Hello and welcome!

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more common, operating an efficient and scalable charging infrastructure is critical for both customer satisfaction and cost-effective energy management. Dynamic Load Management (DLM) offers a powerful solution to optimise energy distribution, protect your site’s grid connection, and eliminate the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades.

By intelligently distributing available electricity across charging stations in real-time, DLM ensures that you get the maximum value from your existing electrical capacity, a strategic advantage for any business managing multiple EV charging points.

In this guide we will cover:

1. Dynamic Load Management Overview
2. How to Set Up a DLM Group on the Virta Platform
3. Practical Examples of DLM in Action
4. Visualisation & Export 
5. Basic DLM Limitations
6. Advanced Features: DLM with Preconnect
7. Troubleshooting and Support Guidance

Let's start.

1. Dynamic Load Management Overview

Dynamic Load Management (DLM) optimises charging loads across a group of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSEs) to prevent exceeding the grid connection limit. It distributes the available current:

• Evenly between AC chargers.
• Proportionally between DC chargers.

The process is automated and cloud-based, eliminating the need for additional on-site hardware. The only requirements are:

• Chargers must support OCPP 1.6.
• Integration with Virta Energy services must be enabled.

The central control parameter is the Maximum Current Rating, which determines the upper limit for total simultaneous charging current within a group.

2. How to Set up DLM

To get started, please ensure you have the necessary user roles required to modify energy services. For detailed information on role permissions, please refer to this article.
                             

 Step 1: Create a DLM Group

1. Navigate to energy.virtaglobal.com.
2. Go to the Load Management tab.
3. Click Groups > Add new group.
4. Complete the following:
   • Select the organisation that owns the chargers.
   • Name your group.
   • Choose the group type (AC or DC).
   • Click Save.

Step 2: Add EVSEs to the Group

1. In the group view, scroll to find Connect EVSE.
2. From the list of available chargers:
   • Click Connect to include them.
   • To remove a charger, go to Connected EVSEs and click Disconnect.
3. All changes are saved automatically

Step 3: Set the DLM Limit

1. Scroll to the top of the page.
2. Enable Dynamic Load Management by checking the box.
3. Set the Maximum Current Rating (A) for the group.
4. Click Save, DLM starts working immediately.

Your new group is now active and visible in the group list (sorted alphabetically). DLM can be toggled on or off at any time through the UI.

3. Practical Example: Basic DLM for AC Chargers

Consider a site with three AC EVSEs, each rated at 32A (three-phase). If the site’s DLM limit is set to 64A, the load will be distributed as follows:

Note: When many chargers are active, DLM ensures a minimum output of 6A per EVSE, even if the math would dictate a lower value.

4. Data Visualisation & Export

The DLM interface includes a graphical dashboard showing:

• Charging loads
• Maximum current limits
• Meter values (if supported by EVSEs)

Key Notes:

• Data is visualised if meter values (current.import.L1/L2/L3 and power.active.import) are reported.

Data older than 3 months is not stored or exportable.

5. Limitations of Basic DLM

• Minimum Current Enforcement: The lowest limit DLM will dispatch is 6A. For three-phase installations, this equates to ~4.1 kW (6 A × 230 V × 3).
• Offline Chargers: DLM cannot control EVSEs that go offline. They will continue charging based on the last received command.
• Single-Phase Control: DLM applies the same current to all phases; it doesn’t manage each phase independently.

6. Advanced Feature: DLM with Preconnect

The Preconnect upgrade introduces smart queuing:

• Maintains even distribution until the minimum current can no longer be met.
• Prioritises EVSEs on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Suspends low-priority charging sessions if current is insufficient.

Example:
If the available group current is 11A, and the minimum current is set to 8A, only one EVSE will be allowed to charge at a time.

Custom Use Case:
For a site with 32A chargers, setting the minimum current to 32A creates a FIFO (First In, First Out) logic.

This ensures:

• Maximum power per vehicle.
• Fair and efficient charging rotation.

7. Troubleshooting and Support

Quick Checks

• Confirm DLM is enabled.
• Verify EVSEs are online and support OCPP 1.6.
• Ensure the station is Powered by Virta certified.

Review Logs

• Check OCPP logs for configuration and meter data reporting.

Reporting an Issue

When contacting support, please provide:

• A detailed problem description.
• Services/modules enabled.
• Any recent configuration changes.
• Relevant logs.

Contact: Please submit a request via the Energy by Virta Support Form.

That’s it!
You now know:

• The value of Dynamic Load Management in maximising charging capacity.
• How to create and manage DLM groups through the Virta Energy UI.
• The benefits and limitations of standard and advanced DLM configurations.
• How Preconnect enhances performance through intelligent queuing.
• How to troubleshoot and report issues effectively.

DLM is more than a technical feature, it’s a business enabler that protects your infrastructure investment and ensures scalable, future-ready EV charging operations.