Table of Contents
- 1. Electricity management and RCP
Plan electricity management (RCP, RCPv and LEC)
- 1. Electricity management and RCP
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
The Climkit electricity management solution consists of providing meters to measure and read electricity consumption, transmit data to the platform, and activate one of the available operating methods, such as generating individual statements or automated consumer billing.
The solution is generally applied within the framework of a self-consumption community (RCP).
It also applies to virtual RCPs (RCPv): multiple buildings grouped in an RCP use the distribution network free of charge to route photovoltaic electricity between them. The DSO totals its meters to generate its invoice — hence the term "virtual".
Since 2026, it is also possible to resell photovoltaic surplus to other consumers in the same municipality, within the framework of a local electricity community (LEC). See below.
It can also be used in other contexts, for example:
- In a commercial building to separate the consumption of different areas
- In a campsite or marina to record consumption per pitch/berth
- In any situation requiring the measurement, statement generation, and billing of electricity consumption
Standard connection diagram for an RCP
There are several connection methods 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 entry point with a DSO input meter
- Multiple consumers (apartments, offices, common areas, etc.) connected to private meters
Electrical connection
The diagram above shows the case of an RCP with a single DSO meter at the building's electrical service entrance.
Consumers such as apartments and common areas are metered by private meters.
A private meter also measures photovoltaic production (inverter output).
A private meter is also installed at the service entrance 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 separate its consumption from the rest of the common areas
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- AC-coupled battery (since in DC coupling, behind a hybrid inverter, the battery is already measured by the PV meter).
- Photovoltaic inverters: one meter per installation allows measuring their performance separately and detecting potential issues more easily.
RS485 communication bus and internet connection
An RS485 serial communication bus connects each meter to the RS485 interface of the Climkit Gateway.
The meters (Slaves) are connected via an RS485 bus network to the Gateway (Master) according to the diagram below.
Guidelines and recommendations for cable routing:
- Use a shielded U72 cable (aluminum foil type) 4 × 0.8 mm².
- All devices must be connected in series (daisy-chain). Avoid branches, star, 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, variable speed drives, etc.).
The Gateway is itself connected via its Ethernet interface to the 4G router equipped with a multi-operator SIM card to enable remote meter reading.
Climkit offering
The standard Climkit offering includes the elements necessary for system operation: hardware equipment, software features, as well as services related to implementation.
All hardware is supplied preconfigured to simplify installation and ensure proper meter communication.
- Equipment:
- LAN router or 4G router
- Climkit Gateway
- Electricity meters
- Software features:
- Reading and recording of electricity meters
- Setup services:
- 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 on-site intervention from a Climkit technician.
Telephone support is available if needed during commissioning.
Details of equipment used
4G Router
An internet connection is essential for system operation. If no connection is available, Climkit can provide it via a 4G router equipped with an active multi-operator SIM card.
Using the Climkit TRB140 4G router offers several advantages:
- Simplified installation: the router is easily installed inside the electrical panel, directly on the DIN rail
- Complete delivery: supplied with its DIN rail mount and 24 V DC power supply
- Plug and play: delivered preconfigured with an activated SIM card
- Cost-effective 4G subscription: low-cost internet connection
Climkit Gateway
The Climkit Gateway reads the meters connected to its RS485 port via the Modbus protocol and transmits the readings to the Climkit platform over the internet.
Electricity meters
Electricity meters measure consumption, production, as well as imported and fed back grid electricity.
For connections under 80 A, Climkit supplies direct electricity meters, meaning the conductor wires pass directly through the meter.
The model generally supplied is the Eastron SDM630Modbus meter. The meter is 4 DIN modules wide and installs directly in the electrical panel on a DIN rail or in an adapted enclosure (see T-Box below).
If the connection current (amperage) exceeds 80 A, Climkit supplies indirect electricity meters, meaning the conductor wires pass through current transformers (CTs) which are connected to the meter.
- The model generally supplied is the Eastron SDM630MCT meter.
