OCPP — Open Charge Point Protocol — is the open standard that charging stations use to communicate with a management platform. It may sound like a technical detail, but in reality, it is the difference between freedom and vendor lock-in.

What exactly is OCPP?

A protocol managed by the Open Charge Alliance. Versions 1.6 and 2.0.1 are the most common. A station that speaks OCPP can, in principle, be linked to any management platform that supports the same protocol. A station that only speaks a proprietary protocol cannot — it is locked to one specific platform.

What is the commercial importance?

Three scenarios where interoperability makes the difference:

  1. Switching CPO/management platform. With OCPP stations: a matter of hours and a new configuration. With vendor-locked stations: replacement cost — €1,500 to €3,500 per station.
  2. Mixing brands on one site. Smappee for AC stations + Alfen for DC fast chargers + Enovates for a specific use case. No problem with OCPP. Without OCPP, at least three separate platforms and billing streams.
  3. Resale or relocation. A building with OCPP charging stations retains its value upon sale. Vendor-locked infrastructure is sometimes removed instead of being taken over.

What should you establish contractually?

  • Explicitly request the OCPP version for every station on the invoice or purchase order.
  • Also ask whether the station is “OCPP-certified” (formal test) or merely “OCPP-compatible” (claim).
  • Specify in the management contract that you can switch to another CPO at any time without having to replace the stations.

The reality on the Belgian market

Almost all major brands (Smappee, Alfen, Enovates, ABB, Wallbox) are OCPP-compliant. However, some cheaper brands — especially those in ready-made offers from energy suppliers — only work on a single closed platform. Low entry price, high exit cost.

The position of Certipower

We exclusively install OCPP-compliant stations and link them to our own platform My.Certipower or to another platform of the customer’s choice. This is not a technical side issue — it is the basic requirement for still having a free choice in 5 years.

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Would you like to have your existing infrastructure checked for OCPP compliance? Request an audit — we will identify which stations are future-proof and which are vendor-locked.