Apparatus and method for controlling energy usage of charging stations

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling energy usage of charging stations is provided The apparatus enables balancing energy usage at electricity consumption sites, while considering dynamically changing charging capacity, affect to charging speeds of one or more charging stations of the electricity consumption site and combination of different types of charging stations and electric vehicles on the electricity consumption site. The apparatus may be configured to detect a need to at least one of increase or use discharge capacity of vehicle-to-grid enabled charging stations of the electricity consumption site based on statistical and monitored supply and demand information of the electricity consumption site, and to control charging power of the vehicle-to-grid charging stations accordingly.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ENERGY USAGE OF CHARGING STATIONSTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Various example embodiments generally relate to energy management. Some example embodiments relate to controlling energy usage of charging stations.BACKGROUND

[0002] Charging stations may be used to charge electric vehicles (EVs). Charging stations may be subjected to energy management services which are used to control energy usage, for example charging power of charging stations. Energy management services may have different rules for controlling the energy usage.SUMMARY

[0003] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] Example embodiments of the present disclosure may enable controlling energy usage of charging stations. This may further enable balancing energy usage at electricity consumption sites such that charging speeds of one or more charging stations of the electricity consumption site may be improved. This and other benefits may be achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further example embodiments are provided in the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0005] According to a first aspect, an apparatus for controlling energy usage of charging stations is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: obtain typical values of maximum charging current capacity available for charging stations of an electricity consumption site with respect to time, the charging stations comprising one or morebidirectional charging stations; obtain typical values of power demand of electrical devices of the electricity consumption site with respect to time, the electrical devices not being related to electric vehicle charging; monitor, based on data received from the electricity consumption site, a power demand of the electrical devices and a maximum charging current capacity available for use by the charging stations; determine, based on charging state information received from the charging stations, which charging stations are connected with an electric vehicle, an estimated remaining charging session time of the electric vehicle and a charging current demand of the charging stations; detect an indication of a need to at least one of increase discharge capacity of the bidirectional charging stations or to use the discharge capacity based on the monitored maximum charging current capacity being below the charging current demand; determine, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored power demand of the electrical devices to the typical values of the power demand of the electrical devices with respect to the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station; determine, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and one or more charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored maximum charging current capacity to the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current time and a remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station; and send power control instructions to the respective charging stations based on the met conditions.

[0006] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the conditions to increase the charging power of the at least one bidirectional charging station comprises: the monitored power demand of the electrical devices is below the typical values of a certain period of time starting from the current moment; and the monitored power demand of the electrical devices is above the typical values within the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station after the certain period of time.

[0007] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the conditions for the at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and the one or more charging station to increase charging power comprises: the monitored maximum charging current capacity is lower than the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current moment; and a state of charge of the electric vehicle connected to the at least one bidirectional charging station is over a predetermined limit based on the estimated remaining charging time of the at least one bidirectional charging station.

[0008] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to: determine a discharging time based on the remaining charging session of the respective bidirectional charging station; and wherein the power control instructions comprise the determined discharging time.

[0009] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to: determine a typical charging session time of the bidirectional charging stations based on previously received charging state information; and determine the estimated remaining charging session time based on the typical charging session time and a current charging time of an electric vehicle at the bidirectional charging station.

[0010] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the discharging time is determined by subtracting the estimated remaining charging session time from the typical charging session time of the bidirectional charging station and dividing the resulted time by two.

[0011] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the conditions for the at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power is determined to be met for a plurality of the bidirectional charging stations; and the apparatus is caused to: determine a discharging current based on a difference between the monitored charging current demand and the maximum charging current capacity; and wherein the power control instructions for the plurality of the bidirectional charging stations are determined based on the discharging current.

[0012] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to: determine that the monitored maximum charging current capacity is equal or greater than the charging power demand; and send power controlinstructions to the charging stations of the electricity consumption site to charge based on a maximum charging current requested by the connected electric vehicles.

[0013] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to: determine that the monitored maximum charging current capacity is lower than the charging power demand, and that the conditions are not met; and send, in response to the determination, power control instructions to the charging stations of the electricity consumption site to charge using reduced charging power based on an applied dynamic load management algorithm.

[0014] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the monitored maximum charging current capacity is compared with the charging current demand at predetermined intervals for sending the power control instructions.

[0015] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the maximum charging current capacity available for the charging stations is determined based on at least one of a maximum current provided from the electric grid reduced by the power demand of the electrical devices.

[0016] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the apparatus is further caused to: monitor external signals associated with a state of an electric grid providing electricity to the electricity consumption site; and wherein the maximum charging current capacity is further determined based on the external signals.

[0017] According to a second aspect, a method carried out by a computing device is disclosed. The method may comprise: obtaining typical values of maximum charging current capacity available for charging stations of an electricity consumption site with respect to time, the charging stations comprising one or more bidirectional charging stations; obtaining typical values of power demand of electrical devices of the electricity consumption site with respect to time, the electrical devices not being related to electric vehicle charging; monitoring, based on data received from the electricity consumption site, a maximum charging current capacity available for use by the charging stations, a power demand of the electrical devices and a charging current demand of the charging stations; determining, based on charging state information received from the charging stations, which charging stations are connected with an electric vehicle and an estimated remaining charging session time of the electric vehicle; detecting an indication of a need to at least oneof increase discharge capacity of the bidirectional charging stations or to use the discharge capacity based on the monitored maximum charging current capacity being below the monitored charging current demand; determining, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored power demand of the electrical devices to the typical values of the power demand of the electrical devices with respect to the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station; determining, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and one or more charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored maximum charging current capacity to the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current time and a remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station; and sending power control instructions to the respective charging stations based on the met conditions.

[0018] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the conditions to increase the charging power of the at least one bidirectional charging station comprises: the monitored power demand of the electrical devices is below the typical values of a certain period of time starting from the current moment; and the monitored power demand of the electrical devices is above the typical values within the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station after the certain period of time.

