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    Charge Control
    • 11 Sep 2024
    • 3 Minutes to read
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    Contents

    Charge Control

    • Updated on 11 Sep 2024
    • 3 Minutes to read
    • Contributors
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    Article summary

    Tap's Charge Control features enable you to control the amount of power available to drivers at a given time. This can be based on your preferences, the cost of energy, or grid constraints. Tap offers different Charge Control programs depending on your use case.

    Supported chargers

    Not every charger supports Tap Charge Control. You will get a warning in app if your charger is not supported.

    A Charge Control program is applied to all chargers at a given location.

    The available Charge Control programs are as follows:

    1. Static load management: Based on a static capacity limit, balance the available capacity across chargers at a location depending on demand of each charger.
    2. Power scheduling: Set a schedule that governs the maximum amps per charger.
    3. Dynamic tariffs (NETHERLANDS ONLY): Unlock dynamic energy tariffs on your chargers and save on your energy bill.

    Additionally, you can set a Random Start Delay, which can work on top of any Charge Control program.

    Random start delay: Enforce a random start delay to support the grid.

    Charge control.png

    Static Load Management

    For each of your locations, balance the available capacity across chargers, depending on the demand of each charger.

    Setting a capacity limit

    1. Location > Charge control
    2. Set your Charge Control program to Static Load Management
    3. Set a capacity limit. This is the maximum number of amps available at the panel. Tap will distribute the capacity across all chargers.
    4. Save.
    What's the difference between Static Load Management and Power Scheduling?

    Static load management = active balancing. That means that Tap takes the maximum capacity limit you provide, and intelligently distribute that across chargers based on the demand of each charger. That means if 3 cars plug in at the same time, we may split the capacity between them; if only one car plugs in, we will allocate all available power to it. That way all cars get the maximum amount of energy.

    Power Scheduling means that you are setting a fixed limit per charger, according to a schedule. This does not distribute the max capacity as efficiently as possible like load management; it simply limits the amount of amps that each charger can deliver.

    Power scheduling

    For each of your locations, you can set a schedule that governs the maximum amps per charger.

    Setting a power schedule

    1. Location > Charge control
    2. Set your Charge Control program to Schedule
    3. Set a default rate. This is applied when an active schedule has no interval configured during a given time period.
    4. Create a schedule by adding new intervals and setting a maximum rate for each interval.
    5. Save.

    set power sched.png

    Enabling Driver Override

    As an owner, you may want to give drivers the option to override your power schedule. For example, if you are using the power schedule to follow your peak and off-peak tariff, you can give drivers the option to opt-out of the schedule and charge immediately at the higher tariff.

    1. Location > Charge control
    2. If you have already set a Power Schedule and saved it, a toggle will appear to enable override. Turn this on.

    Power schedule.png

    In-session driver view:
    override.png

    Dynamic Tariffs

    If you have a dynamic energy tariff, this Charge Control program will apply an algorithm to charge at the cheapest possible time.

    Netherlands Only

    The Dynamic Tariffs program is currently only available in the Netherlands.

    How Dynamic Tariffs work

    The Dynamic Tariffs program tracks the spot market price. Since retail dynamic energy contracts also follow the price, Tap is able to accurately make decisions on the cheapest times to charge.

    Dynamic Tariffs work best when the drivers car is connected to Tap so that we know the battery state of charge. However, it is not necessary. This feature can always work, whether or not the car battery level is known. For information on how a driver can connect their car to Tap, see this article.

    To learn how drivers (including yourself) can take advantage of the Dynamic Tariffs you have set at your location, see this article.

    Enabling Dynamic Tariffs at your location

    1. Location > Charge control
    2. Set your Charge Control program to Dynamic Tariffs.
    3. Save.

    Dynamic tariffs.png

    Random start delay

    You can enforce a random start delay to support the grid. For example when you have a power schedule configured that might have many vehicles turning on at the exact same time.

    Setting a random start delay

    1. Location > Charge control
    2. Switch on Random start delay
    3. Enter maximum delay in seconds.
    4. Save

    random start delay new.png

    What's Next