Dynamic load management: installing 8 charge points on a supply sized for 4

Your electrical supply allows 25 kW. You want to install 8 charge points rated at 11 kW. Added up naively, that would be 88 kW of demand for 25 kW available — physically impossible.

Except that this naive calculation is the wrong way to think about the problem. An 11 kW charge point is never used at 11 kW continuously. A car that plugs in during the morning draws 11 kW for two hours, then drops to 3-4 kW, then finishes at zero. The probability of your 8 charge points each calling for 11 kW simultaneously is statistically very low.

Dynamic load management (DLM; also known as « load balancing » in the jargon) exploits this statistical reality to multiply the number of charge points you can install on a given supply — often by a factor of 2 to 4 without any additional Enedis works.

The principle in four steps

1. Real-time measurement of the power drawn by each charging session in progress, as well as the site's overall consumption (heating, ventilation, lighting, other equipment).
2. Calculating the available headroom: subscribed power minus third-party consumption, minus a safety reserve (typically 10%).
3. Smart allocation of this headroom across the charging points, with a priority algorithm (arrival order, maximum announced duration, remaining state of charge).
4. Continuous adjustment: every second, the allocation is recalculated. If a car finishes charging, its power is immediately reassigned to the others in progress.

The three levels of load management: static, simple dynamic, global dynamic

Static management (to be avoided)

Each charge point is capped at a fixed power via a setting in its interface (for example, 7 kW instead of 11 kW). It's simple to set up but inefficient: the charge point stays capped even when no one else is charging, and it never adapts to the site's third-party consumption.

Simple dynamic management (between charge points)

The charge points communicate with each other over a dedicated bus (usually Modbus RS485 or Ethernet) and share a total maximum power between them. The master charge point controls the slaves. This is effective for a standalone group of charge points, but it ignores the consumption of the site's other equipment.

Global dynamic management (multi-equipment)

A current clamp or a reference meter measures the site's overall consumption, and the main controller dynamically allocates power across charge points plus other equipment as a whole. If the heating restarts strongly at 2 p.m., the charge points scale back automatically. If night falls and the lighting comes on, same thing.

It's this third mode that genuinely lets you install « 8 charge points on a supply sized for 4 ». It requires a compatible master charge point (Wallbox Pulsar Max with its Eco-Smart module, V2C Trydan with its DPM module, Schneider EVlink Pro with its Power Management module) and an energy meter installed at the head of the supply.

The concrete case: 8 charge points on 25 kW

Let's go back to the opening example. A commercial site, 25 kW supply. 8 charge points rated at 11 kW to be installed in the staff car park. Typical usage profile:

• Arrivals spread between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. (little perfect simultaneity).
• Average sessions: 4 to 6 hours to reach 80% charge.
• The most common cars in a 2026 company fleet: Tesla Model 3/Y (11 kW max AC), Renault Megane e-Tech (7 or 22 kW), Peugeot e-3008 (11 kW).

The « worst case » scenario is: 8 cars plugged in simultaneously at 8:30 a.m. Without load management, demand = 88 kW > 25 kW available, and the main circuit breaker trips. With global dynamic management, the controller applies the formula:

Power per active charge point = (Subscribed power − Third-party consumption − 10% reserve) ÷ Number of active charge points

If the site's third-party consumption is 8 kW at 8:30 a.m. (morning heating, computers powering up), the headroom available for the charge points is 25 − 8 − 2.5 = 14.5 kW in total, or 1.8 kW per charge point. Not enough for a normal start of charging.

The solution: smart time scheduling

This is where the software layer becomes crucial. A configurable CSMS (Wallbox myWallbox, Volticom Supervision) lets you define:

• Charging profiles: the charge point doesn't start at full power, but at 3 kW for the first 30 minutes, then ramps up as other charge points finish.
• Priorities: the first car plugged in has priority 1; the eighth, arriving at 9:15 a.m., waits until priority 1 has received its minimum quota.
• Time-based limits: between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., third-party consumption drops — headroom increases — and the system redistributes automatically.

The result on this typical site: 8 cars charged each day, full charge reached before 4 p.m. for 7 of them, and 85% charge at 5 p.m. for the eighth. Zero tripping, zero Enedis works, zero supply upgrade.

The technical pitfalls we regularly fix

Undersizing the reference meter

If the current clamp is fitted on the wrong feeder — for example, on the charge-point feeder alone and not on the main supply — the controller thinks it has all the subscribed power when it's already using half of it for other purposes. Guaranteed tripping within 10 days.

The absence of a safety margin

The electrical panel has its own tolerance threshold and a regulatory simultaneity factor (NF C 15-100). The 10% margin isn't optional — it's what absorbs the unmeasured transient peaks (motor start-ups, air-conditioning bursts).

The wrong charge-point hierarchy

When several brands coexist (for example Wallbox + V2C in the same car park), multi-brand dynamic management is only possible with a centralised OCPP supervisor. Proprietary protocols don't talk to each other.

