As an eMobility service provider or charging point owner, ensuring that your charging stations are set up correctly is key to delivering a seamless experience for EV drivers. This guide walks you through configuring power settings for your stations, whether you operate AC stations, DC stations, or DC stations with AC charging points.
Let's start!
Before you start
Configuring energy settings requires the Virta energy integration.
- Tier 1 stations sold by Virta have the integration pre-installed.
- Stations from other vendors need the integration in place first.
To check, open the station's Edit station view and find Energy management compatibility. If the integration is in place, it shows Basic or Full support. If your station isn't supported, contact Virta Sales to request the energy services integration.
Open the energy settings
These steps are the same for every station type.
- Go to the Stations tab and select All stations. You'll see your pools and stations.
- Select the station you want to configure.
- Under Available actions, click Edit station.
- In the Edit station view, scroll down to the charging point section.
- Under the charging point's general information, find Energy settings.
Then follow the section for your station type.
AC stations
AC charging points have three energy settings: Maximum power and current, Installed phases and Voltage.
Step 1: Check installed phases and voltage
Installed phases. Virta Tier 1 stations come with three phases by default. This depends on how the station was installed. Select Three phases or One phase (L1, L2 or L3). The company that installed the station provides this information. Your choice affects the maximum power the charging point can supply.
Voltage. This is set by the country where the station is located.
Step 2: Set the maximum power and current
Open the Maximum power and current options. You'll see:
- First option: the maximum power the charging point can provide. This is always listed first.
- 11 kW / 16 A: suitable for most EVs on the market.
- Custom: set your own maximum power or current. You can enter any value the station supports.
With Custom, you can work in either direction:
- Enter a power value. The current adjusts to supply that power.
- Enter a current value. The maximum power adjusts, based on the installed phases and voltage.
Step 3: Save
Click Save. The new value updates in Virta Hub and shows in the Virta app and branded apps.
DC stations
Step 1: Set the maximum power
Open the Max power options. You'll see:
- First option: the maximum power the charging point can provide. This is always listed first.
- Custom: set your own maximum power.
Step 2: Save
Click Save. The new value updates in Virta Hub and shows in the Virta app and branded apps.
DC stations with AC charging points
Some DC stations also have AC charging points. Configure each charging point separately.
Step 1: Set the maximum power for the AC charging point
The Installed phases and Voltage fields are locked. Power management in DC stations works differently from standalone AC stations. Current values are not shown for these AC charging points.
Open the maximum power options. You'll see:
- First option: the maximum power the charging point can provide. This is always listed first.
- 11 kW: suitable for most EVs on the market.
- Custom: set your own maximum power.
Step 2: Set the maximum power for the DC charging point
Open the Max power options. You'll see:
- First option: the maximum power the charging point can provide. This is always listed first.
- Custom: set your own maximum power.
A DC charging point can have several connectors with different limits. For example, one connector at 30 kW and another at 50 kW.
- Power set below the lowest connector limit: all connectors show the same value.
- Power set back to maximum: each connector shows its own maximum limit again.
Step 3: Save
Click Save. The new values update in Virta Hub and show in the Virta app and branded apps.
More information and advanced settings
- More information. Select Read about station energy settings in the energy settings section. It links to the related support articles.
- Advanced configuration. Open the configuration menu from Available actions. There you can modify meter values and other advanced settings for the charging point.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why, if I change power (kW) or current (A) on AC charging points, do the values affect each other?
The values are linked following the basic formula to calculate power. As power and current are the main variables, any change on the voltage or installed phases will affect the resultant power.
Power (kW) = (current (A) * voltage (V) * installed phases) / 1000
Image: AC charging point custom energy settings.
What are the installed phases? How should I choose the right one?
The installed phases are the number of wires that provide electricity to the station and affect the maximum power that a station can provide. For instance, in a three-phase installation, the load that the station requires is distributed between three wires. However, some stations might be installed in one phase due to the site's electrical infrastructure or the station model. If your station was installed by a technician or third-party installer, they should provide the information or the circuit diagram installation about how the stations were installed on the site phases.
Image: Installed phase options.
Why I can not see the installed phases on DC stations' charging points?
Because DC stations are always installed in 3 phases.
Why is the voltage field locked?
It’s locked because the pool’s country location determines the station voltage. The pool voltage can be changed in the edit pool view if the country has more than one voltage available.
How do these parameters affect load management services?
The station energy settings will change the station configuration. However, these are the values that will be restored after the energy management services become inactive. When an energy management service is active, it temporarily adjusts the station current and power values based on the limitation required by the service, but those temporary changes are not visible on the charging point energy settings view.
Why does a station that is not integrated into Virta Energy Services warn me that I cannot change my station energy settings?
Because the keys to control the station configuration are missing without the integration of energy services. A basic OCPP integration only allows control of basic actions such as start charging, stopping charging, release a cable or reboot a station. To request a station integration for energy services, contact Virta Sales.
Image: Notification for not supported stations with energy services.
How can I change the station configuration for not supported stations?
A station that is not integrated with Virta energy services can be configured using the station manufacturer's app (if available) or manually on the station if it has the controls (e.g. a home charger). However, those changes will not be detected by our system and will need to be updated manually to make the UI match the station configuration.