Executive Summary
Dynamic Load Management plays a key role for locations with multiple charging stations and limited site power capacity.
- Dynamic Load Management (DLM) helps you avoid expensive power capacity upgrades and still install the desired number of chargers.
- It automatically distributes the available power dynamically and efficiently. It ensures that the grid is not overloaded. At the same time, each EV gets charged efficiently.
- The algorithm takes into account the available power capacity and the charging capability of the vehicle.
- DLM also enables comprehensive prioritization based on which charger is in use or even on who is charging.
- It allows favouring subscribers over ad-hoc users. Hence, you can also create additional incentives and revenue streams for your business.
Introduction
Currently, 80% of all EV charging happens at home. These are mainly single charge points at single-family houses. The additional energy consumption is held within limits and supported by the existing power grid. However, the tides are changing.
The combination of the EV price decrease and the increased driving range leads to a growing number of plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles on the roads. With them, the need for multiple charge points in residential parking spaces and fleet depots rises, too.
Several vehicles charging simultaneously at a location can create costly power load peaks. For example, during office hours or in the evening when everybody is charging their EV while cooking and watching TV simultaneously. Moreover, most of the current grid connections are designed for lower energy consumption levels. Extending their capacity can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Dynamic Load Management (DLM) can help you here the most.
How does Dynamic Load Management work?
Dynamic Load Management solves the problem of multiple EVs charging at the same time on a single location. Hence, as a first step, you group these charge points in a so-called DLM circuit. To protect the grid, you set a power limit to it. This is made possible with the backend or an API of an EV charge point management system like AMPECO.
After you have set the limit, the dynamic load management algorithm follows three main objectives:
Never allow the electricity consumption to exceed the power capacity limit.
Grid stability is the foremost goal. Several strategies solve this in practice. First, there is always a 10-20% buffer between the grid capacity reserved for the EV charging and the actual DLM circuit limit. Second, the DLM algorithm ensures that offline chargers cannot consume electricity. Hence, there is always total visibility and control of the energy consumption.
Fairly distribute the capacity of a circuit between competing charge points.
For most solutions, this means that each charger receives the same amount of power. In practice, this is highly inefficient. Different EVs charge varying speed. Depending on where they are in the battery loading cycle, the EV charges at changing speed. Hence, “fairly” should be understood as “what the EV can consume at a given time”.
Have as much utilization as possible.
This objective builds on the one above. If power capacity is granted to an EV and that EV cannot take advantage of it, free it up or assign it to an EV that can utilize it. In practice, this means that the algorithm observes the consumption of each charge point. If needed, it recalculates and redistributes the power within the circuit limit every few minutes.
In addition to these three main objectives, the software DLM allows you to define prioritization rules based on the user groups or location. In practice, this means that paying members can charge with higher power rates than Plug and Charge users. That different charging speed is offered at varying prices or to specific user groups.
If you manage your buildings energy demand with a Building Management System (BMS), DLM enables you to integrate the EV charging management platform with it. In practice, you automate the limit settings of the DLM circuit. The BMS receives the consumption over an API. Depending on the utilization of the whole system and your priorities, it dynamically sets the DLM circuit limit. The trigger can be pre-defined periods or dynamic consumption thresholds.
3 steps to increase the ROI of your EV charging project with Dynamic Load Management
With Dynamic Load Management, you improve your project ROI in both cost and revenue directions.
Reduce upfront investment in grid expansion.
You can install the desired number of chargers at the site. DLM automatically distributes the available power dynamically and efficiently. It ensures that the grid is not overloaded. The algorithm takes into account the available power capacity and the charging capability of the vehicle. Thus, each EV is charged with maximum efficiency.
Increase your revenue.
Dynamic Load Management enables comprehensive prioritization based on which charger is in use or even on who is charging. You can favour subscribers over ad-hoc users. Hence, you can also create additional incentives and revenue streams for your business.
Absolute flexibility
Charge points are often part of a comprehensive electrical system: multiunit housing, office building or even factory depo. You have the existing energy consumption of the building. The EV charging adds further load to the local grid. You reduce risk and keep your installation safe by setting limits to the DLM controlling the charge points. In combination with a Building Management System (BMS) managing the DLM limit via API, you can achieve complete grid safety and power distribution flexibility. You can use the off-work hours to increase the power limits and offer your EV-charging infrastructure to a broader set of customers. Hence, generate additional revenues and increase the ROI of your investment.
Conclusion
We are looking into a future with multiple charge points per location. As a consequence, the investments in power grid capacity and safety will increase. Hence, the ROI for these projects will decrease. Dynamic Load Management reduces the investment cost, keeps the grid safe and increases revenue opportunities. It also enables full dynamic automation of a building power management system via an API.
If you want to know more about AMPECO’s Dynamic Load Management solution, please book a demo with us here.
