Charge HQ Exits Beta, Introduces Subscriptions

Charge HQ is coming out of beta, and as a consequence is introducing fees for its app.

The company’s software optimises a solar/battery user’s solar production, energy consumption, and wholesale prices in real time.

They told SolarQuotes in November that Charge HQ had attracted 1,000 users to its beta, and over the weekend said it had reached 30 countries so far, mainly due to the efforts of its beta testers.

The introduction of subscription pricing was to be announced today, but users noticed the change in a June 1 update.

“Whilst updating the app in preparation for this change we let the cat out of the bag… so tomorrow’s announcement now follows,” Charge HQ told SolarQuotes in an email.

The company said: “to continue to build the app and expand the features we need a source of revenue. After a lot of thought and consideration of other business models, we’re adopting a subscription service for the use of solar charging features for all new users.”

However, Charge HQ claimed, the $7 per month subscription is less than the average user saves, and there will be discounts for annual subscriptions.

In the email, the company paid tribute to the “passionate group of beta program members who have embraced and supported what we’ve built.

“The development of existing features and formulation of our roadmap has come largely from the constant stream of feedback and ideas we get from users.”

The app has let “thousands of users” get more than half their EV charging from solar, ChargeHQ told SolarQuotes.

Beta program members will continue to get all Charge HQ features for free, at least for now: “if you signed up before the 5th of June (Sydney, Australia time), please continue to enjoy the app free of charge”, Joy and Andrew Rodgers said in the email.

As well as optimisiing tariffs, Charge HQ makes sure that at night-time or when it’s cloudy, the EV charger isn’t drawing down on a user’s battery.

In our November interview, Andrew Rodgers explained:

“A common scenario is that during the day the EV will charge from the solar and that’s fine, the home battery will stay out of the way. But then in the evening, the EV battery might need a top-up, and it just looks like any other load to the home battery, so will discharge accordingly. We think it’s possible that the software can talk to the home battery and say, for example, at midnight tell it to stop discharging.”