Smart charging with the Lite Charging Hub

The recharging points installed at the Nuovo Flaminia Shopping Centre in Brescia (Italy) ensure that the power supply is adapted to different needs by combining DC and AC chargers.

At public charging facilities, it is important to offer a service tailored to the different needs of the users and the grid infrastructure. For example, in an area near a shopping centre, there are different parking times, where drivers can make a quick stop just to pick something up, or a longer stop, where they will be parked for more time. In this sense, it is of interest to combine a DC fast charger with several AC semi-fast charging points. The capacity of the electricity grid in the area should also be taken into account.

Precisely with this in mind, one of Circontrol’s Italian partners, A2A, has set up this charging station near the Flaminia Shopping Centre in Brescia. The Nuovo Flaminia covers an area of over 16,000 square metres on two levels, with 15 shops and a supermarket measuring over 7,000 square metres. The charging station located near the centre consists of 3 Circontrol chargers, to give a total of 6 charging points. A Raption 150 Compact (DC) with simultaneous double charging is present on site and there are also two eVolve Masters (AC), adding 4 points to the hub.

The charging infrastructure is based on the Circontrol Lite Charging Hub solution. It combines different software and hardware components, in particular the DLM 7 Lite, which offers several advantages, including dynamic charging control by combining a DC station with up to 7 AC chargers to prioritise fast DC charging and avoid any problems related to mains overloading. The system is designed to ensure full power availability at the DC station and to accordingly adjust the power available at the AC stations based on demand. In addition, the station maximises investment by avoiding additional work to upgrade the public power grid in the area.

The Lite Charging Hub uses Building Monitoring (BMK), an optional power analyser for the DLM, to monitor the charger’s DC consumption. This allows DC charging sessions to be prioritised and avoids exceeding power requirements.

The slim and robust exterior designs of the Raption 150 Compact and its new updated version, the Raption 160 Compact, allow space for the installation of the DLM 7 Lite and are ideal chargers for different types of locations.