Dynamic load management for shared charging sites
Understand the difference between a fixed charging cap, measured site load control and DC outlet sharing, with an illustrative capacity planner.
On this page 4 sections
Dynamic load management adjusts the power allocated to charging as other site demand changes. It needs a defined supply limit, suitable measurements and a controller that can enforce limits on the actual chargers. A networking feature or protocol name alone does not establish that the complete site can do this.
Three different limits
| Approach | What changes | Information needed |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed charging cap | Charging stays within a configured budget | An agreed cap and charger limits |
| Dynamic site control | The charging budget follows measured non-charging demand | Meter location, measurement interval, controller and failure policy |
| DC outlet sharing | A cabinet redistributes its own available output | Module architecture, outlet limits and allocation logic |
DC outlet sharing does not automatically measure or protect the whole site’s available capacity. Likewise, solar-aware control requires a defined measurement and control arrangement.
A simple planning example
Assume a 100 kW site cap, 40 kW of other demand and a 10 kW planning reserve. The illustrative budget for charging is 100 − 40 − 10 = 50 kW. Six equal 11 kW requests would demand 66 kW, so an ideal equal split of the 50 kW budget would be about 8.3 kW per vehicle.
This is arithmetic for discussing a brief. Actual control must handle phase currents, vehicle minimums, conversion losses, response time, priority rules and protection. The reserve shown here is an example input, not a prescribed engineering margin.
Questions for the system supplier
- Where is demand measured, and does it include all relevant site loads?
- Which meter, controller, firmware and chargers have been tested together?
- What happens when a meter, network link or controller fails?
- Can the system prioritize departures or user groups, and how is this tested?
- How are new chargers added without exceeding the agreed limits?
- Is power control local, cloud-based or a combination, and what works offline?
If OCPP is used for control, confirm the Smart Charging scope and actual command handling. OCA’s certification programme distinguishes tested functional profiles; protocol support alone is not a site acceptance test. OCA profile information.
Ampvoya configuration status
Load management is a project requirement to verify on the actual equipment selected for the site. Meter/controller compatibility, firmware, site integration and test results are not yet confirmed. Include these requirements in the commercial AC or fleet brief.
How much power can the bays share?
Change the numbers to compare a site budget with an equal allocation across active vehicles. This planning example is not electrical design or a product performance guarantee.
Demand is 66 kW. Available power is shared below the 11 kW bay maximum. Actual control must account for phases, minimum charging current, vehicle limits and losses.