How to Set Up Smart Charging

Smart Charging gives you flexible control over your charging behavior, helping you manage energy use, scheduling, and operational priorities. Before getting started, take a moment to define your goals, such as avoiding peak demand, automating overnight charging, or ensuring key vehicles are always ready. 

1. Understand Your Limits: Utility Rates & Site Capacity

Consider your utility rate plan, peak demand hours, and the site’s total power capacity.

• Identify how your time of use rates change throughout the day. 

• Determine your demand type (flat, tiered, changes through the 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 charger during on-peak hours? If so, how can I minimize the higher costs associated with those times?

2. Set Priorities That Match Your Operation

Determine what maters most to your team. Cutting energy costs, ensuring vehicle readiness, or meeting departure times?

Questions to consider:

1. Do you have any specific departure times?
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. Create Rule Drafts Based on Your Goals

Write down the logic you’d like to implement.

Examples: 

• Limit charging power between 4–9 PM 

• Pause all charging from midnight to 5 AM. 

• My site cannot exceed 100kW on any day

• We leave the yard around 6pm but do not what charging to start until 11pm 

And now that you are ready to set up smart charging 

Email your drafted rules to support@inchargeus.com to get these implemented on your account.