[0019] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the conditions for the at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and the one or more charging station to increase charging power comprises: the monitored maximum charging current capacity is lower than the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current moment; and a state of charge of the electric vehicle connected to the at least one bidirectional charging station is over a predetermined limit based on the estimated remaining charging time of the at least one bidirectional charging station.

[0020] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method may further comprise: determining a discharging time based on the remainingcharging session of the respective bidirectional charging station; and wherein the power control instructions comprise the determined discharging time.

[0021] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method may further comprise: determining a typical charging session time of the bidirectional charging stations based on previously received charging state information; and determining the estimated remaining charging session time based on the typical charging session time and a current charging time of an electric vehicle at the bidirectional charging station.

[0022] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the discharging time is determined by subtracting the estimated remaining charging session time from the typical charging session time of the bidirectional charging station and dividing the resulted time by two.

[0023] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the conditions for the at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power is determined to be met for a plurality of the bidirectional charging stations; and the method may further comprise: determining a discharging current based on a difference between the monitored charging current demand and the maximum charging current capacity; and wherein the power control instructions for the plurality of the bidirectional charging stations are determined based on the discharging current.

[0024] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method may further comprise: determining that the monitored maximum charging current capacity is equal or greater than the charging power demand; and sending power control instructions to the charging stations of the electricity consumption site to charge based on a maximum charging current requested by the connected electric vehicles.

[0025] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method may further comprise: determining that the monitored maximum charging current capacity is lower than the charging power demand, and that the conditions are not met; and sending, in response to the determination, power control instructions to the charging stations of the electricity consumption site to charge using reduced charging power based on an applied dynamic load management algorithm.

[0026] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the monitored maximum charging current capacity is compared with the charging current demand at predetermined intervals for sending the power control instructions.

[0027] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the maximum charging current capacity available for the charging stations is determined based on at least one of a maximum current provided from the electric grid reduced by the power demand of the electrical devices.

[0028] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the method may further comprise: monitoring external signals associated with a state of an electric grid providing electricity to the electricity consumption site; and wherein the maximum charging current capacity is further determined based on the external signals.

[0029] According to a third aspect, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer program, computer program product, or (non-transitory) computer-readable medium may comprise instructions, which when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus at least to perform the method according to the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth, twelfth, or fourteenth aspect, or any example embodiment(s) thereof, as provided in the description and / or the claims.

[0030] Example embodiments of the present disclosure can thus provide apparatuses, methods, computer programs, computer program products, or computer readable media for improving various aspects of energy management at electricity consumption sites comprising vehicle-to-grid charging equipment. Any example embodiment may be combined with one or more other example embodiments. These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent from the example embodiment(s) described below. According to some aspects, there is provided the subject matter of the independent claims. Some further aspects are defined in the dependent claims.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the example embodiments and constitute a part of thisspecification, illustrate example embodiments and, together with the description, help to explain the example embodiments. In the drawings:

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to practice one or more example embodiments;

[0033] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an electricity consumption site;

[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a current control architecture of an electricity consumption site;

[0035] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of power capacity and demand fluctuations;

[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a flowchart for controlling energy usage charging stations; and

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a method for controlling energy usage of charging stations.

[0038] Like references are used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present example may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the example and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the example. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples.

[0040] Charging stations may be used to charge electric vehicles (EV). Charging stations may be connected to a charging station management system (CSMS). A CSMS may be configured to communicate and manage charging stations, for example, by using a standard open charge point protocol (OCPP), or any other existing or future communication protocol configured for the purpose. People who use and charge EVs are called EV users, or simply users. Charging stations may be located on electricity consumption sites. Electricity consumption site may be any kind of area or a building that is connected to an electric grid for power supply, suchas for example an office building, a parking lot, a parking garage or the like. The electricity consumption site may comprise other electrical devices that consume electricity in addition to charging stations. The electricity consumption site may have a maximum limit on how much electricity can be used at the same time. The limit may be defined by the grid connection point of the electricity consumption site to the electric grid. In one example, the limit may be based on a fuse size, used connector, or any other component configured to limit current supply provided from the grid to a certain electricity consumption site. In one example, the limit may be based on a preset or a variable control value configured to control a maximum amount of power fed for the electricity consumption site. The limit may be further based on currently available discharge capacity when the electricity consumption site comprises one or more charging stations enabled to discharge power from batteries of an electric vehicle connected to the charging station.

[0041] Charging stations are often relatively large consumers of electricity at an electricity consumption site. Electricity consumption sites may have a limit on how much electrical current the charging stations can use. In addition, electricity consumption of other electrical devices of the electricity consumption site may be prioritized over electricity consumption of charging stations. This means that the electricity that is available for the charging stations may depend on the energy consumption of the other electrical devices. The availability may also depend on the time of the day. In practice, at one point of time you might have 100 amperes (A) available for charging, and at another point of time, you have only 50 A. On such electricity consumption sites, one may need to have a smart solution ensuring that the charging stations are adjusted for available energy when needed. The solution may need to be able to react to the changes in the available capacity, in a meaningful time.

[0042] Dynamic load management (DLM) is a common technology in EV industry to manage energy in a group of charging stations. A typical DLM solution is built in a way where multiple charging stations are grouped into a single group. The group may be assigned with a maximum rated current or power the charging stations are not allowed to exceed. With centralized DLM solutions, a controlapparatus, such as the CSMS, can be configured to continuously adjust the maximum current or maximum power that charging stations can use for charging.

[0043] In general, the EV dictates the amount of power it will use for charging. Hence, a maximum limit for charging may be set to the charging station, but the EV can use less power. The amount of power the EV uses depends on a charging cycle, e.g., the EV may use different amount of power during start of the charge, in the middle of the charge, finishing the charge, and so on.

[0044] Sometimes, especially at large electricity consumption sites, the electric infrastructure may not be able to handle a situation where all the charging stations are charging simultaneously with full power. For standard load management solutions, a basic principle is the same, that is, the available charging current is divided between charging stations. The available charging current may depend on various factors, but in simple solutions there is a static limit for the charging power. These solutions may be referred to as dynamic load management or power sharing.

