Smart EV Charging Regulations Explained
From 30th June 2022, all electric vehicle charging points sold and installed for private use must comply with The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. The regulations help to ensure that electric vehicle charging points possess smart functionalities, enabling electric vehicles to recharge when there is less demand on the grid or when more renewable and cleaner electricity is available. Electric vehicle charging points must adhere to the following to comply with the regulations::Smart Functionality
Charging points must be equipped with…-
Smart functionality to send and receive information
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The ability to respond to signals to increase the rate or time at which electricity flows through the charging point
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Demand Side Response (DSR) services
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A user interface, e.g. an app for charging
Electricity Supplier Interoperability
Charging points must retain smart functionality, even if the owner of the charging point decides to switch their electricity supplier. This feature ensures that charging point owners are not ‘locked in’ to a single electricity supplier. Electricity supplier interoperability also means charging point owners do not have to purchase a new charging point when switching suppliers.
Off-Peak Charging
EV charging points must also incorporate pre-set, off-peak, default charging hours whilst also allowing the owner to accept, remove or change these upon use. Default charging hours must be pre-set to NOT charge during times of peak electricity use — 8am-11am and 4pm-10pm on weekdays. However, the charge point owner must be able to override this feature should they require charging during peak hours.Randomised Delayed Charging
Charging points must also have a randomised delayed charging function of up to 10 minutes at the beginning of each charging session. This function protects the grid from destabilising during scenarios when a high number of charging points are plugged into electric vehicles. The application of randomised delayed charging ensures grid stability in a more manageable way for the network.Continued Charging
Charging points must rely on a communication network such as cellular, ethernet or WiFi to send and receive signals to achieve smart functionality. Charging points must be able to continue charging electric vehicles — even if the charging point ceases to be connected to a communications network.
