Per connector, standby is the small draw a charger keeps for its electronics, display and network connection while it waits for a car.
Key Takeaways
- Site standby = watts per connector × connectors × 8,760 hours. The multiplication is the story.
- Most listings state no standby figure; get the model’s figure from the manufacturer in writing, or meter the installed site.
- ENERGY STAR certified chargers use 40% less standby energy than standard models — a useful procurement screen.
- Standby is a planning and comparison number, not a reason to switch a working site off.
A site never pays for one connector: it pays that figure multiplied by every connector on the site, for every hour of the year. Most listings — EVDANCE’s included — print no standby figure, so an operator pins the real number down only two ways: the manufacturer’s stated figure for the exact model, in writing, or metering the installed chargers.
The Arithmetic: Small Watts, Long Hours, Many Connectors
The calculation itself is simple: watts per connector, times the number of connectors, times 8,760 hours in a year. What makes it worth doing is the multiplication. The draws in this table are invented for illustration — they are not measurements of any product — and the energy is priced at the U.S. average commercial rate of 14.53 cents per kWh.
| Example site (invented draws) | Combined standby load | Energy per year | Cost per year at 14.53 ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 connectors at 5 W each | 50 W | about 438 kWh | about $64 |
| 20 connectors at 8 W each | 160 W | about 1,402 kWh | about $204 |
| 40 connectors at 10 W each | 400 W | about 3,504 kWh | about $509 |
Read the table as a method, not a quote. Your connectors will draw what their models draw; the point is that a per-connector difference too small to notice on one datasheet becomes a standing annual cost across dozens of units. How those units are run day to day is covered in our explainer on how commercial EV charging stations work.
Getting the Real Figure for Your Models
- Ask the manufacturer in writing. A model’s standby consumption belongs in the procurement file next to its rated output. If the listing does not state it, the written answer is the figure you plan with.
- Meter what you already own. Where a site’s chargers sit on metered circuits, a quiet overnight period shows the idle floor: the load that never goes away when nothing is charging.
- Screen new purchases with the certified products list. ENERGY STAR certification caps standby draw, and certified chargers use 40% less energy in standby than standard models — the shortcut our ENERGY STAR guide explains in full.
Where Standby Sits in a Site’s Energy Picture
Against the energy a working site delivers into cars, standby is the small, always-on floor. It will not decide whether a site is profitable. It matters in two narrower places. First, procurement: two bids that look identical on price and output can differ every hour of every year if one model’s standby draw is higher, and the difference compounds across the fleet. Second, reporting: fleets and property owners tracking energy per mile or per session will find idle draw inside their numbers — measure it once rather than explain it later. What standby is not is a reason to power a site down: a charger that is off cannot start a session, so availability stays an operations decision, not a standby fix.
Standby and the EVDANCE Commercial Range
The EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station (two Type 2 connectors, up to 43 kW shared, OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54) and the EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger (22 kW DC, OCPP 1.6J, IP54) state their output, protocol and enclosure ratings on their pages — neither states a standby watt figure, and this article will not invent one. For a fleet or multi-site order, put the question in writing before you buy — “state the standby consumption of this model” is a normal line in a technical file request. The full commercial range is on our commercial EV charging page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does standby power add to a site’s demand charges?
Standby is a small constant load, not a peak. How any load is billed depends on the site’s tariff, so read the tariff or ask the utility rather than assuming.
Does a dual-connector station draw twice the standby of a single?
Not necessarily. Two connectors in one cabinet share electronics, so the per-connector figure can be lower than two separate units. Only the manufacturer’s figure for that model settles it.
Can I just switch the chargers off overnight?
You can, but a switched-off charger cannot start a session, accept a booking or report its status. For most shared and public sites, the availability loss costs more than the saving.
Related Reading
- ENERGY STAR for EV Chargers: Why It Matters for Rebates and Retail
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
- Commercial EV Charger Maintenance Checklist
- Does Level 1 Charging Use More Electricity Than Level 2?
