One of the most important yet least understood topics in the EV charger industry is Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). The concept behind OCPP is that EV chargers share fundamental components of their firmware source code, allowing them to be loaded with any third-party software product. This process involves logging into the software’s backend and entering the URL of the desired third-party software you want to point to – and just like that, it works!
The advantage of this feature is particularly evident when a specific EV charger software is no longer commercially available, as the industry recently experienced with the exit of both Shell and EnelX, stranding thousands of chargers. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.
Government agencies, including the California Energy Commission, have shown a significant interest in OCPP certifications, as reflected in the “Approved Equipment” lists for various rebate programs. Recently, the approval lists for the Communities in Charge and Golden State Priority Populations programs were refreshed, containing only products that meet OCPP 2.0.1 certification, along with other requirements. It seems that this action was based on the assumption by CEC staff that OCPP 2.0.1 certification ensures the charger can operate with third-party software. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
An OCPP certificate is issued for a specific combination of hardware and software, also known as firmware. This means that after a charger manufacturer obtains their OCPP 2.0.1 certification, they can release firmware updates that can disable the ability to connect to the third-party software without anyone noticing. Firmware updates are vital in this industry, with some manufacturers pushing a new update as frequently as once a month. There are many valid reasons for this, including the need to comply with increasing regulations regarding data reporting, improvements in functionality, and the possibility of enabling support for voltage levels they were not initially designed for (such as high leg delta).
The goals set by CEC are commendable – especially if taxpayer dollars fund this infrastructure. They must take steps to prevent situations like the one with EnelX, where chargers that were purportedly OCPP compliant were not. Unfortunately, manufacturers are unlikely to provide the entire source code for the OCPP compliant firmware or allow the ability to push that OCPP approved firmware version in the case of terminating their product.
While there are no straightforward solutions to the issues, one useful question for rebate eligibility could be, “Is that charger commonly known for operating with third-party software?” That would serve as a good indicator of its open-source capability.
