Knowledge hub

The terms you meet when building and running a charging site. From the grid connection to invoicing the driver.

Site energy

Reserved capacity: The level of grid draw agreed with the distribution operator. You pay for it even when you do not use it.
BESS: Battery Energy Storage System. It covers the peak the grid would otherwise have to deliver.
Peak shaving: Trimming the demand peak from the battery. It lowers reserved capacity and the capacity charge.
DC-DC microgrid: Linking the grid, photovoltaics and a battery on the DC side. It delivers more power than the grid connection can carry.
Load management: Sharing power between stations so that total draw stays within the agreed capacity.

AC vs DC: AC charges through the converter in the vehicle (slower, cheaper to install), DC feeds direct current straight into the battery.
CCS2: Combined Charging System 2 - the European connector standard for direct current charging.
Eichrecht: German metrology rules for charging measurement. They require a verifiable record of the energy delivered.

OCPP: Open Charge Point Protocol - an open protocol between the station and the platform. It lets you manage hardware from other manufacturers too.
OCPI: Open Charge Point Interface - a protocol for exchanging data between networks. The basis of roaming.
CPO: Charge Point Operator - the operator of charging stations. Responsible for technical operation, pricing and availability.
EMSP: E-Mobility Service Provider - the provider of the service to the driver. Issues the card or app and invoices the charging.