Planning electric vehicle charging station management

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

1. Electric Vehicle Charging Station Management - Standard Installation

The standard case illustrated in this section involves installing basic infrastructure in a building already equipped, or simultaneously equipped, with the Climkit solution for electricity management and metering within the framework of an RCP with a single grid connection.

The system consists of installing charging stations in the building's collective parking area. The stations communicate with the Climkit Gateway via a LAN network (cabled or Wi-Fi) and use the standard OCPP communication protocol.

Through this communication, the Climkit Gateway regulates the available power allocated to the stations based on the available energy and manages user access, where users identify themselves via RFID badges.

Other installation variations are explained further down under "Other configurations depending on the site type".

Standard Connection Diagram with RCP

Flat Cable

It is recommended to install a flat cable to bring electricity to each parking space. This solution facilitates the progressive installation of charging stations as residents wish to equip themselves. This approach corresponds to level C1 of the SIA 2060 standard.

Electrical Connection

The flat cable is powered from the electrical panel via a 3P+N LS circuit breaker of maximum 63A.

The connection is made as follows:

• A dedicated outgoing line in the electrical panel with a 63A circuit breaker
• A dedicated meter installed at the same level as the other consumers' meters (behind the input meter and never behind the common area meter)

Each outgoing line corresponds to a distribution zone. Although the number of stations per zone is technically unlimited, it is recommended not to exceed 30 stations per zone and to provide an additional outgoing line beyond this threshold.

The Gateway reads the instantaneous amperage of the input meter and regulates the charging power of the stations accordingly, to prevent tripping the main circuit breaker or the zone's circuit breaker.

IP Network and Wi-Fi Setup

Wi-Fi access points are positioned to cover the entire parking area with sufficient signal. Their distribution takes into account signal attenuation caused by conduits, ceiling-mounted equipment, and parked vehicles, to ensure a stable connection for the stations.

Climkit Offer

The standard Climkit offer includes the elements necessary for system operation: hardware, software functionalities, as well as the related setup services.

All hardware is supplied preconfigured to simplify installation and ensure correct meter communication.

• Basic infrastructure equipment:
  • LAN router or 4G router
  • PoE Switch
  • Climkit Gateway
  • Wi-Fi access points (minimum 2)
  • Wi-Fi access point controller
  • I/O module for load shedding the stations via the DSO meter
• Individual charging station(s)
• Software functionalities:
  • Station management and dynamic load regulation
• Setup service:
  • Configuration and commissioning of the basic infrastructure
  • Configuration and commissioning of each charging station
  • Administrative commissioning

All products are ordered directly from Climkit.

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

Telephone support is available if necessary during commissioning.

Details of Equipment Used

LAN or 4G Router

An internet connection is essential for the system to function. If no connection is available, Climkit can provide one via a 4G router equipped with an active multi-operator SIM card.

If an internet connection already exists, a Climkit LAN router is systematically provided.

The LAN or 4G router allows for the creation of a dedicated IP network to which all system equipment (gateway, charging stations, and Wi-Fi access points) connects, allowing for independent administration.

Using the Climkit TRB140 4G router offers several advantages:

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

  

  

  Useful link: TRB140 Router Datasheet

In the case of a LAN router, Climkit provides the preconfigured Teltonika RUT301 router with 4 LAN ports + 1 WAN port. It is delivered with a DIN rail mount and its 24V DC DIN power supply.

PoE Switch

The PoE switch allows connecting the equipment to the router, particularly the gateway, the controller, and the Wi-Fi access points. Thanks to PoE, the controller and the access points are electrically powered directly by the switch, without requiring an additional power supply.

When multiple devices need to be connected via Ethernet, a switch is necessary.

Model supplied: Teltonika TSW200 (or equivalent) - 8 PoE Ethernet ports + 2 SFP fiber optic ports.

The switch is delivered with a DIN rail mount and its 48V DC 150W DIN power supply.

Climkit Gateway

The Climkit Gateway manages the stations locally and ensures communication with the Climkit platform. Its Ethernet interface allows connection to the IP network and interaction with the stations via the OCPP protocol. Its RS485 interface allows reading meters, particularly the input meter, via the Modbus protocol.

The gateway installs directly in the electrical panel on the DIN rail.

Climkit Gateway installed in an electrical panel with the TRB140 4G router, the TSW200 PoE switch, and the I/O module.

Wi-Fi Access Points

Wi-Fi access points create a wireless network covering the entire parking area, allowing connection of charging stations without additional wiring.

The recommended coverage radius per access point is about 15 m, which is approximately two rows of 10 spaces facing each other. In practice, obstacles (walls, materials, vehicles) significantly reduce the range. To ensure a stable and redundant connection, a minimum of 2 access points is systematically provided. As an indication, a parking lot of 80 to 100 spaces requires 4 to 6 access points, depending on the configuration and existing obstacles.

Wi-Fi Access Point Controller

The TP-Link Omada OC200 controller optimizes the Wi-Fi network and manages device connection to the various access points.

