Surge Protection for EV Charging
Due to today's increased reliance on very sensitive electronics, surge protection is a crucial component of Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations. According to a survey by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, $26 billion were lost due to non-lightning power surges. In addition, around 25 million lightning strikes occur annually in the United States, causing millions in damages. Understanding the different types of Electric Vehicle Charging Systems (EVCS) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) will help you come up with a plan to deal with surges.
Level 1 EV Charging Station: Residential Applications
Level 1 EV chargers are designed for use in homes and are powered by a standard 120V outlet. These chargers are the most basic and cost the least. They take up to 20 hours to charge for a 124-mile trip. As your home is a dwelling unit as defined by Article 230.67 of the NEC 2020, a UL1449 Listed SPD must be installed at the 120/240V incoming main service panel. The M50-120T-A is fitted via a 30-Amp, 2-Pole circuit breaker and protects not just the EV charging system, but all circuits on the main service panel. This device is known as a "Whole-House Surge Protector."
Location: Main Service Panel
Level 2 EV Charging Station: Appliance Outlet or Commercial Source Applications
Often, these are public applications using 240Vac or higher power sources. But, they can also be put in a 240V household outlet. Charging time is 5-6 hours (124-mile charge) and, depending on the quantity of charge outlets or electricity available, can be rather expensive (kW).Level 2 AC can be set up in a few different ways, depending on how many charge points the site needs. Some will have a single power cabinet and charging point (175kW) that work together, while others will have a large power cabinet (> 175kW) with several charge points spread out.
Location:
Power Cabinet
Power Cabinet
DS73US-277Y/NN
277Vac Power Input
277Vac Power Input
Level 3 EV Charging Station: DC Fast Charging (DCFC) Applications
Level 3 is the quickest method of charging (30 minutes for 124 miles), but also the most expensive. They are linked to the utility power grid via an AC-to-DC power conversion module. The output DC voltage range is 120Vdc to 920Vdc, with the possibility of higher voltages in the future. In addition to the AC source, these systems can be supplemented or powered by a photovoltaic power plant or an energy storage device.In addition to the models listed for Level 2 Charging the models below can also be utilized for fast charging applications:
Location:
Power Cabinet
Power Cabinet
DS73US-277Y/NN
277Vac Power Input
277Vac Power Input
Learn More About DIN Rail Surge Protectors for Lighting Applications
CITEL has protected essential networks and equipment against overvoltages since 1937. Their lightning and switching protection products protect sensitive equipment. They also offer gas discharge tubes, thermally protected varistors, and high-energy varistor assemblies for surge prevention. These products protect electrical, electronic, and data-processing equipment from transient overvoltages.