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Power management with Dynamic Load Balancing

Updated

In order to best utilize the available power at a charge point we recommend enabling Dynamic Load Management.

đź’ˇ Dynamic Load Management is an intelligent logic that evenly distributes the available power between multiple chargers at a location depending on how many EV cars are currently connected and in need of power.

This ensures higher reliability and less downtime on the site due to fewer occurrences of blown fuses.

This logic is in some cases build directly into the hardware by the manufacturer. However, if this is not the case with the charger brand you use, Spirii got you covered. In Spirii Connect you have the option to enable Spirii’s own load balancing logic.

How does it work?

The dynamic load balancing logic calculates and distributes power based on 4 inputs:

  • The maximum fuse capacity for the circuit the chargers are connected to
  • The maximum power capacity of the individual chargers
  • How many cars are currently connected to chargers in the circuit
  • How much power do the cars demand

💡 Wait, wait, wait… circuit? In the electrical cabinet on a location, the fuses of the chargers are all connected to a circuit that is limited by the main fuse. In most cases, a location will have only a single main circuit. However, on larger sites with many chargers, you will often see groups of chargers connected to a sub-circuit below the main circuit.

Example:

Let’s say you have 1 location, with 1 circuit, and 4 chargers with 2 connectors each (8 in total).

The main fuse is set to 64 amps, whilst each charge box has a limit of 32 amps.

  • There are currently 4 cars charging which get 16 amps each of power (64 / 4).
  • If a 5th car connects to the location and starts charging, each car now gets 12.8 amps (64 / 5).
  • If 2 cars are done charging and go into idle mode, the remaining gets 21.3 amps (64 / 3).

⚠️ Note that if one of the 3 remaining cars demands and can handle 32 amps, the car will still only get 21.3 amps as we will evenly distribute the maximum amount of current to the 3 cars. There is also further logic in place to reduce the max current in the case of offline chargers. The purpose of all of this is to avoid blowing the fuse.

How can I set it up?

The electrical wiring and fuse capacity are of course determined by the installation at the physical location.

However, in Spirii Connect you can adjust the settings, connect the chargers, and enable/disable the dynamic load balancing logic.

  1. Find your location in Spirii Connect and navigate to the Power Management tab.

  2. Edit the Main Circuit and define the main fuse’s max capacity.

  3. Create any sub-circuits and set their fuse capacities as well if required on your location (use the Create Circuit button)

  4. Add the installed chargers to the right circuits using the “Add charge box” button

    ⚠️ Note: Only supported charge box models are available for selection

  5. Click on the Edit button on the top Power Management settings and enable dynamic load management.

    ⚠️ Note: You can only turn load balancing on or off if all connected chargers are currently online

  6. You’re now done! 🚀

💡 “Dynamic load management is managed outside Connect?” This is a setting you can use as a note for fellow support agents to make it clear that the load-balancing logic is enabled but that it is handled by the hardware itself or a third-party application.

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