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How to create a site and build your charging network

Updated

Adding a new charging site to Fuuse is easy. We’ll cover all the information you need before you start creating your sites and the step-by-step process in the Fuuse Platform.

 

Getting started

Log in to the web portal at app.fuuse.io to get started.

Click on the Network tab in the left-hand menu and select Charging Sites. Click the “New Charging Site” button in the top right-hand corner. 

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Build your charging network

You will now need to fill in some site information as shown below:

New Charging Site >  Site Information

Guidance on site information to enter

  • Name – Enter the name of your charging site. This should be presented in a driver-friendly format so they can identify it as a charging site. Avoid using numbers and special characters, where possible. You must enter this information to proceed.
  • Site Facilities – Select from the dropdown list any facilities available at this charging site. This is multiple choice, so please select all that apply. If none apply, leave blank.
  • Site Capabilities – Select from the dropdown list any payment authorisation methods available to drivers at your chargers. For example, RFID readers or contactless payments. Please note, if you are a public operator, you’ll need to check that you are compliant with the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023.
  • Parking Restrictions – Select from the dropdown list any parking restrictions that may apply. If none apply, leave blank.

Once these fields are entered, scroll down to add site location information.

Next, enter the location of your site using the fields on the right-hand side. After you have entered the postcode and country of your charging site, select “Recentre Map”. This button is just above the map to the left of your address information. You can also see it in the screenshot above.

Once you have completed the site location details, click the "Next Step" button at the top or bottom of the page to continue. 

New Charging Site > Site Energy

Here, you will set your energy costs for your charging site.

You will notice the Single Fixed Energy Cost button is automatically ticked when you first open the screen. Don’t worry, you can change this in line with the site’s electricity tariff cost. If you don’t need to make any changes, you can simply select “Next Step”.

Please note, this is not the charging tariff drivers will pay to use the chargers. This value is used to calculate how much it costs a site to deliver energy to the chargers per completed charging session. 

What should you do if your charging site has a variable energy tariff?

You can easily untick the Single Fixed Energy Cost button. After this, you will need to:

  1. Enter the new 'energy price/kwh'
  2. Select the days that the price applies
  3. Enter the start time and end time
  4. Click on the 'add' button and repeat the above steps

Click “Next Step” once you have applied your site’s energy costs.

New Charging Site > Site Availability

Let’s set the site opening hours, stating when a driver can gain access to the site to charge their vehicle.

Open 24/7?

If your site is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, simply leave the "Chargers available 24/7" ticked.

Open selected hours?

If you need to set specific opening times, remove the tick on the "Chargers available 24/7" button. This will open up the box to configure your sites.

 

  1. Add & Remove – If you have variable opening hours across the week, you’ll want to select the + icon to add rows. You would do this if you have different opening hours for different days of the week. For example:
  2. Monday-Thursday: 06:00-18:00
  3. Friday-Saturday: 06:00-20:00
  4. Sunday: 09:00-17:00
  5. Days - Use the dropdown to select what days your site will be open. This is multiple choice, so select all that apply.
  6. Start at / End at - This defines the time frame the site will be open for this particular day or group of days.

Open to the public?

Scroll down slightly and make sure “Make visible to the public?” is toggled on. If your site is private, leave this switched off.

Please note, this will make chargers visible across public apps and external networks such as ZapMap. 

New Charging Site > EVSE

This section allows us to add EVSEs (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment), also known as chargers, to your charging sites, where drivers can charge their vehicles.

If you plan to add your EVSEs at a later time, you can click the "Save Charging Site" button to return to your list of charging sites. You can come back later and add EVSEs at your convenience by editing the site and following the steps below. 

Want to bulk upload your chargers?

You can choose the “Bulk Upload” option (recommended for multiple chargers/sockets), which you can find more information on here.

Adding a charger now?

  • To add a charger, click the "Add First EVSE" button in EVSEs section, as shown above.
  • This will create a new blank EVSE on your charging site.
  • Click the "Configure" button to expand the EVSE details and complete the required information. 

 

Guidance on configuring your charger:

Please use the guidance below to help you set your charger up in Fuuse. 

  1. Is Charger Live? Toggle this on when you are ready for the charger to be live in Fuuse. It will then be added to your invoice as per your agreed terms. Non-live chargers can still be used, but may be restricted. Once a charger is marked as live, it cannot be reverted.
  2. Free vend mode? Toggle this on if you wish to offer charging for free. As soon as a vehicle is plugged into the charger, a "Start charging" command will be sent. Any sessions will be anonymous and free.
  3. EVSE Name: Give your charger a recognisable name that includes the site and location, followed by a number. You can use this naming formula for ease: Organisationname_Location_Number. Note: Please don’t change the charger/EVSE name once it has been confirmed with Fuuse and added to the platform, especially if you are ordering QR stickers. Changing the name of the EVSE after ordering stickers will cause issues for drivers trying to start a charge.