How to audit your site's load-management capacity

Before any deployment, we measure:

1. The actual subscribed power (on the Enedis bill, subscribed kVA).
2. The 95th-percentile consumption over the last 12 months (the load curve provided by Enedis or via the aggregator). It's this value, not the average, that you need to compare against the subscribed power.
3. The headroom actually available during the target charging hours (for example between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. for a staff car park).
4. The target charge-point-to-parking-space ratio, based on the fleet profile (proportion of current EVs vs those projected for 3 years out).

When load management is no longer enough

Dynamic load management has its limits. Beyond a certain charge-point-to-subscribed-power ratio, even smart allocation can't charge all the cars before the end of the day. At this stage, there are three options:

• Upgrading the Enedis supply (changing the contract, sometimes replacing the connection cable). Lead time 3 to 9 months, cost €2,000 to €15,000 depending on the situation.
• Buffer battery storage. A 30-50 kWh stationary battery recharges overnight (outside peak hours) and powers the charge points in the morning. Investment €25,000-45,000, typical ROI 6-8 years.
• Solar self-consumption. Adding panels that cover part of the daytime need. Relevant if you have available roof space.

The Volticom approach

Our method on this type of project: retrieving the 12-month load curve from Enedis (with your consent), modelling the « worst case » scenario with your fleet projected 3 years out, sizing and choosing the supervisor, commissioning with real-world measurements over the first two weeks, adjusting the thresholds, and monthly reporting for the first three months.

Poorly configured dynamic load management is invisible until the day the main circuit breaker trips in the middle of the day and 40 people are left without a charge. Well-configured load management is invisible altogether — and that's the goal.

Frequently asked questions

Is dynamic load management mandatory when installing several charge points?

It isn't imposed by a single standard, but it becomes essential as soon as the sum of your charge points' power exceeds the headroom actually available on your supply. In practice, without load management you risk tripping the main circuit breaker. Volticom audits your situation and quotes the right solution free of charge within 48 hours, across France.

Does dynamic load management also work on a charge point installed at home?

Yes, simple dynamic management works very well on a residential charge point of 7.4 kW single-phase or 11 kW three-phase, to avoid exceeding your subscription's power when the oven or the water heater are running. A current clamp measures the home's consumption and adjusts the charge in real time. We install this device in line with NF C 15-100, usually withwithin a timeframe confirmed after the site assessment.

Which charge point should I choose to benefit from global dynamic management?

You need a master charge point compatible with a power-management module and a meter at the head of the supply, as mentioned in the article. Volticom installs 7.4 kW, 11 kW and 22 kW charge points designed for OCPP supervision and load shedding. We select the model based on your site and provide you with a detailed quote, with no obligation.

Does dynamic load management really slow down my vehicle's charging?

It modulates the power only when headroom is limited, then immediately reallocates the freed-up power as soon as another car finishes. In most cases, vehicles reach their target charge within the day with no inconvenience felt by the user. That's the goal of a well-configured setup: to stay invisible.

Can dynamic load management be added to charge points that are already installed?

Yes, in many cases an existing fleet can be retrofitted by adding a reference meter and a compatible supervisor, especially if your charge points speak OCPP. When several brands coexist, a centralised OCPP supervisor is still needed. We carry out this audit and then operate throughout France via our network of certified partner installers.

What happens if the supervisor or the connection goes down?

A properly designed installation includes a safe fallback mode: in the absence of load management, the charge points switch to a safe capped power that doesn't trip the supply. That's precisely the role of the safety margin and the threshold settings described in the article. Our installations are protected by a compliant Type B 30 mA residual current device.

Does dynamic load management make it possible to bill each user's consumption back?

Load management handles power allocation, while billing back per kWh relies on the supervision software layer. For businesses, Volticom sets up OCPP supervision with individual metering and rebilling per user or per badge. The two functions are complementary and configured together at commissioning.

How much does an installation with dynamic load management cost?

The cost depends on the number of charge points, the type of load management and the condition of your electrical installation. That's why we don't quote a blind price: everything is on quotation, costed free of charge within 48 hours, across France and with no obligation. The quote details the equipment, the installation and the supervision.

Can I get financial support for this type of installation?

Depending on your situation, the ADVENIR scheme (subject to its rules) may support the installation of charge points, depending on eligibility. Volticom is QUALIFELEC-qualified for IRVE (P1, P2, P3) and RGE-certified, which is a condition for accessing these schemes. We check your eligibility and include this information in the quote.

What warranties and follow-up are there after the load management is commissioned?

Beyond the initial setup, dynamic load management is validated under real-world conditions, because a poorly fitted clamp can cause tripping within ten days, as the article points out. We provide threshold monitoring over the first few weeks, a decennial liability insurance policy with AXA, subject to the declared activities, limits and terms of the current insurance certificate and after-sales support with intervention. You can reach us on 09 55 92 66 32 or at contact@volticom.fr.