What is DLB (Dynamic Load Balancing)? Why homes that run many appliances at once should have it

DLB (Dynamic Load Balancing) is a system that monitors your whole home's power use and adjusts the car's charging power automatically. When the home is using a lot of electricity, the charger temporarily reduces its power, then returns to full charging power when the load drops. This reduces the risk of overload or breaker trips without you having to switch the charger on and off yourself.

A home EV charger draws power continuously for several hours each session. If, at the same time, the home is running several air conditioners, cooking or using water heaters, the home's total electrical load rises immediately. For homes where the meter or main breaker is not very large, this is what causes voltage drops and breaker trips, or leaves you constantly watching which appliances you can switch on. DLB was designed to solve this problem. This article explains how DLB works, which homes it suits and what extra needs to be installed, based on real installations by the EV Easy installation team.

How does DLB work?

The principle of DLB is to allocate power within the home automatically. The system constantly monitors the home's electrical load. When power is being used at many points at once, such as air conditioning, cooking or hot water, the charger temporarily reduces its charging current so that the home's total load does not exceed the limit. When the home's load drops, the charger returns to full charging power on its own. All of this happens without the homeowner having to press anything.

The advantage of this approach is that the car keeps charging the whole time, just more slowly while the home is using a lot of power, instead of stopping because a breaker has tripped or causing other parts of the home to lose power. For people who regularly charge overnight, the period of low household power use is long enough for the car to charge fully in the usual time.

Where can you see DLB at work?

In an installation in Sai Mai district, Bangkok, our team installed a 1-phase 7.4 kW Model U Gen 2 with a DLB system that monitors the home's electrical load and adjusts the charging current automatically. The homeowner can view the home's load and the charger's load in a mobile app, making it clear when the home is using a lot of power and how the charger adjusts.

The specifications of the DLB models state that the system monitors the home's load and adjusts charging power automatically via the app. The Model U Gen 2 With DLB can be used via the EVEASY x TUYA/Smart Life app, while the Model Black Gen 2 With DLB supports the EVEASY x TUYA/Smart Life app.

Which homes should choose a charger with DLB?

DLB suits homes with several power-hungry appliances that may be running while the car is charging, such as homes with air conditioning in several rooms, water heaters, electric hobs or water pumps, as well as homes where the meter or main breaker is not very large, where the continuous extra load from a charger can easily push the total over the limit.

However, DLB is no substitute for preparing the electrical system correctly. According to our FAQ, a 15/45 meter can handle a continuous current of only around 20A, while a 7.4 kW charger draws up to 32A, and a 30/100 or 5/100 meter is recommended for a charger of this size. If your home has a small meter, our installation team will always survey the site first to assess whether to replace the meter, change the circuit layout, or use a charger with DLB as well, based on the load your home actually uses rather than guessing from figures on paper.

If I have DLB, what protective devices still need to be installed?

Everything required for a standard charger installation. DLB helps manage the load, but protective devices do a different job and every one of them is still necessary. In the Sai Mai installation, the team used a 40A MCB breaker and a 40A Type B earth leakage protection device, and installed an earthing system with a 5/8-inch, 2.4-metre earth rod, together with the DLB system.

• A 40A breaker for 32A chargers, dedicated to the charging circuit
• An RCD Type B residual current device, which detects both AC and DC leakage (some models, such as the Model Black Gen 2 With DLB, already have an RCD Type B built into the unit; the installer will choose equipment to suit the model being installed). See details in What is an RCD earth leakage protection system? or the product RCCB Tongou x EV Easy Type B
• Standard-compliant earthing system and earth rod
• A dedicated direct cable run for the charging circuit only, with no extension leads

Can DLB be used with circuit 1 and circuit 2?

Our DLB installations in Thawi Watthana district and Sai Mai district were circuit 1 installations, with a direct cable run dedicated to the charger. Which circuit layout suits your home will be assessed by our installation team from the meter size, consumer unit and cable run distance during the site survey. Read about the differences between the two layouts in How do circuit 1 and circuit 2 differ?

Which EV Easy models have DLB?

EV Easy currently offers two wall-mounted chargers with DLB

• Model U Gen 2 With DLB — available in 7.4 kW (1 phase) and 22 kW (3 phase), in silver and black, IP54 water and dust protection
• Model Black Gen 2 With DLB — 7.4 kW (1 phase), IP55 water and dust protection, RCD Type B built into the unit

If your home does not often run heavy loads at the same time and your meter is large enough, a standard model such as the Model U Gen 2 is sufficient. See more on the differences between models in the guide Choosing a 7.4, 11 or 22 kW charger

Summary: is DLB worth it for your home?

If your home often runs several heavy loads at once, or you have had breakers trip when switching on several appliances, a charger with DLB lets you keep charging the car without having to watch out yourself. But DLB is no excuse to skip preparing the electrical system: the meter size, breakers, RCD Type B and earthing must always be correct. The easiest way is to send photos of your meter and consumer unit via LINE for our installation team to check first, and then choose the model that suits your actual home. See the service steps on our Installation services