Guidance on charger/EVSE naming:

All chargers connected to Fuuse have a unique name. Using your brand or site name is the best way to ensure the names are unique, followed by a number.

Charger names must be no more than 16 characters long and contain:

  • Alphanumeric characters (ABC123)

They can contain:

  • Hyphens ( - )
  • Underscores ( _ )

Your charger name must NOT contain any other special characters or spaces.

Charger names will also be saved in the case you originally enter them within the Fuuse Platform, even though they are not functionally case sensitive. For example, the charger name could be entered as:

  • fuusecharger01
  • FUUSECHARGER01
  • FuuseCharger01

Consider the length of your charger name to ensure it can grow as your operations expand. If we used the charger name "FUUSECHARGER0000", the four digits at the end allow for a potential 10,000 unique combinations, plenty of room for future growth.

Continue down the screen to add more details:

  1. EVSE Communication Type: Select the appropriate EVSE type for the hardware you are adding:
  2. EO - Select this when installing EO-branded chargers.
  3. OCPP 1.6 – Your hardware provider will state if your chargers are OCPP 1.6-compliant; most are.
  4. OCPP 2.0 – Your hardware provider will state if your chargers are OCPP 2.0 compliant. This is rarer at the moment
  5. EVSE Type – Select whether your charger is public or private.
  6. Group – If you have previously made charger groups, you can assign them here. This is optional.
  7. OCPP / Hardware ID - This is the OCPP ID that helps point the charger to Fuuse. You can find this either on the hardware, normally alongside a Serial Number or with supplied documentation from the hardware provider. Please double-check the number matches before submitting. If you are unsure what it is or can't find it, it is best to contact the manufacturer for advice.
  8. Meter Delivery Value - The delivery value will automatically change depending on whether you select EO or OCPP as your EVSE communication type, as they require a different value.
  9. Joules - This is the default value used for EO chargers.
  10. kWh - Kilowatt hour might be preferred for high-capacity rapid chargers.
  11. Wh - Watt-hour is the most commonly used value and the default for OCPP EVSEs.
  12. Add Connector - Click here to add single or multiple connectors to your EVSE.

Select available connectors 

To complete the EVSE configuration, you must provide details of at least one connector:

  1. Identifier - This is the unique ID you will provide for each connector within the EVSE/charger. For example, units with twin sockets will be considered to have 2 connectors. For OCPP chargers, this will be incremental for each of the connectors on the charger, i.e. 1, 2, 3, etc. For chargers with multiple sockets, you would create an ‘EVSE’ with a connector identifier as "1" and a separate ‘EVSE’ for the second connector, this one with a connector identifier as "2".  So, a charger with 2 sockets will be known as “EVSE” 1 and “EVSE” 2.
  2. Max Power - The maximum rated power output of the connector in kW (e.g. 7kW, 22kW, 50kW, etc).
  3. Type - Select the connector type from the dropdown box. The documentation from the manufacturer should inform you which is the correct choice for your EVSE.
  4. Power Type - Select the power type from the dropdown box (select AC for chargers up to 22kW, for 50kW and above, please select DC).
  5. Format - Select whether your connector is in the form of a socket or a cable. If you are using a tethered connection (no cable required), please select 'cable' in the back office. For an untethered connection (cable required), you should select 'socket.'
  6. Terms and Conditions - If you have a website with terms and conditions for the use of your hardware, you can enter the URL here. 

Adding and removing EVSE configurations

The EVSE configuration is now complete. If you need to remove a connector at any time, click the red X on the right of it. 

If you are adding dual socket chargers, repeat this process for your second socket, ensuring a unique name and the identifier set as 2. 

Click the "Save EVSE" button to save the information you've entered. Then click "Save Charging Site"

 

Once you have added all the EVSEs present on the site, do not forget to click the "Save Charging Site" button. Failure to do so will lose all information added if you navigate away from this screen.

You’re all set!

Your charging site is now ready to use. If you need to make a change in the future, such as adding or removing EVSEs, this can be done by returning to the charging site section and editing your chosen site. 

If you wish to perform this process for another organisation, please refer the following guide on how to switch organisations 

 

Need to add a VAT number to your organisation? Please follow our guide

 

 

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