What does the law say?
According to the decree of January 12, 2021 (n°2021-26)a bollard installed in a parking lot open to the public must be equipped with supervision.
What's more, when you want to install charging stations in your parking lot, the intervention of an IRVE(Infrastructure de Recharge pour Véhicules Électriques) approved installer is necessary, if not mandatory. As this type of installation is highly regulated, the IRVE-approved installer will have undergone specific training and will check "that the electrical installation complies with current safety requirements".
For your own safety, and that of your employees and visitors, it is not possible to install a charging station yourself.
What is a supervision system? What is supervision used for?
When considering the installation of charging stationsit's essential to think about how your charging stations are monitored, how they're used, and whether they're working properly. All this can only be done through what's known as a supervision system.
Good to know: the supervision system is only accessible with connected terminalsThese are connected to the Internet with a stable connection to ensure optimum use of the system and the terminals. In fact, we've published an article listing the best best kiosks on the market, including those that are connectedif you're interested.
This system is therefore a terminal management tool that gives companies total control over their terminals, such as :
- real-time monitoring of terminal consumption
- plan the periods of use of the bollards, to open the bollard only during your opening hours for example.
What data does the supervision software collect?
As we mentioned earlier, bollard monitoring software will provide you with all the information and data concerning the use of your bollards. But what data does the system collect, and how is it managed? It's a question you may be asking yourself, and one that your customers or employees may wonder about when they use your kiosks.
With the supervision system, you will have access to a range of data, such as :
- location: your terminals are easy to locate
- the energy delivered by the terminals during recharging
- power output
- date and time of start and end of use
- a global view of how often your terminals are used
- track transactions
- terminal access management
Apart from the information explained above, no other data concerning the user's electric vehicle is collected by the supervision system.
How does the supervision system work?
The supervision system is a useful tool for terminal owners, but how does it work?
An electronic box connected to the Internet links the charging stations together. From here, information about the charging stations is collected and stored in the cloud, and the owner of the stations, or a third-party operator, can access this information on a dedicated supervision platform.
Once the supervision platform has retrieved the necessary data, it must be transmitted to Advenir, once the beneficiary has made use of this subsidy.
Among other things, this data collection will make it possible to measure the impact of the charging stations on the power grid and assess the energy efficiency of electric vehicle charging.
Would you like to install a charging station?
Why should you have supervision software for your bollards?
The needs of charging station owners vary from company to company. That's why it's important for each owner to be able to set up charging stations that meet his or her company's needs and objectives.
So having connected charging stations gives you both economic and practical advantages.
Supervision software for charging stations: practical benefits
You've probably noticed that new technologies have made their way into electric cars and charging stations.
With an Internet connection, it will be much easier for you to control the terminals, and even more remotely. You'll be able to :
- control your terminals from anywhere, provided you have a stable Internet connection.
- remotely control the start and end of charging (from a computer or smartphone)
- automate billing
- track transactions
- warn of a malfunction in one or more bollards: in the event of a bollard malfunction, the operator will be notified and can intervene quickly with the necessary tools.
- terminal availability: find out whether they are free or not; find out whether recharging is in progress or at the end of use.
Using a supervision system also saves time for the bollard owner. With a large number of bollards in a parking lot, it's much easier to check the status of each bollard on a single platform.
Supervision system for bollards: economic benefits
Did you know that the supervision system also gives you economic advantages? First and foremost, having terminal supervision software gives you a number of economic advantages, including :
- set your own rates for charging sessions and automate billing
- charge your users and earn money in the process
- save money: by installing bollards with the supervision system in a parking lot open to the public, you qualify for ADVENIR assistance to reduce installation costs. Between €1,000 and €9,000 (excl. VAT) of the work will be financed up to 30%. On the one hand, this is a condition that must be met, and on the other, it's a condition that will benefit you in the end.
Please note: for Advenir, the amounts amounts and rates have changed since August 1, 2022.. In addition, while the Advenir program was due to end in December 2022, it will be extended until 2025.. To find out more, please consult this article on the about Advenir in 2023.
How do I request a supervision system for my terminals?
If you want to install a charging station in your parking lot, we advise you to follow these steps before you get to the supervision stage:
- Contact our Beev experts to discuss your project. Depending on your needs and budget, they'll help you define the most appropriate charging solution.
- Your project will then be studied in-house on the basis of photos or a site visit.
- Our team will send you a quote online as soon as possible. On this document you will find the total amount of ADVENIR assistance.
- Once you've received the document, all you have to do is sign it and proceed to payment by clicking on the boxes at the bottom of the quote.
- You will then be contacted to arrange a date for the IRVE-approved installer to come and install your charging station(s). Don't worry about choosing the installer. Beev will choose for you.
A quick reminder: according to the decree of January 12, 2017 (n°2017-26)installation must be carried out by a technician with an IRVE qualification (Infrastructure de Recharge pour Véhicules Électriques) qualification, issued by approved organizations such as Qualifelec or AFNOR.
These are time-consuming steps, but don't worry, our Beev team will take care of everything for you. Don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like to get started on your installation project.
Supervision only comes into play once the charging station(s) have been installed.
After that, call your Beev expert to discuss your project and requirements. From there, an on-site visit can be made to estimate your project if necessary. Next comes software installation. You can also take advantage of technical assistance to configure your supervision software for your charging stations.
In addition to this system, we recommend that you opt for a maintenance contract, to get the most out of your charging infrastructure over the long term.
In conclusion
In conclusion, monitoring the charging of electric vehicles enables the devices to be used within the company in a controlled and secure way.
If you have any questions or would like more information on this subject, please don't hesitate to leave us a comment or contact our Beev team directly.
