Another piece of EV jargon that to the average person may mean nothing, but is something that is very important when deciding on the correct chargepoint for your location.
Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is an application protocol for communication between electric vehicle charging stations and a management system. This connection is similar to a mobile phone connecting to a network provider.
This communication protocol was written and published by the Open Charge Alliance (OCA) in Netherlands to promote a universal standard for EV charging networks. OCPP’s role is to make an EV charging station compatible with any charger management software. Currently some chargepoint manufacturers have their own management software, others use more universal companies such as Monta and Fuuse.
As a chargepoint(s) owner having units that are OCPP compliant enables you to benefit from a wide range of features, such as:
Set charging tariffs for EV drivers
Restrict online visibility of chargepoints
Advertise your location by adding chargepoints to apps such as zap-map, google maps etc
Set up a virtual queuing system
Receive over the air firmware and software updates
Over the air diagnostics on faulty units
Assign free users such as usage for staff members
Ensure the personal data of individual users is stored safely and correctly.
More recently you may have come across the term OCPP 1.6 or OCPP 2.0 compliant. These are the most up-to-date versions of chargepoint compliance. OCPP 1.6 compliance enables a chargepoint to be integrated between equipment from different manufacturers.
Companies such as Monta and Fuuse benefit from this compliance as they are standalone back-office platforms that don’t belong to one particular chargepoint manufacturer. This benefits chargepoint owners who may different chargepoint brands installed at different locations, if these units are all 1.6 compliant, they are able to bring their units under a one back-office umbrella.
OCPP 2.0 has gone a step further and enhanced the features on a chargepoint that is 2.0 compliant. These features include; displaying messages on charging station to enable advertising opportunities, improved cyber security, more authorisation options when starting a charge.
When looking to maximise your chargepoint to a wider audience whether that be at your business or even on your driveway, it’s always good to check that the unit you are being quoted is OCPP compliant. Having this will enable you to maximise the financial benefit you can gain, ensuring your chargepoint(s) are a good long-term investment.
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