[0045] However, the DLM may not be an ideal solution in all situations. The available charging current per active charging station may be too low and extend the charging time of individual EVs. Hence, there is a need for a more sophisticated logic, which allows faster charging of EVs while balancing the energy usage of the electricity consumption site.

[0046] Electricity consumption sites may comprise both one-directional charging stations and bi-directional charging stations. One-directional charging stations may refer to charging stations that are configured to provide current in one direction, that is, from the grid to a battery of an electric vehicle connected to the charging station. Bidirectional charging stations may refer to charging stations that are also configured to provide current from a battery of a connected electric vehicle towards the grid. In other words, one-directional charging stations may be configured for charging electric vehicles, and bidirectional charging stations may be configured for both charging and discharging of electric vehicles. Bidirectional charging stations may be also referred to as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enabled charging stations or simply V2G charging stations. The charging stations may be assigned to groups, for example based on their charging and discharging abilities. Additionally, someEVs may be vehicle-to-grid (V2G) enabled. V2G enabled EVs may be configured to be able to discharge their batteries at V2G enabled charging stations.

[0047] An objective of this disclosure is to optimize charging of EVs while balancing energy usage on an electricity consumption site by controlling operations of V2G charging stations. An objective is to improve charging speeds of at least some of EVs charging at the electricity consumption site, while considering dynamically changing charging capacity and combination of different types of charging stations and electric vehicles on an electricity consumption site.

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to practice one or more example embodiments. Apparatus 100 may comprise a device such a server, a network device, a computing device, or in general any apparatus configured to implement functionality described herein. In one example, the apparatus 100 comprises a CSMS system. In one example, the apparatus 100 comprises a DLM system. The apparatus 100 may comprise at least one processor 102. The at least one processor 102 may comprise, for example, one or more of various processing devices, such as for example a co-processor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a specialpurpose computer chip, or the like.

[0049] The apparatus 100 may further comprise at least one memory 104. The memory 104 may be configured to store, for example, computer program code or the like, for example operating system software and application software. The memory 104 may comprise one or more volatile memory devices, one or more nonvolatile memory devices, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the memory may be embodied as magnetic storage devices (such as hard disk drives, magnetic tapes, etc.), optical magnetic storage devices, or semiconductor memories (such as mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory), etc.). The memory 104 is provided as an example of a (non-transitory) computer readable medium. The term “non-transitory,” as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0050] The apparatus 100 may further comprise a communication interface 108 configured to enable the apparatus 100 to transmit information to other devices. The communication interface 108 may further be configured to enable the apparatus 100 to receive information from other devices. The apparatus 100 may be configured to, for example, exchange data with one or more electric vehicle charging stations, electric vehicle supply equipment, or other charging devices.

[0051] The communication interface 108 may be configured to provide at least one wireless radio connection, such as for example a 3 GPP mobile broadband connection (e.g. 3G, 4G, 5G, or any future generation connection). However, the communication interface 108 may be configured to provide one or more other types of connections, for example a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection such as for example standardized by IEEE 802.11 series or Wi-Fi alliance; a short range wireless network connection such as for example a Bluetooth, NFC (near-field communication), or RFID connection; a wired connection such as for example a local area network (LAN) connection, a universal serial bus (USB) connection or an optical network connection, or the like; or a wired Internet connection. The communication interface 108 may comprise, or be configured to be coupled to, at least one antenna to transmit and / or receive radio frequency signals. One or more of the various types of connections may be also implemented as separate communication interfaces, which may be coupled or configured to be coupled to a plurality of antennas.

[0052] The apparatus 100 may further comprise other components and / or functions such as a user interface 110 comprising at least one input device and / or at least one output device. The input device may take various forms such a keyboard, a touch screen, or one or more embedded control buttons. The output device may for example comprise a display, a speaker, or the like. The apparatus 100 may be configured to, for example, receive instructions and parameters from a user via the user interface 110.

[0053] When the apparatus 100 is configured to implement some functionality, some component and / or components of the apparatus 100, such as for example theat least one processor 102 and / or the at least one memory 104, may be configured to implement this functionality. Furthermore, when the at least one processor 102 is configured to implement some functionality, this functionality may be implemented using program code 106 comprised, for example, in the at least one memory 104.

[0054] In an embodiment, the apparatus 100 may be configured to control energy usage of charging stations on an electricity consumption site. The apparatus 100 may be configured to obtain power capacity and power demand information of the electricity consumption site. Additionally, the apparatus 100 may be configured to obtain charging state information of electric vehicles connected to charging stations on the electricity consumption site. The charging state information may comprise, for example, an indication when an electric vehicle is connected to the charging station, a charging status of the electric vehicle and / or an indication when the electric vehicle is no longer connected to the charging station. The charging status may indicate at least one of an amount of charged power, how long the charging session has lasted, a state-of-charge (SoC) of battery or batteries of the electric vehicle and / or an estimated remaining time of the charging session until the SoC is at full limit, e.g., the batteries at fully charged. The charging stations may be subjected to one or more energy management operations by the apparatus 100. The energy management operations may be used for example to adjust a total charging current of charging stations and / or to discharge EVs connected to charging stations. The adjustments may be initiated by the apparatus 100, for example, based on the power capacity and power demand information and / or charging state information.

[0055] The apparatus 100 may be configured to adjust a maximum current / power output of the charging stations. In one example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to use methods available in the open protocols implemented in charging hardware of charging stations, such as the OCPP protocol. Hence, the apparatus 100 may be able to make the adjustments in any charging station without being limited to certain hardware manufacturers. The apparatus 100 may communicate at least with any charging device that operates on open protocols.

[0056] In one example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to perform centralized cloud-based energy management operations. For example, the apparatus100 may be configured to continuously adjust maximum charging currents that individual charging stations can use for charging and discharging based on an adjustment logic represented herein. Even though the charging stations may be assigned into a group, the apparatus 100 may control each charging station individually, for example, via an API. Every time an energy management event takes place or power demand of the electricity consuming devices changes, the apparatus 100 may be configured to recalculate the maximum charging current for one or more charging stations. An energy management event may comprise, for example, sending a request to a charging station to increase or decrease a maximum charging power of the charging station. In one example, an energy management event may comprise sending instructions to charge or discharge a battery of an electric vehicle. In one example, an energy management event may comprise receiving, by the apparatus 100, an external signal indicating that at least one of a power supply or demand needs to be adjusted.

