Schedule electricity management

This article describes installation planning. For on-site implementation and equipment configuration on the Climkit Platform, refer to the links at the end of the article.

1. Electricity management and RCP

Climkit's electricity management solution consists of providing meters to measure and read electricity consumption, transmitting data to the platform, and activating one of the available operating methods, such as generating Individual statements or automatic Consumer billing.

The solution is generally applied within the framework of a self-consumption community (RCP).

It can also be used in other contexts, for example:

• In a commercial building to distinguish consumption across different surface areas
• In a campsite or a port to account for consumption per pitch
• In any situation requiring measuring, accounting for, and billing electricity consumption

Standard RCP connection diagram

There are several connection modes for Electricity meters and communication depending on the number of consumers and buildings on a Site.

The standard diagram consists of an RCP with:

• A single grid connection point with a DSO Input meter
• Multiple consumers (apartments, offices, common areas, etc.) connected to private meters.

Electrical connection

The diagram above presents the case of an RCP with a single DSO meter at the building's electrical input.

Consumers such as apartments and common areas are measured by private meters.

A private meter also measures the Photovoltaic (PV) production (inverter output).

A private meter is also installed at the input in series with the DSO meter.

The number of meters depends on what needs to be measured and billed separately. Here is a list of the most common meters to consider:

• Heat pump: to distinguish its consumption from the rest of the common areas
• Electric vehicle charging stations
• Battery in AC coupling (as in DC coupling, behind a hybrid inverter, the battery is already measured by the PV meter).
• Photovoltaic inverters: one meter per installation allows for measuring their performance separately and detecting potential problems more easily.

RS485 communication bus and internet connection

A serial communication bus of type RS485 connects each meter to the RS485 interface of the Climkit Gateway.

The meters (Slaves) are connected by an RS485 bus network to the Gateway (Master) according to the diagram below.

Directives and recommendations for cable pulling:

• Use a shielded U72 type cable (aluminum foil type) 4 × 0.8 mm².
• All devices must be connected in series (daisy-chain). Avoid branches, stars, or T-connections which can cause communication failures.
• The cable must not form closed loops.
• Maximum length: aim for < 500 m for a safety margin.
• Avoid routing near equipment that could create interference (motors, drives...).

The Gateway is itself connected via its Ethernet interface to the 4G Router equipped with a multi-operator SIM card to allow remote meter reading.

Climkit Offer

The standard Climkit offer includes the elements necessary for the system's operation: hardware equipment, software features, as well as services related to the implementation.

All hardware is provided preconfigured to simplify installation and ensure proper meter communication.

• Equipment:
  • LAN router or 4G Router
  • Climkit Gateway
  • Electricity meters
• Software features:
  • Reading and visualization of Electricity meters
• Setup service:
  • Technical coordination and meter reading verification
  • Administrative setup

All products are ordered directly from Climkit.

In most cases, the installation can be carried out by the installer without an on-site intervention by a Climkit technician.

Telephone assistance is available if necessary during commissioning.

Equipment details used

4G Router

An Internet connection is essential for the system's operation. If no connection is available, Climkit can provide it via a 4G Router equipped with an active multi-operator SIM card.

The use of the Climkit TRB140 4G Router offers several advantages:

• Simplified installation: the router installs easily inside the electrical panel, directly on the DIN rail
• Complete delivery: supplied with its DIN rail support and its 24V DC power supply
• Ready to use: delivered preconfigured with an activated SIM card
• Economical 4G subscription: low-cost internet connection

Climkit Gateway

The Climkit Gateway reads meters connected to its RS485 port via the Modbus protocol and transmits the readings to the Climkit Platform via the internet.

Electricity meters

Electricity meters allow for the measurement of consumption, production, as well as energy imported from and fed back to the grid.

In the case of a connection lower than 80A, Climkit provides direct meters, meaning the conductor wires pass directly through the meter.

The model generally provided is the Eastron SDM630Modbus meter. The meter occupies 4 DIN modules in width and installs directly into the electrical panel on its DIN rail or in a suitable enclosure (see T-Box below).

In cases where the connection intensity (amperage) exceeds 80A, Climkit provides indirect electricity meters, meaning the conductor wires pass through current transformers (CTs) which are themselves connected to the meter.

