24/7 basis.
What are the different models / makes of NED?
NED comes in black (long black) or white (flat white). Flat White also has LEDs to show you status at a glance. Apart from the Status LEDs and the colour of the case, the White and Black ones are identical.
Does NED notify me of any significant events?
NED can optionally email you when the grid fails / is restored, or when prices spike significantly at your premise. An SMS based service is available to paying subscribers, and will come from a number shown as ‘ned’. For Flat White models, you will also see some status displayed via the LEDs (the box also glows in the dark!)
How do I see what NED is upto?
You are provided a simple but powerful monitor and control web-based interface into ned, and the web address is supplied to you during setup. This is only available to you when you are within the same network as ned is plugged into – ie. your premises internet network.
In some cases, external, view only dashboards are provided to you via an internet link, where you can view some of ned’s activity 24/7, from anywhere with an internet connected web browser. At this stage, only a viewing portal is provided to you.
What if I’m not happy with the product / service?
If you are not satisifed with the product or service, please contact us first - we will aim to rectify the issues being faced. In the case that you would like to return the product or stop the service, please contact us to do this with you, which may include you sending the Product back to us via our shipping provided to you. As an Australian Customer, you are always protected by Australian Consumer Law.
Is there an App?
At this stage, there isn’t an app that is available for your ned, but we think you’ll enjoy the web based access given to you in the meantime.
What’s in the box when I buy a NED?
When you purchase from our online store, you’ll receive:
- one NED
- a power cable and power adapter, and
- an Ethernet Network cable
- written thanks and a smile too :)
I’m a techy and I need to know, what internal software does NED run?
NED runs a version of Linux, and should not be tampered with – please read your Terms and Conditions!
Does NED need to be updated / upgraded from time to time, and if so who manages this?
NED sometimes needs upgrades for either maintenance purposes or to provide you new features. Before we do this, we will ask your permission to do so, and we do this remotely as part of the service to you.
What is the Warranty?
Enlightened Group provides an ongoing warranty, as long as you continue to be a subscriber.
Will running NED on my network void the warranty on any of the other devices?
NED only uses standards based communication interfaces that are provided by the other appliances and devices and their manufacturers. As such, NED can’t void your warranty on those devices by using those networking interfaces.
Are there any config changes needed on any of my devices?
Possibly - we have seen that the most common need for any config changes are with your inverter(s). We won’t change anything on the Inverter without your consent. The changes sometimes need the raising of a change ticket / support ticket with the Inverter’s manufacturer to make that change. If at any time you do not wish for that Inverter, device or appliance to be managed by ned any longer, please contact us, and we will remove it from the list of enrolled devices for you, and inform you of when the de-registration is completed. For an EV, you may need to provide username and either a password or authorisation token for ned to manage your EV charging behaviour while it’s at your premise.
Does this interfere with my wired or wireless network?
Your WiFi network may be used by NED to access your Premise’s devices – if that is how they are connected to your internet service. In that case, ned communicates with them just like any other computer would.
I see a new WiFi network ever since ned came into the house – what’s up with that?
In the case that your ned is configured to provide a small WiFi network of its own, this will be setup with your knowledge, and it is to provide the separate network to your pre-configured Smart Cables and/or Smart Plugs. We normally set it up with 2.4GHz on channel 1, 6, or 11, and with a preset WiFi network name (such as NEDNETAU or similar). If you want any changes to this, please let us know and we can accommodate some adjustments to this standard configuration. The small WiFi network supplies a relatively slow network speed to manage those devices / appliances (around 1Mbps), and is not intended to be a general use WiFi for your computer or other similar devices for example.
Do I need more than one NED for my Premise?
No - Only one NED is needed per premise, but NED needs to be able to access all of your devices and appliances that you want to manage, via your internet service / internet connection.
Ok I’m keen - where do I buy one?
Send through a completed NED Readiness Questionnaire to us at info@enlightenedgroup.com.au for our assessment,
or head over to www.enlightenedgroup.com.au to submit your order - we'd be delighted to have you as a customer!