[0057] The functionality described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more computer program product components such as software components. According to an example embodiment, the apparatus 100 comprises a processor or processor circuitry, such as for example a microcontroller, configured by the program code 106, when executed, to execute the embodiments of the operations and functionality described herein. The program code 106 is provided as an example of instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor 102, cause performance of the apparatus 100.

[0058] Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or the like.

[0059] The apparatus 100 may be configured to perform, or cause performance of, method(s) described herein or comprise means for performing method(s) described herein. In one example, the means comprises the at least one processor102, the at least one memory 104 including instructions (e.g., program code 106) configured to, when executed by the at least one processor 102, cause apparatus 100 to perform the method(s). In general, computer program instructions may be executed on means providing generic processing functions. Such means may be embedded for example in a personal computer, a smart phone, a network device, or the like. The method(s) may be thus computer-implemented, for example, based on algorithm(s) executable by the generic processing functions, an example of which is the at least one processor 102. The means may comprise transmission or reception means, for example one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled or be configured to be coupled to one or more antennas.

[0060] The apparatus 100 may comprise, for example, a server device, a client device, a mobile phone, a CSMS, a tablet computer, a laptop, or the like. Although the apparatus 100 is illustrated as a single device, it is appreciated that, wherever applicable, functions of the apparatus 100 may be distributed to a plurality of devices. The apparatus 100 may be configured to operate in a cloud, e.g., control charging stations remotely via the internet.

[0061] FIG 2. illustrates an example of an electricity consumption site. An electricity consumption site may refer to a system, such as a closed system, using and / or producing energy. Electricity consumption site 200 may be connected to an electric grid 202. The electric grid 202 may provide electricity for the electricity consumption site 200. The electric grid 202 may be configured to provide electrical supply to the electricity consumption site 200. The supply may be defined as electrical current, for example 200 A in the example of FIG. 2. The electricity consumption site 200 may have a maximum limit of current that the electric grid 202 can provide to the electricity consumption site 200 at a certain moment. The maximum limit may be for example a predetermined limit (e.g., based on a grid connection point), or the maximum limit may vary based on different parameters, such as the current load of the electric grid.

[0062] The electricity consumption site 200 may comprise charging stations 212 that are configured to charge electric vehicles 210. The charging stations 210 may be one-directional charging stations or bi-directional, vehicle to grid (V2G) enabled, charging stations 216. One-directional charging stations may beconfigured to provide electricity to the electric vehicles 210. V2G enabled charging stations 216 may be configured to provide electricity for the electric vehicles 210 and to discharge electric vehicles 210. V2G enabled charging stations 216 may feed the discharged electricity back to the electric grid 202.

[0063] The electricity consumption site 200 may comprise electrical devices 204. The electrical devices 204 may be devices and systems, other than charging stations or electric vehicles, that consume electricity in the electricity consumption site 200. The electrical devices 204 may be for example, heating systems, lighting systems, working machinery, electrical appliances, and the like. The electricity consumption site 200 may have a limit of how much electricity the electrical grid 202 can provide for the electrical devices 204. Current usage of the electrical devices 204 may vary, because the electrical devices 204 may consume changing amounts of electricity depending on different factors such as the time of day. The electrical devices 204 may be also referred to as second electrical devices, electricity consuming devices, non-EV charging related devices, or a combination thereof. The charging stations 212, 216 and / or electric vehicles 210 may be referred to as first electrical devices or EV charging related devices.

[0064] Available charging power capacity for the charging stations 212 may be dependent on the electricity usage of the electrical devices 204. Charging power capacity may be also referred to as charging current capacity. Power supply for the electrical devices 204 may be prioritized over EV charging. If the consumed electricity of the electrical devices 204 is under the maximum current amount limit of the electricity consumption site 200, rest of the available electricity may be distributed to the charging stations 212. For example, if the maximum current from the electric grid connection is 200 A, 110 A may be used by electrical devices 204 and 90 A may be distributed to the charging stations 212. The electrical devices 204 may consume as much electricity as their demand is, within the limits of available power in the electricity consumption site.

[0065] External signals 206 may be configured to be used to determine a limit to the amount of electricity available to the charging stations 212. The external signals 206 may comprise, for example, a regulation request. The regulation request may be based on, for example, electricity price, electric grid load, dynamic loadmanagement, demand response, electric supply and demand state, building energy management, static maximum current, electric grid frequency, or the like. For example, if electricity price is higher than a predetermined limit, a control device, such as the apparatus 100, may determine to limit charging power supply for the charging stations 212 based on the external signals 206.

[0066] Apparatus 100 may be configured to distribute the available charging power capacity to charging stations 212. The apparatus 100 may obtain information about the available charging power capacity based on power capacity and demand data of the electricity consumption site 200. The power capacity data may be received from external devices configured to send, for example, the external signals 206. In addition, the apparatus 100 may store information about the maximum current amount limited to be provided by the electric grid 202. The power demand data may be received from one or more devices configured monitor electricity consumption at the electricity consumption site 200. The power demand data may be received, for example, from one or more electricity meters of one or more buildings, outdoor lighting equipment, and the like. In addition, the apparatus 100 may receive meter values from the charging stations 216. In addition, or alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive power demand information from the electrical devices and / or charging stations. Charging power demand for electric vehicles 210 may vary, for example based on how many electric vehicles 210 are plugged in to charging stations 212 and how full their batteries are. The apparatus 100 may comprise or be configured to apply a load management algorithm 208 to distribute the electricity. The load management algorithm 208 may be for example dynamic load management (DLM) algorithm that calculates the charging power for each charging station 212.

