Load management is crucial when installing EV charging stations on commercial and multi-unit dwelling properties. It allows you to distribute power load to EV chargers to prevent property-wide outages and protect the charging hardware. It works through human planning or networked EVSE to balance vehicle energy needs and site energy control objectives. It shifts charging sessions to off-peak TOU rates, lowering costs for the site and further decarbonizing the grid.
Cost-Effectiveness
EV charging management solutions help reduce upfront and ongoing operational costs. By offering a range of user-friendly features, such as reservation capabilities and time slots, a free-to-use mobile application, payment methods, route planning and navigation, and more, they make it easier for drivers to charge their EVs. They can also track transactional data, manage billing plans,, and more. The right EV charging management solution also helps lower installation costs. For example, local load management capabilities allow EVSEs to remain within the power limits of their circuit, avoiding expensive upgrades or new wiring. It slashes initial investment in new charging stations for building owners, property managers, and developers.
Other features, such as dynamic energy management and peak shaving, reduce the cost of charging for sites by flattening the demand curve during high-demand times. These capabilities capture generation surplus from renewable sources during low-demand periods and then distribute that energy to EV chargers or the grid to meet peak demand. Lastly, intelligent EV charging software can lower electricity consumption during non-peak hours by optimizing the timing of a charging event to take advantage of cheaper energy rates. It enables charging operators to save money and protect the environment while helping EV drivers save by enabling car batteries to be momentarily used as power reserves. As a result, smart EV charging can reduce site energy costs by 5% or more.
Time-Savings
EV charging management solutions can increase your business’s efficiency by helping you save time and money. With the right software, you can monitor charging operations remotely and automate billing and payment processing for your customers, reducing manual tasks. You can also monitor power consumption and maintenance costs, allowing you to plan for the future of your EV infrastructure confidently. Many EV charging solutions provide local load management capabilities, which help to offset the electricity demand spikes caused by multiple EVs charging at one site. It helps to minimize electricity costs and avoid hefty utility bills. Additionally, it helps to prevent vehicles from charging during expensive time-of-use rates, resulting in savings of 30-50 percent annually.
A charge point management system can also reduce the time needed to update and manage your EV charging stations. These systems can automate data entry, eliminating the need for your staff to input charging point usage and energy consumption into spreadsheets manually. Additionally, a charge point management solution can monitor your charging station hardware for issues and notify your team of any necessary repairs before they become more significant problems.
EV charging management systems can also reduce waiting times by letting EV drivers book time slots for charging and providing real-time availability information so they can find a spot when it’s most convenient. They can also prioritize users with VIP charging subscriptions.
Increased Revenue
If you operate a parking lot or multi-dwelling unit, EV charging stations could generate new revenue. EV drivers stay longer at sites with EV chargers and will likely purchase additional products or services while their car charges. Furthermore, EV drivers prefer to spend time at businesses that support sustainable practices and values. EV charging management software can also increase the profitability of your station through dynamic pricing models that shift fees to match energy prices and demand. It is similar to how diesel fuel management systems are used today. For example, a system can prevent demand charges by scheduling vehicles to charge at different times to avoid peaks. The right EV charging management solution can also help reduce maintenance costs and improve uptime. The software helps manage and monitor the electric vehicle charging system, including payment processing, access control, session limits, etc. It also automates data entry and monthly reporting, reducing the need for staff to input information manually. Lastly, EV charging management solutions can also provide alerts to notify your team when equipment needs maintenance.
Increased Employee Satisfaction
If your company offers free EV charging to employees, they’ll likely be more satisfied with their job. The time-savings of having a fully charged vehicle at the end of the workday mean they can get home faster and take on more tasks outside of the office. Offering EV charging also shows your business is dedicated to sustainability, which could help recruit and retain millennial and Gen-Z talent. These generations place a higher value on social responsibility and may even prefer a lower salary to work for a company that cares about the environment. Companies with an EV fleet can use EV management solutions to track costs and energy efficiency better. It allows them to make more informed decisions when purchasing new vehicles for the business. In addition, these types of systems often have features such as load balancing, which maximizes EV charging site productivity by considering power demands throughout different seasons or periods of high usage.
Large corporations with EV charging stations can also access cheaper electricity volume pricing and pass these savings on to their employees, significantly increasing employee satisfaction. It’s easy to see that their employer is taking the necessary steps towards a greener future, which can also boost the local economy and grid reliability. The correct EV charging management solution can provide you with all these benefits.
