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Ampcontrol receives UL certification to oversubscribe grid connections

January 11, 2024

Ampcontrol, a cloud-based software provider for electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, has received the UL 60730-1 certification for safe, dynamic load and energy management of EV chargers. This certification enables companies to manage the power threshold on a group of EV charging stations across transformers, circuit breakers, or panels, allowing for the installation of more chargers without the need for grid upgrades. Ampcontrol is the first EV company to receive this certification.

The UL 60730-1 certification ensures that Ampcontrol’s smart charging software aligns with the standards of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and Canadian Electrical Code. This is particularly beneficial for the EV charging industry, which often faces challenges when installing larger EV charging sites for fleet operators. Grid upgrades, which are often required for many charging stations or high-power chargers (DCFC), can be complex and time-consuming. However, with this certification, companies can use Ampcontrol’s software to oversubscribe electric equipment and install more chargers without grid upgrades.

A typical application of this would be when a company wants to install multiple EV chargers to share the same breaker or operate EV chargers with a higher cumulative maximum charging current/power than the rated current/power of the transformer.

Ampcontrol is a software that connects to charging networks, electric vehicles, and fleet systems. It uses real-time data to ensure on-time departures, a low peak power demand, energy cost reductions, fully charged vehicles, and more. Ampcontrol’s API-based platform allows for easy and seamless compatibility with other existing software systems. The VC-backed company has deployments in the U.S. and Europe.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent safety science company that specializes in testing, inspection, certification, and auditing of products to ensure safety and performance in the industry. UL Solutions helps companies to demonstrate safety, enhance sustainability, strengthen security, deliver quality, manage risk and achieve regulatory compliance.

Users of Ampcontrol need to follow NEC and/or the CEC during the electrical installation of the EV chargers. They also need to ensure that the data input to Ampcontrol, particularly the data input considering settings and configurations of the real-time optimization, including all relevant power constraints and electrical parameters such as voltage levels, are accurate and fed incorrectly. The EV charger client is OCPP 1.6J compliant.

“Our UL 60730-1 certification marks a groundbreaking achievement in the electric vehicle charging industry. Businesses can break free from the constraints of grid limitations and local controllers and easily install more cloud-managed charging stations. This means more chargers, fewer grid upgrades, and endless possibilities for a greener tomorrow,” said Jonas Schlund, VP of Solutions at Ampcontrol.