[0067] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of current control architecture of an electricity consumption site. The electricity consumption site may be any type of electricity consumption site, for example the electricity consumption site 200 of FIG. 2. The electricity consumption site 200 may have an electric grid connection 302. The electric grid connection 302 may provide a maximum grid current Gridmax set for the electricity consumption site 200 from the electric grid. A total maximum current Imax 304 that the electricity consumption site 200 can use may furthercomprise a maximum discharge capacity of the electricity consumption site 200, V2G output V2Gmax 306, in addition to Gridmax. V2G output V2Gmax2Q6 may be the current amount that is, or can be, discharged from electric vehicles 210 using V2G enabled charging stations 216. In other words, V2G output V2Gmax 306 is the current amount that can be fed back to the electric grid 202 from the electric vehicles 210 or used within the electricity consumption site. Current usage of electrical devices 204, i.e., non-EV usage current Ino_ev 308, may be dependent on the maximum current I max 304. Maximum charging current lev max 310 that charging stations 212, 216 may use can be determined based on the difference between maximum current Imax 304 and non-EV usage Ino_ev 308. In one example, available maximum charging current capacity Icharge_max 314 that can be used for electric vehicle charging may be the maximum charging current lev max 310. In one example, the available maximum charging current capacity Icharge max 314 may be additionally limited with charging control operation 312 performed based on a charging current limit xt max 316.

[0068] The apparatus 100 may calculate the available charging current capacity Icharge max 314 based on data received from the electricity consumption site 200. Alternatively, or additionally, the apparatus 100 may receive external signals and determine the available charging current capacity Icharge max 314 based on the received external signals. For example, the charging current limit Iext _max 316 may be determined based on the external signals 206. The available charging current capacity Icharge max 314 determined at 312 may be for example, the minimum of maximum charging current lev max 310 and charging current limit Iext max 316.

[0069] The non-EV usage current 308 and external signals 206 may change constantly. Therefore, the available charging current capacity I charge max 312 that electric vehicles 210 can use at the electricity consumption site 200 changes too, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As electric vehicles 210 can start charging and stop charging at the charging stations 210 of the electricity consumption site 200 at different times, and the electric vehicles 210 can consume different amount of current at different times for charging, there is a varying demand I demand 404 consuming the Icharge max 312 at different times. As mentioned, some of the charging stations 212 may be V2G enabled charging stations 216, and can feed current back to the grid,and for use of other devices of the electricity consumption site 200, based on varying V2G discharge capacity V2Gmax 306.

[0070] In order to provide as short charging times as possible to at least some of the electric vehicles 210, the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine and control when and how much power the charging stations should the EVs 210 should be charged and / or discharged. For example, the apparatus 100 may adjust charging of V2G enabled EVs, that is, how much electricity from the grid should be fed to batteries of the EVs, adjust discharging of the V2G enabled EVs, that is, electricity is fed from the batteries back to the grid, and adjust charging of non-V2G enabled EVs.

[0071] In one example, one or more statistical methods may be used by the apparatus 100 to determine when usually there is more capacity than demand in the electricity consumption site 200 during a day. The one or more statistical methods may be further used to determine when there is usually more demand than capacity during the day. In one example, charging of V2G enabled EVs can be prioritized as soon as possible during periods having high capacity for charging and low demand for power by the electrical devices 204. Similarly, discharging of V2G enabled EVs can be prioritized during periods having low capacity for charging and high demand for power by the electrical devices 204. The prioritizations may be performed, for example, by the apparatus 100 configured to dispatch commands to the V2G enabled charging stations 216 to charge and / or discharge based on the current and / or future power capacity and power demand situation in the electricity consumption site. The apparatus 100 may be configured to implement continuous adjustments based on constantly changing power capacity and demand information associated with the respective electricity consumption site. In one example, the adjustments may be performed by the apparatus 100 at predetermined intervals.

[0072] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a flowchart for controlling energy usage of charging stations at an electricity consumption site. The electricity consumption site may be for example the electricity consumption site of FIG. 2. The procedure of FIG. 5 may be implemented by a control device, such as the apparatus 100. The apparatus 100 can be configured to determine when electric vehicles 210 connected to V2G enabled charging stations 216 should be charged and discharged tominimise charging time of electric vehicles 210 connected to charging stations 212 and / or 216 at the electricity consumption site 200. The electricity consumption site 200 may have both charging stations 216 and / or 212 and other devices that use electricity (e.g., electrical devices 204).

[0073] The apparatus 100 may thus function as a load management system that controls several normal (one-directional) charging stations 212 and V2G enabled charging stations 216. The apparatus 100 may be designed to optimise charging times within a single electricity consumption site. The apparatus 100 may be configured to determine which electric vehicles 210 are charged and discharged by the charging stations 212 with different electric power at different times. Hence, it may be possible to charge several electric vehicles 210 as fast as possible even when the electricity consumption site 200 has limited electricity supply. Decisions may be performed by the apparatus 100 based on statistical information gathered from the electricity consumption site together with approximately real-time data received from the electricity consumption site about current power capacity and demand.

[0074] The apparatus 100 may be configured to calculate typical power capacity and demand of the electricity consumption site, such as the electricity consumption site 200. The typical power capacity and demand may be calculated based on power capacity and power demand information gathered during a certain timespan.

[0075] For example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to gather time series data on regular intervals. A maximum current input from the grid, Gridmax, may be a constant value and does not change between the intervals. Consumption of the electrical devices 204, Ino_ev, can be measured by a monitoring device, such as a DLM system, and saved as time series data to a database. The DLM system may comprise the apparatus 100. Alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be communicatively coupled with the DLM system. The apparatus 100 is configured to store the data to the database and / or receive the data stored in the database. Available charging current capacity, Icharge_max, can be calculated to time series data, for example, as follows: Icharge_max= Gridmax - Ino ev. External signals 206 may not follow certain patterns, so lext max can be omitted when calculating the typical capacity and demand. As a result, for a time value t, typical values Ino_ev_avg (t) = X amperes and I charge max avg (t) = y amperes can be calculated based on the time seriesdata. The typical values may be any statistical value such as average value or median value.

