What exactly is OCPP? How many versions? What is its use in electric vehicle charging?
What is OCPP?
OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol9), the open charging pile protocol, is an open standard communication protocol for communication between electric vehicle charging equipment (EVSE) and the central system. The protocol was developed by the Dutch "Charging Equipment Operating System Developers Alliance" (OCPP-Forum) in 2009 and has gradually developed into a common industry standard for commercial application communications for EVSE worldwide. We can simply think of it as a language used for communication between networked charging stations and charging management systems (CSMS).
OCPP was originally developed in 2009 by the E-Laad Foundation (now ElaadNL) to create an open communications standard that would allow Dutch charging stations and systems from different vendors to easily communicate with each other. It is now managed by the Open Charging Alliance (OCA), which aims to promote open standards for electric vehicle charging networks globally.
How many versions?
Currently, there are four versions of the OCPP protocol, namely OCPP1.2(SOAP) OCPP1.5(SOAP) OCPP1.6(SOAP/JSON) OCPP2.0.1(JSON).
What is OCPP used for?
Here are three major players in the EV charging space that need the power of OCPP:
EVSE Manufacturers: These are the hardware companies that manufacture EV chargers.
CSMS Software Providers: Most are software companies that build Charging Station Management Systems (CSMS).
CPO: The charging point operator builds the network of charging stations and owns the customer relationships.
These three businesses are usually separate businesses, but in some cases a single company chooses to assume the roles of two or all three. For example, Grasen is an EVSE manufacturer that also offers CSMS.
What can an EV charger with OCPP function do?
Here are some basic operations for an EV charger using OCPP
-User authorization to start charging
-Remotely modify charger configuration (settings)
-Real-time monitoring of charging station status
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-Transmit real-time charging session data to central management system
-Remote charging session control (start/end)
-EVSE fault diagnosis
- EV users book charging slots (via mobile/web app)
-Smart charging
-Charger firmware management
-Charging gun and other remote unlocking
Key Benefits of OCPP
-Ability to connect any CSMS to any charging station, regardless of provider (provided both CSMS and charging station are OCPP compliant).
-Adapts to all types of charging technologies (GB/T, CHADMEO, CCS 2).
- Provide unified charging station access, roaming and billing services to electric vehicle customers
-Through the openness of the protocol, it is relatively easy to add new features and improvements.
So why should we choose an electric vehicle charger that complies with OCPP standards?
Reliability and uptime are critical for all electric vehicle charging service providers. Service downtime due to hardware failure can be costly. The functions provided by OCPP enable charging station operators to conduct real-time monitoring and remote management of charging piles through the backend, saving a lot of time, labor costs, and later maintenance costs.
If you want to know about different versions of the OCPP protocol, you can download it for free at the following website.