The public charging industry is moving towards per-kilowatt-hour (as opposed to time-based) billing, and manufacturers will increasingly be required to incorporate certified DC meters into their charging stations.
To meet this need, electrical measurement specialist LEM has introduced the DCBM, a UL-listed bidirectional DC meter for fast EV chargers.
The DCBM “will enable makers of EV charging stations to accelerate their certification for DC metering requirements following Certified Test and Evaluation Professional/National Type Evaluation Program (CTEP/NTEP) certification,” says LEM. “The DCBM will simplify the process of the manufacturers having to qualify their own charging stations for UL certification and, for extra peace of mind, will undergo a fresh audit every quarter.”
The new meter is capable of monitoring current, voltage, temperature and energy usage, and has been designed with data security and flexibility in mind. The DCBM 400/600 complies with the standards UL 61010 and UL 810 in the FTRZ category for EV applications. To achieve this certification, the meter had to pass reinforced insulation tests, temperature testing of all its components and sub-assemblies, testing for protection against electric shock, durability of markings tests, equipment temperature limit tests and resistance to heat/fire risk tests.
The DCBM is designed for DC chargers from 25 kW to 400 kW, and integrates the signed billing data sets according to the Open Charge Metering Format (OCMF) protocol. It can be retrofitted to existing charging stations, and has a moveable measuring element for use with any type of charging station architecture. It is accurate in temperatures of -40° to 185 °F, and has an IP20-rated casing.
Other features include Ethernet support and bidirectional energy metering, which makes it compatible with V2G (vehicle-to-grid) and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) applications.
“The US and Canadian markets for EVs are continually expanding but this growth could be held back by insufficient access to rapid DC charging stations,” said Claude Champion, General Manager at LEM USA. “LEM understands exactly what the sector needs and has worked closely with EVCS manufacturers and installers when developing solutions like the DCBM 400/600.”
Source: LEM USA