Current transformers (CTs)
CTs are selected based on the connection current rating and the diameter of the conductor around which the CT will clip.
Climkit supplies 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 cross-section relative to the CT diameter.
Other CTs can be ordered for specific cases requiring a larger diameter. Please specify when ordering.
T-Box meter enclosure and mounting plate
To facilitate meter installation on DSO meter locations, DIN rail enclosures with mounting plates can be ordered.
DIN rail enclosure on T-mounting plate (H: 36 cm, W: 21 cm)
Climkit meters installed in place of existing meters on a floor landing
Option: Pre-wired service panel
Climkit offers a pre-wired service panel to group all necessary components for an RCP community (photovoltaic, battery, and charging stations) at the site's service entrance.
It includes:
- grid service entrance (up to 160 A depending on variant)
- DSO meter location
- feeders for photovoltaic inverter (≤ 30 kVA), AC battery, and charging stations
- main, PV, battery, and charging station private meters
- Climkit communication infrastructure (Gateway, multi-operator 4G router, PoE Ethernet switch)
Ready to install and developed by Climkit, it brings together the service entrance 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 CTs)
Variant with Cloud Gateway
Instead of using a Climkit Gateway, you can opt for a virtual Gateway using the MQTT protocol, combining a router (LAN or 4G) with an RS485-to-Ethernet converter.
Cloud Gateway diagram with 4G router
Diagram with LAN router
Energy optimization and storage
In addition to metering and billing, Climkit helps increase the self-consumption rate of solar electricity produced on site by controlling appliances based on surplus energy (hot water, heat pump, charging stations) and managing a storage battery.
For planning these functions, refer to Plan energy optimization and storage.
2. Connection variants
Microgrid diagram: multi-building site
The Microgrid diagram consists of an RCP with the following characteristics:
- A single public grid entry point equipped with a DSO input meter, generally located in a separate main distribution board room or in one of the site's buildings.
- Multiple buildings connected to this same service entrance.
- Multiple consumers (apartments, offices, common rooms, etc.), each connected to an individual meter.
This layout applies particularly when private meters are distributed across different points on the site. Several variants are then possible for connecting and reading the meters:
- Installing a bus between buildings, routing through each meter to the central Climkit Gateway.
- Installing 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-to-Ethernet converter, which is itself connected to the site's LAN network. This architecture enables 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 associated with physical bus wiring between buildings, which can be complex to diagnose and troubleshoot.
- Equipment savings: It allows installing only a single Gateway and a single router for the entire site, thus simplifying the architecture and reducing costs.
Microgrid diagram with virtual RCP and multiple service entrances
The Microgrid diagram with virtual RCP consists of:
- Multiple public grid entry points, each with its DSO meter
- Multiple interconnected buildings
- Multiple consumers (apartments, offices, common areas, etc.) equipped with either a private meter or a DSO meter
- Multiple photovoltaic installations measured by a private meter or a DSO meter
Operating principle:
The electricity produced is shared between buildings. DSO meters are grouped virtually to generate a single invoice for grid imports.
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 entry point
- A single consumer
- A single photovoltaic installation
Example application: a single-family house or a commercial building equipped with a photovoltaic installation.
A minimum of two meters are installed: an input meter in series with the DSO meter and a photovoltaic production meter.
Consumption does not need to be measured directly: it is calculated from the values of the two other meters (Consumption = Production + Grid Import or - Feed-in).
Cloud Gateway variant with LAN (or 4G) router
Local electricity community (LEC)
An LEC does not require any specific connection between the producer and consumers: the solar electricity supplied by the producer is transported via the DSO's network, and the consumer remains a full customer of the DSO. Exchanges within the LEC are measured by the DSO's meters.
In practice, two scenarios arise. The producer is also a consumer (e.g. a company with two buildings in the municipality): no special management is required. The benefit directly results in an invoice reduction. The producer and the consumer are different: the producer can mandate Climkit to bill the share of energy supplied to the consumer.