• The model generally provided is the Eastron SDM630MCT meter

Current transformers (CT)

CTs are chosen according to the connection intensity and the diameter of the conductor onto which the CT will be clipped.

Climkit provides CTs ranging from 100 A to 2000 A.

The CTs clip directly onto the cable or copper busbar of each phase. Pay attention to the cable section relative to the CT's diameter.

Other CTs can be ordered for specific cases with a larger diameter. Please specify when ordering.

Enclosure and T-Box meter plate

To facilitate meter installation on DSO meter locations, it is possible to order DIN rail enclosures with a mounting plate.

DIN rail enclosure on T-mounting plate (H: 36cm, W: 21cm)

Option: Pre-wired input panel

Climkit offers a pre-wired input panel that bundles all elements necessary for an RCP community (photovoltaic, battery, and charging stations) at the site's input point.

It integrates:

• the grid input (up to 160 A depending on variant)
• the DSO meter location
• outputs for photovoltaic inverter (≤ 30 kVA), AC battery, and stations
• the general, PV, battery, and station private meters
• the Climkit communication infrastructure (Gateway, multi-operator 4G router, PoE Ethernet switch)

Ready to mount and developed by Climkit, it brings together the input and communication infrastructure needed to integrate the solutions.

Assembled in Switzerland with Schneider Electric components, it is available in two variants:

Variant up to 80 A (direct metering)

Variant up to 160 A (indirect metering with CT)

Cloud Gateway variant

Instead of using a Climkit Gateway, it is possible to opt for a virtual Gateway using the MQTT protocol, by combining a router (LAN or 4G) with an RS485-Ethernet converter.

Cloud Gateway diagram with 4G router

Diagram with LAN router

Energy Optimization and Storage

In addition to measurement and billing, Climkit allows for increasing the self-consumption rate of solar electricity produced on site by controlling appliances based on surplus (hot water, heat pump, charging stations) and managing a storage battery.

For planning these functions, refer to Planning energy optimization and storage.

2. Connection variants

Microgrid diagram: site consisting of multiple buildings

The Microgrid diagram consists of a community (RCP) with the following characteristics:

• A single public grid connection point, equipped with a DSO Input meter, generally located in a separate main distribution board (TGBT) room or in one of the building's sites.
• Multiple buildings connected to this same input point.
• Multiple consumers (apartments, offices, common rooms, etc.), each linked to an individual meter.

This diagram applies particularly when private meters are distributed across different points of the Site. Several variants are then possible for connecting and reading the meters:

• Installation of a bus between buildings, passing through each meter to the central Climkit Gateway.
• Installation of a Climkit Gateway in each building, each connected to the Internet for data transmission.
• Recommended: Interconnect all buildings via a local IP network (RJ45 cabling or optical fiber). Each meter installation is connected to an RS485-Ethernet converter, itself connected to the site's LAN. This architecture allows for efficient data centralization while ensuring infrastructure flexibility. (See diagram below.)

This last variant is recommended because it offers several advantages:

• Increased reliability: It avoids connection issues related to the physical bus between buildings, where diagnosis and troubleshooting can prove complex.
• Equipment savings: It allows for installing only one Gateway and one router for the entire Site, thus simplifying the architecture and reducing costs.

Microgrid diagram with virtual RCP and multiple inputs

The Microgrid diagram with virtual RCP consists of:

• Several public grid input points, each with its DSO meter
• Multiple interconnected buildings
• Several consumers (apartments, offices, common areas, etc.) equipped with either a private meter or a DSO meter
• Several photovoltaic installations measured by a private meter or a DSO meter

Operating Principle:

Produced electricity is shared between buildings. The DSO meters are grouped virtually to establish a single invoice for energy imported from the grid.

Private meters are read directly by the Climkit Gateway, while the DSO transmits its meter data to Climkit. All information is centralized on the Climkit Platform.

Single consumer diagram

This diagram applies to sites comprising:

• A single public grid input point
• A single consumer
• A single photovoltaic installation

Application example: A detached house or a commercial building equipped with a photovoltaic installation.

Two meters are installed at a minimum: an Input meter in series with the DSO meter and a Photovoltaic (PV) production meter.

Consumption does not need to be measured directly: it is deduced by calculation from the values of the two other meters (Consumption = Production + Imported energy or - Exported energy).

Cloud Gateway variant with LAN (or 4G) router

3. Next steps