[0076] The apparatus 100 may be further configured to calculate typical charging session duration, for example, based on a median value of all durations in a history recorded by the apparatus 100. For example, the apparatus 100 may record the charging session durations at the charging stations 216 and / or 212 based on data received from the charging stations and / or CSMS. Based on the typical charging session duration, the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine for how long an ongoing charging session at charging station 216 and / or 212 is estimated to last. A charging session may refer to a charging event, where electricity is supplied from a charging station to a battery of an electric vehicle. A charging session duration, or charging session time, may be measured from a time of start of charging of an electric vehicle at a charging station to a stop of charging of the electric vehicle at the charging station. The apparatus 100 can calculate typical charging session durations of V2G enabled EVs (or V2G enabled charging stations 216) and typical charging session durations of normal EVs (or normal charging stations) not having the functionality to discharge power back to the grid.

[0077] For example, a typical charging session duration for V2G enabled EV could be 2 hours. If V2G enabled EV has been charging at time t for 30 minutes, the remaining charging session time Session^ (t) would be 2 h - 30 min = 1.5 h. The apparatus 100 may be configured to determine both Session^ (t) and remaining charging session times of normal EVs, SessionnOrm (t), for at a given moment of time t. Session^ (t) and SessionnOrm (t) may indicate for how long an EV is estimated remain charging at a charging station.

[0078] The apparatus 100 may be further configured to determine how many electric vehicles 210 are charging at the electricity consumption site 200 at a certain moment of time. Each electricity consumption site may have zero or more normal charging stations (one-directional charging stations), and zero or more V2G enabled charging stations (bi-directional charging stations). Each charging station can have at any given time t zero or more EVs charging at the charging station. The apparatus 100 may be configured to detect the number of currently charging EVs and / or a type of the EVs (V2G or non-V2G), for example, using the OCPP protocol.

[0079] For example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive a message from at least one of the respective charging stations, a meter device, an EV, a user device, or the CSMS indicating when a charging session has started at the charging station. The message may comprise, for example, a status notification, a meter value, or any other indication that the charging station is currently charging.

[0080] The apparatus 100 may thus monitor a variable EVnormai ft), indicating how many electric vehicles 210 are charging at time t at normal charging stations 212, and a variable EVV2G FT), indicating how many V2G enabled EVs are charging at time t at V2G enabled charging stations 216. The apparatus 100 may be configured to assume that all electric vehicles 210 charging at V2G enabled charging stations 216 are V2G enabled EVs. Alternatively, the apparatus 100 may determine a type of the electric vehicle 210 (normal or V2G enabled) based on information received by the charging station 210 when the charging session is authorized for the EV (or the user of the EV), and provided for the apparatus 100 by the charging station or a user device used to initiate the charging.

[0081] The apparatus 100 may be configured to optimise charging power provided by charging stations to electric vehicles. In one example, the apparatus 100 may determine to control all charging stations 216, 212 to charge electric vehicles 210 with full power. For example, when the available charging current capacity Eharge max is equal or greater than demand emand, the apparatus 100 may be configured to control the charging stations 216, 212 to charge all electric vehicles 210 at full power. When electric vehicles 210 are charged at full power, the charging stations 216, 212 may provide a maximum power requested by the respective EV for charging. In one example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to control the charging stations 216, 212 to charge all electric vehicles 210 with reduced power. For example, the reduced power level may be determined by the apparatus 100 based on available charging current capacity Eharge max divided between different charging stations currently charging electric vehicles 210. Division of the available maximum charging current capacity may be determined based on a DLM algorithm used by the apparatus 100.

[0082] In one example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to charge V2G EVs (or any EV connected to a V2G enabled charging station 216) with a higher powerthan electric vehicles 210 connected to normal charging stations. Hence, the apparatus 100 can prioritize V2G charging over other charging at certain times. In one example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to discharge V2G EVs connected to V2G enabled charging stations 216. The discharged power may be used, for example, to provide higher Icharge_max to other EVs (e.g., electric vehicles 210 connected to normal charging stations). Hence, the apparatus 100 can cause V2G enabled EVs to be discharged at certain times while other EVs are caused to be charged with higher power.

[0083] In other words, the apparatus 100 uses a combination of V2G charging and discharging together with regular EV charging, in an environment of constantly changing charging current capacity. This enables, that charging speed of at least one or more EVs can be optimised in situations when speed of charging needs to be limited due to limited electricity capacity. The speed of charging of an EV may depend on a maximum charging current value set for a charging station. The apparatus 100 can be configured to increase V2G charging power, or maximum charging current value, when possible, and then use V2G discharging to provide more energy to other electric vehicles when needed.

[0084] At operation 500, the optimization procedure may be repeated by the apparatus 100 at regular intervals. For example, the optimization procedure may be repeated every 30 seconds, once a minute, every ten minutes, every fifteen minutes, once an hour, or any other configured interval.

[0085] At operation 502, the apparatus 100 determines if all EVs connected to charging stations of the electricity consumption site 200 can be charged at full power. For example, the apparatus 100 can determine if a monitored value of Icharge max is currently equal to or greater than demand I demand. When the apparatus 100 determines that Icharge max is equal to or greater than Idemand, the apparatus 100 may determine that there is no need to limit charging at any of the charging stations 216, 212. Hence, the apparatus 100 can instruct the charging stations 216, 212 to perform charging of electric vehicles 210 at full power, at operation 504. The instructions may be sent by the apparatus 100 to each charging station. Alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be aware of current maximum current values of the charging stations 216, 212, and dispatch the instructions to increase chargingpower to charging stations 216, 212 currently charging with reduced power. When the apparatus 100 determines that the monitored value of Icharge max is lower than Idemand, the apparatus 100 may determine to proceed to operation 506. When Icharge max is lower xasx I demand, it is an indication to the apparatus 100 that all electric vehicles 210 may not be charged with full power.

[0086] At operation 506, the apparatus 100 determines if V2G enabled EVs should be charged with higher power. For example, the apparatus 100 can detect that V2G enabled EVs should be prioritized over other EV charging, so that V2G discharging capacity can be later used to provide faster charging during peak hours of demand.

