Load balancing: smart use of limited network capacity

Managers of charging stations face a major challenge: how to charge multiple vehicles simultaneously without overloading the electricity grid. Grid congestion and limited connection values make it increasingly difficult to simply add extra charging points. Load balancing offers a practical and scalable solution to this problem.

Increasing pressure on the electricity grid

There are now hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles on the road in the Netherlands, and this number continues to grow. For companies that are electrifying their fleets or offering charging facilities to employees and visitors, this means an increasing demand for power. At the same time, upgrading the grid connection is often not possible. When multiple charging points charge at full power simultaneously, this can lead to the contracted connection value being exceeded, resulting in malfunctions or fines. Without smart control, an uneven charging process also occurs, with vehicles that connect later charging less efficiently.

What is load balancing?

Load balancing ensures that the available power is automatically and intelligently distributed across all active charging points. The system takes into account the total energy consumption of the building and makes the remaining power available for charging. This power can be distributed in various ways: evenly across all vehicles, based on the order in which they are connected, or by assigning priorities to specific users or vehicles. This keeps the grid stable and allows all vehicles to charge as efficiently as possible within the available capacity.

Scalable

For organisations that are already investing in charging infrastructure, load balancing is not a luxury, but a necessity. It makes optimal use of the existing grid, prevents technical problems and creates room for further sustainability. Load balancing is also scalable. Administrators can start with a limited number of charging points and later expand the system to larger installations or even campus level. In a subsequent phase, it can be linked to other energy sources, such as solar panels, batteries or energy storage. Load balancing is therefore an important building block towards a smarter and more flexible energy system.

Standard charging scenarios

For standard charging scenarios, Ecotap offers a direct and reliable solution with its own products. Ecotap charging stations have built-in load management functionality. This includes internal load balancing, whereby the available power is distributed between two connected cars. It also includes static load management, whereby an internal limit is set for the total power that the charging station may use. Dynamic load management is also possible, whereby the available charging capacity is automatically adjusted based on the building’s current energy consumption.

Complex charging scenarios

For more complex charging scenarios and larger charging locations, such as business parks and airports, Ecotap works with specialised partners to offer advanced load balancing solutions. Consider situations in which a mix of AC and DC charging stations are used together and must be controlled centrally from a single overarching system. Or a situation in which load management between DC charging stations is required. But also consider a scenario with load balancing between different brands of charging stations or multi-level load management (in which multiple charging clusters and multiple kWh meters are controlled).

Technology behind load management

Load management can operate locally and independently of an internet connection, enabling the system to respond immediately to peak loads and prevent impending overloads. This is particularly essential in locations where continuity is crucial, such as business campuses, logistics hubs or parking facilities with many simultaneous charging movements. This is usually achieved via Modbus over TCP/IP in combination with local hardware. In addition, there are solutions that work via OCPP, whereby load management can also be set up without local hardware and communication takes place via the backend. By working with these two common protocols (OCPP and Modbus over TCP/IP), load balancing can be applied in a variety of situations and with different parties.

Who are the partners for complex charging scenarios?

In more complex charging situations, we recommend cooperation with the following partners (in alphabetical order):

  • Embion
  • Flexicharge
  • Maxem
  • Motus
  • Partino
  • Phoenix – Mint
  • Siemens (SICAM – DLM)