It installs easily on the DIN rail in the electrical panel and is powered exclusively via PoE from the PoE Ethernet switch.

It also generates alerts in case of access point failure or areas insufficiently covered by the Wi-Fi signal.

I/O Relay Module

The WP8024 I/O module is supplied with a 24V DC DIN rail power supply and connects to the Climkit Gateway via RS485-Modbus.

Digital input no. 1 is connected to the load shedding relay on the DSO input meter: when this relay opens, the input deactivates, and the gateway immediately cuts the load from the electric vehicles.

Supplied with 24V DC DIN rail power supply.

2. Charging Station

Climkit supplies the ABB Terra AC 22kW station, a model equipped with all the features of a smart station:

Technical Specifications

• Maximum power of 22 kW
• Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or 4G connection
• RFID badge reader
• Integrated energy meter
• Communication via standard OCPP protocol

Features with the Climkit Solution

Combined with the Climkit solution for electricity management, the station offers:

• Dynamic management of charging power based on available power
• User management via RFID badges and individual billing of consumed energy
• Self-consumption optimization by charging exclusively with solar energy produced

Electrical Connection

The station is connected to the flat cable via a junction box specific to the flat cable manufacturer.

The station can be configured for a maximum of 22 kW (32A), or limited to 25A, 16A, or 10A as needed.

A 3P+N Type A residual current circuit breaker is installed for each station, sized according to the cable cross-section and the maximum amperage selected. Expensive Type B or EV circuit breakers are not necessary. The circuit breaker is installed directly in a small enclosure fixed next to the station.

IP Network Connection

The station connects to the IP network via Wi-Fi. It is delivered preconfigured with the Wi-Fi network parameters (SSID and password) as well as the IP address of the gateway to which it must connect.

Pedestal and Outdoor Installation

If the station cannot be wall-mounted, it can be installed on a metal pedestal, single or double for two stations back-to-back.

The station is IP55 certified and can also be installed outdoors.

Public Charging Station

Each station can optionally be enabled in Public charging station mode to allow visiting users to pay via Twint by scanning the QR code affixed to the station with their smartphone.

Other Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Connectable to the Climkit Gateway

All OCPP compatible stations offering the same functionalities as the ABB Terra AC station can be connected to the Climkit gateway, thus enabling dynamic load regulation and user access management. The most common models are:

• Schneider EV Link
• Eaton Green Motion Home
• Keba Serie X
• Fronius

3. Other configurations depending on the site type

Connection Diagram - without RCP

The connection differs from the standard diagram with RCP only by the use of DSO meters for the site's consumers instead of private meters.

In this case, the flat cable connects either behind the DSO common area meter or behind a dedicated DSO meter for the stations.

In both cases, a private meter is installed at the input for dynamic and continuous power regulation (by the gateway) to avoid exceeding the connection capacity limit.

Connection behind a dedicated DSO meter for stations

This allows clearly distinguishing the consumption of the stations from that of the common areas during billing, but incurs additional costs related to the installation and management of this meter by the DSO.

Furthermore, it is not possible to benefit from photovoltaics for vehicle charging if it is connected to the common area meter.

Connection behind the DSO common area meter

This saves the cost of an additional DSO meter but requires the installation of a private meter on the common area outgoing line to ensure dynamic load management.

Indeed, since this outgoing line was initially sized for the common areas only, adding stations requires continuous regulation of the charging power via the gateway to avoid exceeding the maximum capacity, as is already done for the general input.

A meter is also added to the outgoing lines of each zone and to the photovoltaics, if present. The consumption of the common areas will then be deducted via a rule meter.

During billing, it will thus be possible to distinguish the consumption related to vehicle charging and, if applicable, to differentiate the electricity coming from the grid from that coming from solar.

Connection with two or more inputs and behind the DSO common area meter

When multiple grid connections are available for the same parking area, each flat cable outgoing line (63A) can be taken from any of the inputs.

A single Gateway and a single 4G router are required. Control meters for power regulation are connected to the gateway via an RS485 bus or IP-Ethernet using RS485-Ethernet converters.

If the stations are connected behind the DSO common area meter, it is necessary to install one meter on the common area outgoing line and another on the stations' outgoing line, for the same dynamic load management reasons explained previously.

Connection with two or more inputs and dedicated DSO meter

When the flat cable outgoing lines are connected behind a dedicated DSO meter for the stations for each building, it is not necessary to install Climkit private meters.

Third-party Charging Station Systems and Remote OCPP Server

When a third-party station system is installed and manages both the stations and dynamic load management, there is no need to install Climkit equipment, as all network communication and power regulation are handled by this system.

In this case, Climkit only manages user access via their RFID badges and uploads transactions to the platform for billing.

To enable communication between the third-party system and Climkit, the OCPP settings of the third-party system must be configured to communicate with the Climkit Remote OCPP server.

Common systems of this type include:

• Easee
• Zaptec
• Schneider EcoStruxure EV Charging Expert

4. Next Steps