8 Nov 2024
Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) profiles are sets of functional requirements within OCPP that standardize communication between electric vehicle (EV) charging stations (charge points) and central systems (management platforms). Each profile defines a specific area of functionality, allowing for interoperability across charging infrastructure from different manufacturers and providers.
Core Profile
Purpose: Establishes basic operational and communication standards for EV charge points.
Key Features:
Boot Notification: Notifies the central system when the charge point is ready to start operations, including information on the firmware version, model, vendor, and location.
Heartbeat: Regularly pings the central system to confirm the charge point is online and operational.
Transaction Management: Tracks the start, stop, and end of each charging session, including unique session IDs for accurate reporting.
Remote Start/Stop Transactions: Allows the central system to initiate or halt charging remotely based on user authentication and session requests.
Authorization: Supports RFID, PIN, and app-based user authorization methods to ensure secure access.
Meter Values Reporting: Sends energy consumption data to the central system at specified intervals or upon request.
Status Notifications: Real-time updates of charge point status (e.g., available, charging, suspended, out of service).
Error Codes: Reports operational errors with detailed error codes for diagnostics.
Local Authorization List: Stores authorized user IDs locally to support offline functionality in case of network failure.
Smart Charging Profile
Purpose: Manages power distribution and load balancing for efficient energy use.
Key Features:
Charging Profiles: Assigns charging schedules and power limits based on grid capacity and user preferences.
Dynamic Load Management: Adjusts power dynamically across multiple charge points based on real-time load and available capacity.
Grid Demand Optimization: Reduces charging power during peak hours to balance the load on the electrical grid.
Support for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G): Allows bidirectional energy flow to let vehicles return power to the grid during high demand.
Energy Tariff Integration: Aligns charging schedules with lower-cost energy periods to reduce operational costs.
User-Specific Charging Plans: Allows custom charging preferences based on user-defined schedules and pricing structures.
Demand Response Events: Temporarily reduces charging output to meet grid operator demands during high-stress periods.
Firmware Management Profile
Purpose: Manages firmware updates to maintain charge point security and functionality.
Key Features:
Remote Firmware Initiation: Allows firmware updates to be triggered remotely by the central system.
Firmware Status Monitoring: Monitors download, installation, and update completion, notifying the central system of any issues.
Rollback Mechanism: Reverts to previous firmware versions if updates fail or compatibility issues arise.
Scheduled Updates: Defines update windows to avoid disruption during peak hours.
Data Integrity Checks: Verifies downloaded firmware for integrity to prevent corruption or tampering.
Version Management: Tracks the firmware version history for troubleshooting and compliance.
Security Profile
Purpose: Ensures secure communication and data integrity between charge points and central systems.
Key Features:
Mutual TLS Authentication: Uses client and server certificates to establish a secure connection.
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI): Ensures that only trusted devices can connect to the central system.
Data Encryption: Encrypts data exchanges to protect sensitive information, such as user credentials and billing data.
Certificate Management: Handles the issuance, renewal, and revocation of digital certificates for secure connections.
Audit Logging: Tracks security events (e.g., login attempts, and errors) to detect and respond to potential security incidents.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adds extra layers of authentication for administrative access.
Reservation Profile
Purpose: Allows users to pre-book a charging station, enhancing user convenience and resource planning.
Key Features:
Reservation Scheduling: Users can select specific times and dates for reservations.
Reservation Queueing: Manages multiple reservations, including waitlists if all charge points are in use.
Reservation Timeout: Cancels reservations automatically if the user doesn't arrive within a certain period.
Real-Time Availability Updates: Provides up-to-date information on charge point availability for users.
Reservation Modification: Enables users to adjust the reservation time or cancel it if their plans change.
Priority Management: Offers priority-based reservation options for fleet users, regular customers, or special user types.
Remote Control Profile
Purpose: Provides remote management capabilities, allowing operators to control and monitor charge points from the central system.
Key Features:
Remote Unlock: Allows the central system to unlock the charge point in case of user issues (e.g., card not reading).
Reset Commands: Sends commands to reset the charge point remotely, helpful in troubleshooting and error resolution.
Configuration Updates: Adjusts charge point settings (e.g., max current, language) remotely.
Notification Management: Sends alerts and messages to users regarding session status or maintenance.
Real-Time Data Monitoring: Accesses live data, such as energy consumption, charging speed, and session duration.
Remote Diagnostics: Accesses diagnostic tools to identify and address faults without physical inspection.
7. Diagnostics Profile
Purpose: Provides enhanced diagnostics and troubleshooting capabilities.
Key Features:
Detailed Error Reporting: Captures detailed error codes and failure logs for each malfunction.
Session Log Storage: Stores data logs for each charging session, including meter values, events, and anomalies.
Periodic Health Checks: Configures automated checks to verify hardware and software integrity at intervals.
Offline Diagnostics: Collects diagnostic data even if the charge point is offline, to be transmitted once connectivity is restored.
Customizable Log Levels: Allows varying levels of detail for diagnostics logs based on the severity and type of issue.
Alert Notifications: Triggers alerts to operators when predefined conditions are met (e.g., unusual power consumption).
8. Metering Profile
Purpose: Manages detailed metering data collection for billing, energy management, and reporting.
Key Features:
Granular Meter Readings: Records consumption data with high granularity, allowing for precision billing.
Interval-Based Metering: Configures specific intervals for metering data transmission (e.g., every minute, hourly).
Power Quality Monitoring: Tracks voltage, current, and frequency to detect issues in the power supply.
Energy Cost Calculation: Calculates real-time energy costs based on applicable rates and tariffs.
Remote Meter Reconfiguration: Adjusts metering settings, such as sample rate and reporting frequency, remotely.
Historical Data Access: Allows access to past consumption data for reporting and audit purposes.
Data Integrity Validation: Verifies metering data to detect anomalies or potential errors in consumption tracking.
These OCPP profiles enable flexibility and reliability across the EV charging ecosystem, supporting various use cases from basic operation to advanced functionalities like smart grid integration and real-time diagnostics. Different OCPP versions support a combination of these profiles, with recent versions (such as OCPP 2.0.1) providing the most comprehensive feature sets to meet modern charging infrastructure needs.
