Assessment of CIR/RO Aggregation Model for Domestic Charging: First Experimental Results

In this paper we present the findings of an ongoing experimental campaign in Italy where domestic singlephase (< 7 kW AC) wallboxes for EV recharging are subject a local Charging Infrastructure Controller (CIR) which reads the household’s smart meter data via the Chain 2 communication protocol and can receive load balancing commands from a Remote Operator (RO) in order to provide flexibility services on the LV distribution network. The work is done following the draft architecture of the CIR/RO aggregation model as laid out by the Italian Electrotechnical Committee (CEI) in the “CEI 0-21 / Annex X” document. We discuss the commercial implementation of the CIR/RO solutions from some commercial vendors and draw the lessons learned on the installation and operations of these systems in actual residential locations. Furthermore, we highlight few key aspects related to the integration of the CIR with the household smart meter and with a generic Customer Energy Manager (CEM) that might also be present at the household premise.