[0087] The apparatus 100 knows the typical (e.g., average) energy usage of non-EV electrical devices Ino_ev (t) of the electricity consumption site, as previously described herein. The apparatus 100 may select a first period Ni. The period Ni may start from the current moment. Length of the first period may depend on a configured value. In one example, the length could be, for example, 15 minutes. For example, the apparatus 100 can check if a monitored value of Ino_ev (t) is currently below the average Ino_ev_avg (t) of the next Ni minutes. A second period A? may correspond to the remaining time of V2G charging session duration Session^ (t). The apparatus 100 may determine if there is a time period within N2, where Ino_ev (t) is higher than average Ino_ev_avg (t), indicating that there is a need to discharge V2G enabled EVs.

[0088] Hence, when the apparatus 100 determines that Ino_ev is below the average for the next Ni minutes, and Ino_ev is above the average within the next N2 minutes of the remaining charging session time of at least one V2G enabled charging station, the apparatus 100 can conclude that V2G charging should be prioritized. Thereafter, the apparatus 100 can send instructions to the at least one V2G enabled charging station 216 to charge connected EV at higher power. The at least one V2G enabled charging station 216 can be instructed to charge at higher power over other charging stations of the electricity consumption site and / or at higher power than previously instructed. In one example, all V2G enabled charging stations 216 may be instructed by the apparatus 100 to charge with increased power over the one-directional charging stations 212. The V2G enabled EVs that are charged with the higher powercan then be at least partially discharged, for example, within the next period N2 in order to provide higher power to electric vehicles 210 charging at other charging stations of the electricity consumption site 200.

[0089] At operation 508, the apparatus 100 may send instructions to the V2G enabled charging stations 216 to charge connected EVs at the increased power.

[0090] When the apparatus 100 determines at operation 506 that there is no need to charge the V2G enabled EVs at higher power, the apparatus 100 may proceed to operation 510. At operation 510, the apparatus 100 determines if discharging of the V2G enabled EVs should be started. At the moment / , the apparatus 100 determines if the supply for the charging stations based on the available charging current capacity Icharge max (t) is lower than demand Idemand(t). The apparatus 100 may further detect that the monitored available charging current capacity Icharge max (t) at time t is lower than typical supply at that time of the day Icharge max avg (t). When Icharge max (t) is smaller than Icharge_max_avg (t), this indicates to the apparatus 100 that there is a temporary supply issue which can be fixed by the apparatus 100 temporarily by discharging V2G enabled EV batteries back to internal supply of the electricity consumption site 200.

[0091] When both conditions are met (Icha g max (t) I demand (t) and Icharge max (t)<Icharge max avg (t)), the apparatus 100 may check if there is V2G discharge capacity available. The apparatus 100 can determine at least one V2G enabled EV battery to be at least partially discharged when the following conditions are met:state of charge (SoC) of the battery of the at least one V2G enabled EV is high enough to be at least partially discharged. In other words, discharging time for at least one EV is greater than zero. This can be calculated in the following way: as the typical charging session time Session^ (t) is known by the apparatus 100, and the apparatus 100 knows that it takes N minutes to complete the charging session of the V2G enabled EV (SoC to be at full limit), the apparatus 100 can determine to useSession^2G Nminutes for discharging. Later, the apparatus 100 may instruct the charging station to charge the V2G enabled EV based on the same minute value such that the SoC is again at full limit.when there are more than one V2G enabled EV with discharge capacity, the apparatus 100 may determine to discharge the V2G enabled EVs with current that is equivalent to Idemand (t) Icharge max ft), meaning the difference between the demand and supply capacity. In other words, discharging power is greater than zero.

[0092] At operation 512, the apparatus 100 can instruct the at least one V2G enabled charging station 216 to discharge based on the determination performed at 510. Hence, the battery capacity of V2G enabled EVs, which may have been charged at operation 508, can be used to provide more capacity for other devices in the electricity consumption site 200 when needed.

[0093] When the apparatus 100 determines at 512 that there are no V2G enabled EVs to be discharged, the apparatus 100 may proceed to operation 514.

[0094] At operation 514, the apparatus 100 may determine to divide the available charging current capacity Icharge max between the electric vehicles 210 that are charging at the moment, since the supply is smaller than the demand at the moment. The apparatus 100 may store any DLM algorithm configured for the purpose, and hence, use any available DLM solution to determine how the available supply is divided. Based on the determined division, the apparatus 100 can send instructions to the charging stations 216, 212 to at least one of increase or decrease their maximum charging power.

[0095] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a method for controlling energy usage of charging stations. Method 600 may be performed by a DLM system, a CSMS system, or by a control apparatus, such as apparatus 100, configured to control the functioning thereof, when installed therein.

[0096] At operation 602, the method may comprise obtaining typical values of maximum charging current capacity available for charging stations of the electricity consumption site with respect to time, the charging stations comprising one or more bidirectional charging stations. The typical values may be calculated by the apparatus 100 based on statistical data received from the electricity consumption site.

[0097] At operation 604, the method may comprise obtaining typical values of power demand of electrical devices of an electricity consumption site with respectto time, the electrical devices not being related to electric vehicle charging. The typical values may be calculated by the apparatus 100 based on statistical data received from the electricity consumption site.

[0098] At operation 606, the method may comprise monitoring, based on data received from the electricity consumption site, a power demand of the electrical devices and a maximum charging current capacity available for use by the charging stations.

[0099] At operation 608, the method may comprise determining, based on charging state information received from the charging stations, which charging stations are connected with an electric vehicle, an estimated remaining charging session time of the electric vehicle and a charging current demand of the charging stations.

[0100] At operation 610, the method may comprise detecting an indication of a need to at least one of increase discharge capacity of the bidirectional charging stations or to use the discharge capacity based on the monitored maximum charging current capacity being below the monitored charging current demand.

[0101] At operation 612, the method may comprise determining, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored power demand of the electrical devices to the typical values of the power demand of the electrical devices with respect to the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station.

[0102] At operation 614, the method may comprise determining, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and one or more charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored maximum charging current capacity to the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current time and a remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station.

[0103] At operation 616, the method may comprise sending power control instructions to the respective charging stations based on the met conditions.

