From Penalties to Performance: A New Approach to Grid Tariffs

Why Load Management Matters

For many CPOs, load management is essential. It protects the grid connection, avoids costly peak penalties, and ensures compliance with subscribed power limits or monthly budgets.

But most load balancing systems today rely on hard limits. When the limit is reached, charging power is cut instantly –no matter if the peak lasts seconds or minutes. This unfortunately can result in:

• Sudden power throttling

• Longer charging times

• Frustrated drivers and poor experience

Same protection –Better customer experience

Prelect delivers the same protection against peaks and penalties — but with a smarter approach that adds flexibility and improves customer satisfaction.

Instead of rigid hard limits, we introduce intra-period average limiting:

1. Set a target average power over a time window (15–60 minutes).

2. Short-term peaks are allowed as long as the average stays within bounds.

The impact is

• Up to 90–95% fewer minutes of downregulation

• More power when demand spikes –without breaking grid constraints

• Extensive CAPEX reduction

• More kWh sold

In short, the CPO gets flexibility where it matters and protection without compromise.

Hard limits vs. average limits – what actually happens

Here’s one example from our analysis where we look at an hour with a 650 kW power cap, showing the two approaches in action:

The difference is clear:

• Hard limits: The system cuts power immediately and often, even for short peaks.

• Average limits: Natural fluctuations are allowed. Intervention only happens if the average over the time window is at risk of exceeding the limit.

The impact is:

• Downregulated minutes drop to just 5–10% of what you see with hard limits

Why this matters for your customers

Every intervention is a moment where a driver experiences slower charging.

By drastically reducing unnecessary power reductions, average-based load management delivers:

• Faster charging during peak arrival periods

• Fewer unexplained slowdowns

  
  

For drivers, the difference is immediately noticeable. For CPOs, it translates into less congestion, potentially more customers served, and definitely happier ones.

A competitive advantage for CPOs

Flexible load management allows you to:

• Make better use of existing grid connections and avoid penalties from DSO

• Improve customer experience without increasing subscribed power or peaks

Load management doesn’t have to be rigid to be safe. With intra-period average limiting, it becomes a tool for both protection and differentiation.