What does Load Balancing mean?

Explanation

Load balancing is a site-level power management system. Where power sharing applies to a pair of stalls, load balancing manages the total power available across an entire charging site. If a location has 10 chargers but the grid connection can only deliver enough power for 6 at full speed, load balancing distributes the available power intelligently.

You typically will not see load balancing mentioned on the charger screen. It works behind the scenes. But you might notice that chargers at a busy site deliver less power than the same charger model at a quieter location. The charger hardware might be capable of 150 kW, but load balancing limits each stall to 100 kW when the site is busy.

This is common at workplaces, parking garages, and destination charging sites with many AC chargers. Smart load balancing can prioritize cars that need a quick charge over those parked for hours. It also helps site operators avoid expensive grid upgrades by making the most of their existing power connection.

For current specifications, see Open Charge Alliance.

Where you'll see this

• In charging network apps

Common confusion

People sometimes think load balancing means all chargers deliver equal power. In practice, smart load balancing may give more power to a car that arrived recently and less to one that is nearly full.

Example

Related terms