[0104] Further features of the methods directly result for example from functionality the apparatus 100 as described throughout the description, claims, and drawings, and are therefore not repeated here. An apparatus, for example a computing device, may be configured to perform or cause performance of any aspect of the method(s) described herein. Further, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium may comprise instructions for causing, when executed by an apparatus, the apparatus to perform any aspect of the method(s) described herein. Further, an apparatus may comprise means for performing any aspect of the method(s) described herein. According to an example embodiment, the means comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform any aspect of the method(s).

[0105] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or altered without losing the effect sought. Also, any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment unless explicitly disallowed.

[0106] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

[0107] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages. It will further be understood that reference to 'an' item may refer to one or more of those items.

[0108] The steps or operations of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the example embodiments described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other exampleembodiments described to form further example embodiments without losing the effect sought.

[0109] The term 'comprising' is used herein to mean including the method, blocks, or elements identified, but that such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements.

[0110] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, where the list of two or more elements are joined by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all the elements.

[0111] Although subjects may be referred to as ‘first’ or ‘second’ subjects, this does not necessarily indicate any order or importance of the subjects. Instead, such attributes may be used solely for the purpose of making a difference between subjects.

[0112] As used in this application, the term ‘circuitry’ may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable):(i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit(s) with software / firmware and (ii) any portions of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions) and (c) hardware circuit(s) and or processor(s), such as a microprocessor s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation. This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims.

[0113] As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integratedcircuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0114] It will be understood that the above description is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from scope of this specification.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An apparatus for controlling energy usage of charging stations, comprising:at least one processor;and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:obtain typical values of maximum charging current capacity available for charging stations of an electricity consumption site with respect to time, the charging stations comprising one or more bidirectional charging stations;obtain typical values of power demand of electrical devices of the electricity consumption site with respect to time, the electrical devices not being related to electric vehicle charging;monitor, based on data received from the electricity consumption site, a power demand of the electrical devices and a maximum charging current capacity available for use by the charging stations;determine, based on charging state information received from the charging stations, which charging stations are connected with an electric vehicle, an estimated remaining charging session time of the electric vehicle and a charging current demand of the charging stations;detect an indication of a need to at least one of increase discharge capacity of the bidirectional charging stations or to use the discharge capacity based on the monitored maximum charging current capacity being below the charging current demand;determine, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored power demand of the electrical devices to the typical values of the power demand of the electrical devices with respect to the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station;determine, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and one or more charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitoredmaximum charging current capacity to the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current time and a remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station; andsend power control instructions to the respective charging stations based on the met conditions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conditions to increase the charging power of the at least one bidirectional charging station comprises:the monitored power demand of the electrical devices is below the typical values of a certain period of time starting from the current moment; andthe monitored power demand of the electrical devices is above the typical values within the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station after the certain period of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the conditions for the at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and the one or more charging station to increase charging power comprises:the monitored maximum charging current capacity is lower than the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current moment; anda state of charge of the electric vehicle connected to the at least one bidirectional charging station is over a predetermined limit based on the estimated remaining charging time of the at least one bidirectional charging station.

4. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further caused to: determine a discharging time based on the remaining charging session of the respective bidirectional charging station; andwherein the power control instructions comprise the determined discharging time.

5. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further caused to:determine a typical charging session time of the bidirectional charging stations based on previously received charging state information; and determine the estimated remaining charging session time based on the typical charging session time and a current charging time of an electric vehicle at the bidirectional charging station.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 and 5, wherein the discharging time is determined by subtracting the estimated remaining charging session time from the typical charging session time of the bidirectional charging station and dividing the resulted time by two.

7. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the conditions for the at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power is determined to be met for a plurality of the bidirectional charging stations; andthe apparatus is caused to:determine a discharging current based on a difference between the monitored charging current demand and the maximum charging current capacity; andwherein the power control instructions for the plurality of the bidirectional charging stations are determined based on the discharging current.

8. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further caused to: determine that the monitored maximum charging current capacity is equal or greater than the charging power demand; andsend power control instructions to the charging stations of the electricity consumption site to charge based on a maximum charging current requested by the connected electric vehicles.

9. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further caused to: determine that the monitored maximum charging current capacity is lower than the charging power demand, and that the conditions are not met; andsend, in response to the determination, power control instructions to the charging stations of the electricity consumption site to charge using reduced charging power based on an applied dynamic load management algorithm.

10. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the monitored maximum charging current capacity is compared with the charging current demand at predetermined intervals for sending the power control instructions.

11. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the maximum charging current capacity available for the charging stations is determined based on at least one of a maximum current provided from the electric grid reduced by the power demand of the electrical devices.

12. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further caused to: monitor external signals associated with a state of an electric grid providing electricity to the electricity consumption site; andwherein the maximum charging current capacity is further determined based on the external signals.

13. A method carried out by a computing device, comprising: obtaining typical values of maximum charging current capacity available for charging stations of an electricity consumption site with respect to time, the charging stations comprising one or more bidirectional charging stations;obtaining typical values of power demand of electrical devices of the electricity consumption site with respect to time, the electrical devices not being related to electric vehicle charging;monitoring, based on data received from the electricity consumption site, a maximum charging current capacity available for use by the charging stations, a power demand of the electrical devices and a charging current demand of the charging stations;determining, based on charging state information received from the charging stations, which charging stations are connected with an electric vehicle and an estimated remaining charging session time of the electric vehicle;detecting an indication of a need to at least one of increase discharge capacity of the bidirectional charging stations or to use the discharge capacity based on the monitored maximum charging current capacity being below the monitored charging current demand;determining, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored power demand of the electrical devices to the typical values of the power demand of the electrical devices with respect to the remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station;determining, based on the detected indication, that conditions for at least one bidirectional charging station to discharge power and one or more charging station to increase charging power are met based on a comparison of the monitored maximum charging current capacity to the typical value of the maximum charging current capacity with respect to the current time and a remaining charging session time of the at least one bidirectional charging station; andsending power control instructions to the respective charging stations based on the met conditions.

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