Schedule the electricity management

This article describes the 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, 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 the consumption of different surface areas
• In a campsite or a port to account for consumption per pitch
• In any situation requiring measuring, accounting, and billing for electricity consumption

Standard connection diagram of an RCP

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

The standard scheme consists of an RCP with:

• Only 1 network entry point with a DSO input meter
• Several 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 electrical entry of the building.

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

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

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

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

• Heat pump: to distinguish its consumption from the rest of the common areas
• Charging stations for electric vehicles
• Battery connected in AC (and not in DC via a hybrid inverter)
• Photovoltaic inverters: one meter per installation allows 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 generate communication failures.
• The cable must not form closed loops.
• Maximum length: aim for < 500 m for a safety margin.
• Avoid passing 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 reading of the meters.

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 setup.

All hardware is provided preconfigured to simplify installation and ensure proper communication of the meters.

• 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 the majority of cases, the installation can be carried out by the installer without the on-site intervention of a Climkit technician.

Telephone assistance is available if necessary during commissioning.

Details of used equipment

4G Router

An internet connection is essential for the system to function. 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 has 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 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 the meters connected to its RS485 port via the Modbus protocol and transmits the readings to the Climkit platform via internet.

Electricity meters

Electricity meters allow the measurement of consumption, production as well as imported energy and energy fed back towards the network.

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

The model generally provided is the Eastron SDM630Modbus meter. The meter is 4 DIN modules wide and is installed directly in the electrical panel on a DIN rail or in a suitable box (see T-Box below).

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

• The model generally provided is the Eastron SDM630MCT meter

Current transformers (CT)

CTs are chosen according to the intensity of the connection and the diameter of the conductor on which the CT will clip around.

Climkit provides CTs ranging from 100 A to 2000 A.

The CTs clip directly onto the cable or copper bar of each phase. Pay attention to the cable selection relative to the CT diameter.

Other CTs can be ordered for specific cases with a larger diameter. To be specified when ordering.

T-Box enclosure and meter plate

To facilitate the installation of meters 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 entry panel

Climkit offers a pre-wired entry panel allowing to group, at the site's network entry point, all the elements necessary for an RCP community (photovoltaic, battery, and charging stations).

It integrates:

• the network entry (up to 160 A depending on variant)
• the DSO meter location
• the photovoltaic inverter (≤ 30 kVA), AC battery, and charging station outputs
• the general, PV, battery, and charging 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 entry and communication infrastructure necessary for solution integration.

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)

Variant with Cloud Gateway

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

2. Connection variants

Microgrid diagram: site consisting of several buildings

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

• A single introduction point to the public network, equipped with a DSO input meter, generally located in a separate main low-voltage switchboard (TGBT) room or in one of the site's buildings.
• Several buildings connected to this same introduction point.
• Multiple consumers (apartments, offices, common premises, etc.), each connected to an individual meter.

This scheme applies in particular when private meters are distributed at different points on the site. Several variants are then possible for connecting and reading the meters:

• Installation of a bus between the 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 fiber optics). Each meter installation is connected to an RS485-Ethernet converter, itself connected to the site's LAN network. This architecture allows for efficient data centralization while ensuring infrastructure flexibility. (See diagram below.)

This latter variant is recommended because it offers several advantages:

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

Microgrid diagram with virtual RCP and several entries

The Microgrid diagram with virtual RCP consists of:

• Several entry points to the public network, each with its DSO meter
• Several interconnected buildings
• Several consumers (apartments, offices, common premises, 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:

The electricity produced is shared between buildings. DSO meters are grouped virtually to establish a single invoice for network withdrawal.

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

Single consumer diagram

This diagram applies to sites comprising:

• A single entry point to the public network
• A single consumer
• A single photovoltaic installation

Example application: A single-family house or a commercial building equipped with a photovoltaic installation.

Two meters are installed at minimum: an input meter in series with the DSO meter and a photovoltaic 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 + Withdrawal or - Injection).

Cloud Gateway variant with LAN (or 4G) router

3. Optimization of self-consumption

The Climkit optimization system allows increasing the self-consumption rate of a photovoltaic installation by controlling certain devices based on solar energy production.

The surplus fed back to the electrical grid is thus limited and one also gains in autonomy by producing, for example, hot water with solar energy.

Devices (water heaters, heat pumps, radiators, pool pumps, etc.) are controlled via a relay. It is also possible to control certain charging stations for electric vehicles (via Wifi or Ethernet).

Climkit Offer

Here are the additional products to enable self-consumption optimization:

• Equipment:
  • Relay I/O module
• Software features:
  • Optimization of self-consumption
• Setup service:
  • Technical coordination and configuration
  All these products are ordered directly from Climkit. In general, the intervention of a Climkit technician on site is not necessary for commissioning. The components are delivered preconfigured, allowing the installer to easily perform commissioning, with telephone assistance from Climkit technical support if needed.

Details of used equipment

Relay I/O Module

The WP8024 I/O Module provided by Climkit has 4 relays.

It is delivered with a 24V DC DIN rail power supply and connects to the Climkit Gateway via RS485-Modbus (like electric meters).

Potential-free contacts (e.g. SG-ready of the heat pump) can be connected directly to a relay of the module.

In the case of a water heater, the module's relays control control relays (contactor) which themselves switch on the water heater.

A three-phase heating element can be connected with an independent relay per phase to allow step-by-step engagement and maximize self-consumption even in cases of low photovoltaic production.

If 4 relays are not enough, it is possible to connect several modules to the Climkit Gateway.

It is recommended to install a 3-position switch between the relay module and the device to be controlled in order to be able to manually engage the latter.

Positions:

• Up (I): Automatic controlled by the relay module and the optimization system
• Middle (0): Forced stop
• Down (II): Forced run

Typical model: Hager SFB116

4. Battery Installation

In the case of an installation with an AC type battery (equipped with its own charger-inverter), it is essential to connect this system to a specific Climkit battery meter and to configure it in "Battery" mode on the platform.

5. Next Steps