More and more people are switching to an electric car. This has to do with the environmental benefits, the lower costs per kilometre and the vision of the future of both the Dutch government and the European Union. In order to be able to drive electrically, you must be able to charge the battery of your car easily and optimally. However, the charging station is immediately a huge consumer on your network and can cause overload, whereby the main switch switches off and you are left without power.
The charging station with load balancing is the answer to this. By choosing load balancing, you can always be sure that charging your electric car will not have any negative consequences for your power network, regardless of whether this is a home network or a business infrastructure. How does this work exactly and what should you take into account when you choose, for example, an Easee Home charging station equipped with load balancing?
What is load balancing and why do you actually need it?
Load balancing takes into account the maximum capacity of your power network. This means that the charging station never requires more power than is available (although this varies per method and per charging station). Load balancing is currently recommended by experts because the power consumption per household and company will only continue to increase, especially with the increase in the number of electric cars that need to be charged and the larger battery packs. That is why smart solutions must be implemented to ensure that we:
- Optimally distribute the available power among all users on the network;
- Do not exceed the peak load to avoid tripping the main switch;
- Being able to use green energy whenever possible.
How does load balancing work?
Load balancing works by using smart technology in the charging station, which takes into account the available capacity and counteracts peak loads. This mainly concerns DLB, or Dynamic Load Balancing. The most important function of load balancing is therefore to counteract overloading of the network and this function will become increasingly important in the future, especially when you look at the possibilities of solar panels and of course bidirectional charging.
The different techniques and how this can be used
There are roughly two different types of load balancing. On the one hand, there is static load balancing, or a statistical method of balancing the load. On the other hand, there is dynamic load balancing, the DLB that we mentioned earlier in this blog.
Static load balancing is a way of load balancing in which the maximum charging capacity of the charging station is limited to the maximum residual value that remains when all other devices are operating at maximum capacity. Of course, there are significant disadvantages to this. The charging station can never charge at maximum capacity, not even when all machines are stationary during a break, for example. This is also not a 'smart' way of load balancing, as the maximum charging speed must be set manually after a calculation in which the maximum capacity of all machines and devices on the network is subtracted from the maximum capacity of the main connection. In addition, the maximum charging speed with this method will never be adjusted to the actual situation, which has a number of disadvantages, especially when this technology is used by larger companies.
Dynamic load balancing is the big winner in this respect. With this method, the charging station 'consults' with the meter cupboard and the available power is sent to the charging station. This happens several times per second, so that the system notices changes within a short time. When more devices or machines are switched on, the main connection decides together with the charging station to reduce the charging power to the electric car, in order to prevent overloading the network.
Dynamic load balancing is the most efficient way of load balancing, where the capacity of the network is used much better. This mainly ensures that the electric car is charged considerably faster. You notice this especially when multiple cars have to be charged at the same time.
The benefits for companies and organizations
The advantage of load balancing is therefore immediately clear. With this technology, you can simply connect many electric cars to the charger at the same time, without the main fuse blowing because the maximum capacity of the network has been exceeded. This also ensures that the cars can always be optimally charged, which means that the range always increases by the maximum value. A side note here is that this only applies to systems where dynamic load balancing is applied. This is not the case with the statistical variant.
Does a charging station with load balancing also have advantages for home use?
Load balancing is particularly beneficial for larger main connections and places where many electric cars need to be charged simultaneously. Does this mean that it is not attractive to opt for a charging station with load balancing at home? Not at all, because there is a very good chance that you will also be using a lot more power in the near future. And you may already be considering purchasing a second electric car, probably with a heavier battery than your current EV has.
Load balancing is not only interesting for companies and organisations. On the contrary, we increasingly see that our customers opt for a smart charging station with load balancing. This may be due to the current structure, where solar panels and a home battery are used, for example, or with an eye to the future because consumption will only increase further and optimal use of capacity is becoming increasingly important.
We are regularly asked whether load balancing is necessary for a home. It is not, certainly not at the moment. However, it is true that a charging station with a higher charging capacity (for example 22 kW) takes a big bite out of the maximum capacity of the network. If you have multiple power consumers at home, such as a jacuzzi, water pump or an induction hob, there is a risk that the network will become overloaded. Although it is therefore not (yet) necessary to opt for load balancing at home, it is something that will make a particularly big difference in the future, especially when more power is simply needed at peak times.
Challenges of load balancing and how to address them
Load balancing is very interesting, but there is a big challenge attached to it. Even with load balancing, you can never charge all electric cars that are connected in the shortest possible time. In fact, charging many plug-in cars at the same time 'because there is load balancing' ensures that the average EV has to be connected to the charging station for dozens of hours to be fully charged.
We can't really call this a real disadvantage, because with a bit of strategy it can be worked around perfectly. By opting for smart charging stations that are divided over different groups, the individual charging stations can deliver a considerably higher capacity than when they are connected to the same group. For many companies and homes this can mean that new groups have to be installed or the connection has to be reinforced in order to be able to deliver the desired capacity. However, there is no rush for that yet. The developments in the field of battery packs and the increase in the number of electric cars are gradual, so this can easily be included in a planning or budget plan.
Another challenge we find in the area of costs. Charging stations with load balancing, and then mainly smarter charging stations with DLB, are considerably more expensive to purchase. Here, however, it applies that this will easily pay for itself, even in the short term. For example, what is your answer to the following questions:
- Would you attract more customers if you offered more charging options?
- What does it cost you when your business is shut down for an hour because the main switch has tripped due to overload?
- What is the difference between a customer seeing their EV charged to 10% upon return versus a customer having 80% extra range after visiting your business or branch?
- How likely is it that your current charging infrastructure will enable you to meet future requirements, which describe a certain number of charging stations per parking space?
When making the considerations, also take into account the subsidy that you can receive in the Netherlands for the business investment in a charging station as a company or organization. Even for the VvE's in the Netherlands there are possibilities to get money back, which can make a significant difference when making the calculations.
How can you implement load balancing in your own network infrastructure?
Load balancing is not difficult to implement in your own network, but for DLB you do need a smart meter, because the charging station must be able to communicate with the meter itself. With static load balancing this is not necessary, but a complete calculation must be made by an electrician to determine what the maximum charging capacity of the charging station may be.
Dynamic Load Balancing is the future, especially with a smart charging station and smart meter. Unfortunately, it is not possible to implement this yourself. We strongly recommend that you request a quote from various electrical engineering companies in the area, so that you can choose the right partner. Do you want to know whether load balancing is the best choice for your company or organization and would you like an expert to take a look with you? Then please contact us. With our experience and product knowledge, we can always make customized recommendations, so that you always choose the right technology and charging station, and we always answer all your questions.
