Device integrations

Controllable loads

Switch a simple on/off load (heating element, pump, auxiliary equipment) through a relay output of an IO extension, managed by the EMS control strategy.

Voltmasters EMS: Controllable load via IO module

A controllable load is a simple on/off load, for example a heating element, a pump or other auxiliary equipment, that the Voltmasters EMS can switch on and off. The load is wired to a relay output of an IO module, and the EMS decides when to switch it as part of the local control strategy (self-consumption and cost optimization), and switches it off on a DSO RTU emergency stop consumption.

Use a controllable load to absorb PV surplus in your own installation, for example to heat water when there is more solar production than the rest of the site consumes, instead of injecting it into the grid.

Supported models

Model	Connection
On/off load	Relay output of an IO module

Requirements

An IO module with a free relay output, added and reachable on the platform.
EMS controller version 0.0.277 or higher.

Adding a controllable load

Add the controllable load like any other device:

Device type: Controllable load
Model: On/off load
Connection: via an IO extension, select the IO extension device and the output port the load is wired to.

Selection of the IO extension device and the ouput port for the load

The same relay output cannot be shared with another function (for example a telecontrol emergency switch).

Relay wiring and default state

Check the relay rating before wiring the load. A relay output can only switch a limited current and voltage. Anything above that rating, any 400 V three-phase load and any inductive load with a significant inrush (pump, fan, motor) must be switched through an interposing contactor, with the relay output driving only the contactor coil. The ratings are in IO module: technical specifications.

How a switch command maps to the relay depends on two settings:

Relay actuation mode: how the load is wired to the relay contacts, and what the closed contact means:

Relay actuation mode	Load is ON when…
NO, ON when closed	NO contacts are closed
NO, OFF when closed	NO contacts are open
NC, ON when closed	NC contacts are closed
NC, OFF when closed	NC contacts are open

Default output state: the state the output falls back to (On or Off, default Off). This is the safe state used when no active command applies.

Control parameters

The EMS uses the following parameters to decide when to switch the load. They are set when adding the device and can be changed later in the device's general settings.

Parameter	What it does
Nominal power	The rated power of the load, in kW.
Activation power	Minimum PV surplus required to switch the load on. If unknown, use the same value as the nominal power.
Priority	Activation order from 1 (highest) to 10 (lowest). Higher-priority loads are switched on first when available power is limited.
Minimum runtime per activation	Minimum time the load stays on once switched, to prevent frequent on/off cycling.
Minimum runtime per day	Minimum total runtime per day, to ensure the load runs enough for proper operation.
Deadline hour	Latest hour (0–23) by which the load should have completed its daily runtime.

Setting Controllable to off on the device turns it into a monitoring-only device: the EMS reads it but never switches it, and it is excluded from the control strategy.

How the EMS controls the load

In self-consumption and cost optimization, the EMS switches the load on when there is enough surplus power (above the activation power), respecting priority when power is limited, and honours the minimum-runtime and deadline parameters.
On a DSO RTU emergency stop consumption, all controllable loads are switched off. See How DSO RTU works.

The power shown here is the nominal power you configured for this controllable load, not a measured value. Because the load has no power metering of its own, this figure (marked with ±) is an estimate of its effective consumption while it is switched on.

Manual override

A controllable load can be manually overridden to a fixed active state (On or Off), for example for testing or maintenance. The override takes precedence over the automatic control; clear it to return the load to the control strategy.