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Schneider StarCharge Fast: fast charging within the grid connection

The StarCharge Fast is the Schneider Electric DC fast charging range for fleet depots, logistics hubs and commercial buildings, in versions up to 60, 180 and 320 kW, each with two connectors. Voltmasters EMS talks to the load management interface of the charger over Modbus TCP: it limits the charging power and reads back what the charger draws.

Schneider StarCharge Fast logo

Supported devices

  • StarCharge Fast 60
  • StarCharge Fast 180
  • StarCharge Fast 320

The StarCharge Fast 60, 180 and 320, DC chargers with two connectors. Correct the rated power with the value on the nameplate: a Fast 180 is also sold as a 150 kW unit, and the charger itself reports the rating of the family. Supported from controller version 0.0.335.

What the EMS gets out of your Schneider StarCharge Fast installation

  • Load balancing within the limit of the grid connection
  • Charge at the cheapest moments, including negative prices
  • Priorities per charge point, the fleet comes first
  • Interplay with battery and PV for extra charging power
  • Monitoring of every charging session

Why installers connect the StarCharge Fast to Voltmasters

A single 320 kW fast charger can claim an entire grid connection. The EMS limits the power of the StarCharge Fast so it follows what is available at the grid connection, and distributes that together with the battery, the PV and the other chargers. The charger itself has no working fallback on a lost connection: its own offline setting is cleared by the very disconnect it is meant to cover. That is why the controller writes a fallback setpoint to the charger when it stops. And when a charger keeps reporting a different limit than the one the EMS wrote, an incident is raised and it is no longer allocated power.

The technical bit, in short

  • Connection over Modbus TCP on port 502, slave id 1
  • The charger ships with Modbus over TLS on port 802: switch it to port 502 in the web interface under Charger Configuration, Basic Configuration
  • Fallback setpoint in kW, 60 kW when left empty; choose a multiple of 30 kW, the block size in which the charger allocates power
  • Leave the load balancing mode on Charger only
  • Incidents for a charger error, over-temperature, a faulted connector and a charger that refuses load management
Full instructions in the documentation

How your Schneider StarCharge Fast connects to the EMS

Voltmaster Controller in the cabinet

The industrial DIN-rail controller sits next to the installation and runs the optimisation locally, even without internet.

Connect over the local network

You connect the device following the step-by-step guide in our documentation. We assist with commissioning on your first project.

Configure and go live

The installation appears in the platform: dashboards, control and monitoring are active right away.

Questions about the Schneider StarCharge Fast integration

What does the EMS track per connector of the StarCharge Fast?

The session state, the charging power, the state of charge of the vehicle, the energy delivered and the duration of the session. That way you see per connector what is happening, also when two vehicles fast charge at the same time.

Can the EMS start, stop or pause a session?

No. The interface of the StarCharge Fast has no start, stop or pause. Starting and stopping stays with the driver; the EMS only sets how much power the charger may draw.

Does this work together with hardware from another brand?

Yes, the EMS is brand-independent. A battery, PV inverter, EV chargers and meters from different manufacturers are controlled together as one optimised system.

How do I connect a Schneider StarCharge Fast to the EMS?

The Voltmaster Controller connects to the device over the local network. The step-by-step instructions are in our documentation, and as a certified partner we guide your first commissioning from start to finish.

Manufacturer documentation

This page links to the manufacturer's own documentation for this device. Always check the most recent version at the manufacturer.

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