How to Set Up Smart Charging

Smart Charging allows for a flexible approach to handling your energy, scheduling, and operational needs. To get the most out of the Smart Charging rule capabilities it is important to first get an understanding of what you are trying to accomplish. The rules offer a great deal of power and flexibility, so understanding the objective is critical to creating rules that effectively solve the problem.

1. Review your utility bill and utility rate plan: This is essential for understanding your energy needs.

• Identify how your time of use rates change throughout the day.
• Determine your demand type (flat, tiered, changes through day, subscription block)
• Questions to consider:

1. When is the cheapest time for me to charge?
2. When should I expect to limit my charging?
3. Do I need to charge during on-peak hours? If so, how can I minimize the higher costs associated with those times?

2. Set Operational Goals: Alongside utility rates, consider your operational goals.

• Identify needs of your operation.
• Identify the goals you aim to achieve with InControl.
• Questions to consider:
1. What are the required charging times for your vehicles?
2. What are your hours of operation, do you need to restrict access to any public facing chargers?
3. Do you need to coordinate charging with specific operational shifts or schedules?

3. Draft potential smart charging rules: Outline your charging goals and preferences for how your chargers should operate.

Example rules to provide us with: 

• I need my chargers to begin charging at 1am on a set schedule Monday-Friday.
• I want my chargers to be inactive from 4pm to 8pm 
• My site cannot exceed 150 kW on any day. 

4. Email incontrol.success@inchargeus.com to get your rules implemented to your InControl account. 

If you need a little extra help to define what will best support your business needs, our InControl experts can help set you up for success. With customized support, offered in 4-hour increments, our team can work with you on InControl set up including:

• Custom InControl training for your team 
• Smart Charging rules development and configuration
• Any other InControl configurations to meet your business needs

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