Site planning overview

The Climkit energy management system covers the various needs related to energy flow management on a site. Depending on the building configuration and intended uses, a project may concern a single energy flow or combine several.

This article presents all the solutions proposed by Climkit as well as the main associated technical installation options. It serves as a planning support to quickly identify relevant elements and structure the installation coherently.

Solutions can be deployed independently or combined according to the site's needs. This flexibility allows the installation to be adapted without unnecessary complexity.

Climkit Solutions

A Climkit solution corresponds to the setup of all the necessary elements for managing a given energy flow on a site.

It combines hardware equipment, software functionalities, and commissioning services, supplemented, if necessary, by operation services.

Each solution enables the measurement and control of consumption, ensuring its fair distribution and individual billing among the different occupants and consumers.

For each solution, a list of preliminary questions serves as a basis for technical reflection and allows anticipating points to be clarified during project preparation.

If in doubt about the configuration to use or compatibility with an existing site, prior discussion with Climkit allows for validating a schematic design and avoiding later adjustments.

Communication with the Climkit Gateway

All Climkit solutions require the Gateway to communicate with the various installed Equipment, particularly meters and charging stations.

Preliminary Questions

• Is a wired internet connection available on site or should a Climkit 4G Router be planned?
• Is there a 4G signal in the electrical room or should an extension cord and/or external antenna be planned?
• Are there several buildings on the site and several electrical rooms? Can they be connected by a bus or Ethernet cable?

Electricity Management and RCP

In a building equipped with a photovoltaic installation and organized as a Regroupement dans le cadre de la consommation propre (RCP), Climkit ensures complete management of produced and consumed electricity by connecting the various meters to a Climkit Gateway to measure, distribute, and visualize energy flows.

This approach allows for optimized collective self-consumption while ensuring fair billing for the energy used. Each resident can track their consumption evolution in real time on the Platform.

The principle relies on private electricity meters connected to the Gateway via an RS485 communication bus and the open Modbus protocol:

Self-consumption Optimization

When appliances such as water heaters, heat pumps, or charging stations use locally produced photovoltaic energy, the Climkit Optimization option increases the self-consumption rate by controlling certain appliances based on surplus solar energy production.

Installation Examples

RCP site including private meters for apartments, common areas, photovoltaic production, and general grid input in series with the DSO input meter.

RCP site with a distribution board and its private meters for apartments and common areas, and an input board with Climkit private meters and DSO input meters and photovoltaic production:

Meters are connected in series to the Climkit Gateway via an RS485 communication bus.

Board with Climkit meter installation in existing DSO meter locations using the Climkit T-Box kit (DIN rail plate and box):

Preliminary Questions

• Is electricity management planned, for example, within the scope of an RCP?
• What is the number and type of meters to plan for?
  • General electricity grid input
  • Photovoltaic installation(s)
  • Dwellings / apartments
  • Ancillary premises, commercial spaces
  • Common areas
  • Other common areas such as parking
  • Electric vehicle charging stations
  • Battery
  • Other surfaces
• Which meters are direct (<80A)?
• Which meters are indirect with Current Transformers (CT)? What is the amperage for the CTs?
• Are the meters integrated into the electrical panel or is it planned to install them in the existing DSO meter locations?
• Is a storage system (battery) planned for installation?
• Can self-consumption optimization be planned by controlling the heat pump or water heater?

Electric Vehicle Charging Station Management

Climkit allows for the installation and management of charging stations in collective car parks.

The system regulates the charging power based on grid capacity and available energy, controls **Access** via individual RFID badges, and manages billing for charging for each consumer.

The stations communicate with the Gateway via Wi-Fi or Ethernet using the OCPP protocol:

Flat Cable and Wi-Fi

Climkit recommends a Basic infrastructure consisting of a flat cable and a Wi-Fi network to facilitate the gradual addition of stations without significant intervention on the existing cabling.

Preliminary Questions

• Is it a scalable installation with a flat cable or only a few stations?
• How many parking spaces could accommodate a charging station?
• How many flat cable outputs are planned in the electrical panel?
• How many stations should be planned immediately?
• Do the stations communicate via Wi-Fi or are they wired to the IP network via Ethernet/RJ45?

Thermal Energy and Water Management

Climkit ensures the reading of heating and hot water consumption in accordance with the requirements of the federal regulation on individual expense statements for energy and water (DIFEE). (Expense statements for energy and water)

Each dwelling or area is equipped with a heat meter (heating) and a hot water meter, supplemented by main meters to distribute the common services share and the hot water production share.

These measurements serve to establish transparent and accurate statements, based on actual consumption rather than estimates or size.

Example of a heat collector located in an individual apartment and equipped with a thermal meter:

Preliminary Questions

• Is it planned to install wired M-Bus type heating and water meters?
• What types and number of **Meters** are planned: hot water (**Hot water**), cold water (**Cold water**), heat (**Heat**)?
• Is the **Bus address** of the meters brought to a single location near the electrical panel?

Collective Laundry Management

Climkit offers a simple and reliable system for managing shared laundries.

An RFID reader connected to the Gateway identifies users and enables the electrical supply to washing machines, dryers, or self-service machines.

This system integrates naturally with other Climkit solutions, allowing all consumption to be grouped on the same Platform.

Washing column with RFID reader fixed to the wall on the left

Keyless RFID for simple washing column

Preliminary Questions

• What is the number of laundries?
• How many washing machines, dryers, and self-service machines per laundry room?

Electric Bike Charging Management

Climkit enables the installation of connected sockets that allow residents to charge their electric bikes or scooters.

**Access** is via RFID badge and consumption is individually accounted for.

Here is a typical connection diagram:

Installations with exposed or integrated sockets:

Preliminary Questions

• What is the number of bike rooms to be equipped?
• Is the bike room inside or outside?
• What is the number of sockets?