Compared to conventional wallbox or charge pillar solutions Charging Park Solutions (also known as Charging Plazas) come with a different controller concept giving OEM and Charge Point Operators (CPO) more flexibility, scalability and individuality – let’s take a closer look!

Customer requirements often exceed the capabilities of standard wall boxes and charging stations

The challenges in designing charging stations and charging solutions for hybrid and electric vehicles are still enormous. In particular, the promising high-power direct current charging according to DIN 70121 or ISO 15118 leads to charging interruptions in many places due to electromagnetic interference (EMC). Mostly these errors are caused by unfavorable constellations of hardware, software and the type of electric vehicle being charged.

Central charging cabinet with SIMATIC ECC controller and electrical engineering from Siemens controls many decentralized charging points

When talking to planners and operators of charging solutions for (semi-)public parking lots, multistory car parks or electric filling stations, it becomes clear that the demands on the charging system are manifold and, above all, highly individual.

For example, if operators need load distribution according to their preferences, a back-end system connection via OCPP (Open-Charge-Point-Protocol) for authentication and contactless payment, standard wallboxes and charging stations quickly reach the limits of what is feasible. The background to this is that these are often equipped with board controller boards, which greatly limit individual engineering. Multi-point systems for so-called car park charging solutions consisting of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) charging points are also not feasible.

Siemens charging control brings advantages over conventional suppliers

Here, as a manufacturer of charging solutions, it is advisable to rely on industry-proven, PLC-based and thus individually programmable controller solutions such as the SIMATIC ECC Charge Controller Portfolio based on the SIMATIC ET200 SP Controller Platform from Siemens. In addition to simple scaling of the charging points based on a modular system structure and openness of the controller for back-end systems via OCPP 1.6 and dynamic load management, the Siemens engineering environment TIA Portal (Totally Integrated Automation) makes it easy to parameterize each charging concept according to individual requirements.

The highlight of the SIMATIC ECC charge control portfolio is that OEMs can implement charging park solutions that integrate charging with alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) into one system in addition to individual charging columns. The module-based system is controlled by a controller located in the central control cabinet. This has the advantage that expensive hardware is safely protected against vandalism, software updates can be installed remotely in a single operation and the charging infrastructure can be expanded by almost any number of charging points.

A view into the central cabinet: SMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller including Charging Suite Software Application, 10 TM ECC Charge Controllers for AC and DC charging plus SIMATIC Energy Meters and electrical components from Siemens (installed by CuroCon GmbH)

This also means that the costs per charging point are reduced with each additional charging point in charging park solutions. This means: The more charging points on a system, the more economical the investment!

In the near future, Siemens will release a calibration kit for the in-house charge controller module SIMATIC ET 200SP TM ECC PL ST to optimally design the communication of the powerline signal from the electric vehicle to the DC charging system. The advantages for the OEM: The plug-and-play solution drastically reduces the engineering effort and ensures practical, long-term stability during DC charging processes.

For all applications that place high demands in terms of performance or reliability, we use almost exclusively Siemens components. Functions are programmed in the SIMATIC controller and the corresponding modules are implemented decentrally in the SIMATIC ET 200SP. This allows us to easily adapt both the program and the configuration to the application and to change them at any time without great effort.”
SIMATIC ECC user Mr Michael Wißbach, CEO CuroCon GmbH

More protection and safety

For more protection and safety: Quality of electrical components is important
Furthermore, charging infrastructure is exposed to various environmental influences, such as the weather. Therefore, the use of high-quality and holistically tested electrotechnical components is indispensable. The Siemens SIRIUS and SENTRON product families ensure permanently reliable switching, protection and monitoring, thus contributing to the protection of people and vehicles. For example, the SENTRON miniature circuit breaker was tested with significantly increased requirements in the temperature range, and the SIRIUS contactor offers high temperature stability, low waste heat and optimized functionality at high inrush currents.

Successful use of Siemens automation and charging technology at engineering service provider CuroCon

The German engineering service provider and charging solution provider CuroCon appreciates the advantages of the Siemens system and its easy parameterization in the TIA Portal, which enables it to meet the high demands of large automobile manufacturers and operators of charging infrastructures.

Simple indivudal design and engineering of the charging system with the TIA Portal from Siemens

Michael Wißbach, Managing Director of CuroCon GmbH, is convinced of the superiority of Siemens technology and praises the degrees of freedom in project planning.

The charging technology from Siemens is based on standard automation components. We can freely project the complete functionalities and adapt the application quickly and safely to the requirements of our customers.”
Michael Wißbach, CEO of CuroCon GmbH

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