Under a partnership agreement between the Swiss tech group and the Graal Group, more than 40 ABB fast and semi-fast chargers are being installed on Graal forecourts and service stations in five of Brazil’s major states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

The ten fast and 31 semi-fast chargers will contribute to Brazil’s transition from a mobility network that is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to one that incorporates an EV charging network.

The collaboration will allow Rede Graal, a network of bus stations in Brazil, to offer EV drivers the convenience of ultra-fast charging, capable of replenishing a vehicle’s battery in less than 30 minutes, thanks to the same technology used in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Held at the Sambadrome in São Paulo, Brazil on Saturday, March 16, season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship consists of an 11-turn, 2.93km circuit winding around the streets of the Anhembi district.

Luciano Nassif, country holding officer for ABB Brazil, said in a release: “Brazil, with its rich motorsport heritage, is a very fitting race location. It is also a country in which ABB has a strong history, having implemented technological solutions for more than 110 years and contributed to the development of diverse projects across industry and infrastructure throughout the country.

“The race here in São Paulo offers the ideal setting to showcase some of those projects across e-mobility, smart cities and energy solutions as we help drive progress in the race for the energy transition.”

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In Brazil, where renewables meet 45% of primary energy demand, ABB has also entered a power generation partnership with one of the largest wastewater companies in Latin America.

The company, which supplies approximately 30 million people in the region, has not yet been named. Smart Energy International has reached out for comment.

Under the partnership, Higra turbine and amphibious pump technology will provide solutions with high hydro-energy efficiency, ease of installation and low maintenance.

The project means the high water pressure created within the company’s pipes will be used to generate renewable energy, which can be distributed across the Brazilian network.

At the same time, ABB is providing fully integrated gas analysis systems for emissions monitoring to multiple customers in Brazil, including fertiliser and cement producers.

These systems provide a stable and precise analysis of the composition of gases emitted from production plants, helping users ensure environmental targets can be met.

Aiming to help keep the power grid reliable, the partnership includes direct integration with EnergyHub’s platform to enable Toyota and Lexus drivers to take advantage of utility programmes.

The programmes are designed to reduce the charging costs for EV customers while helping utilities ensure grid reliability and accelerate decarbonization.

Customers of utilities that partner with EnergyHub will be able to access several types of EV programmes, depending on what is available for their vehicles, including managed charging, vehicle-to-grid, EV-specific time-of-use rates, off-peak rebates and EV data programmes designed to support infrastructure planning.

This allows EV owners to unlock rebates to offset the price of installing eligible EV charging equipment and incentives for shifting charging based on system-wide and localised grid constraints.

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“Empowering our Toyota and Lexus EV customers with cost-effective energy solutions that reduce emissions and contribute to the grid underscores Toyota’s commitment to sustainable mobility,” said James George, general manager of EV Charging Solutions at Toyota. “Our collaboration with EnergyHub is an important step forward in enabling an exceptional customer experience within a home energy ecosystem.”

Shifting EV charging load away from times of peak electricity demand helps keep the grid reliable and can enable utilities to defer infrastructure investments that would otherwise be needed to meet increased demand for electricity as transportation electrification accelerates. This helps keep rates low for all customers.

Maryland-based Potomac Edison is the first EnergyHub utility client to enable customers to enroll Toyota and Lexus vehicles via EnergyHub’s platform and the platform is planning to expand participation into additional utility programmes later this year.

“Our collaboration with Toyota is a key milestone in EnergyHub’s effort to maximize customer choice through the largest ecosystem of EV OEM and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) partners,” said Matt Johnson, VP of Business Development at EnergyHub.

“This integration accelerates our work to improve the overall EV ownership experience while unlocking grid service value for our utility clients.”

“We need to do something before it is too late,” said Julia Poliscanova, senior director for electric vehicles at European NGO, Transport & Environment.

Currently, China leads the worldwide EV market and Europe is second. A report released this week by EY and electricity association Eurelectric highlights that the European electric vehicle market is booming and predicts there will be more than 75 million EVs on Europe’s roads by 2030.

And yet the US is in Europe’s rear-view mirror and catching up fast, fuelled mainly by the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration’s investment-stimulating legislation introduced in 2022.

“Technically, the US is behind,” said Poliscanova. “But with the IRA, they are catching up super-quickly.”

Her warning was echoed by Marc Coltelli, EY’s Americas e-mobility energy leader, who said the White House had “taken strong steps to stimulate the e-mobility eco-system”.

“The US is behind… but it’s not going to be behind for long. The chance to grow over the next decade is huge.”

He predicted that the US would match Europe’s current levels of EV adoption in just three years because there was already free-flowing collaboration between utilities, carmakers, chargepoint providers and other actors in the EV supply chain. “The excitement around EVs is huge.”

Poliscanova and Coltelli were taking part in a panel discussion this week at EVision, a Brussels-based e-mobility symposium organised by Eurelectric.

More from EVision
EV uptake is ‘critical litmus test’ for Europe’s energy transition

Joining them on stage was Mark Nicklas, Head of Unit at DG GROW in the European Commission, who stressed that being number two globally was a success story.

And he was confident Europe could hold that position: “We have all the enabling framework in place: the next step is implementation.”

He said the US “has a simple framework, while Europe is much more complicated”. However, he said that when EU policies were added up, they were “not so much different from the IRA”.

Poliscanova disagreed. She said Europe’s policies were too mixed and lacked the pulling power to attract investment.

She called for a green industrial policy, a European investment strategy and a made-in-EU approach to “bridge the gap between producing [EVs] in Europe and producing somewhere else”.

She said Europe had a “lot of strong ingredients, but we need a stronger cook”.

And she urged policymakers and industry to “be more bullish. We should just ‘do’ and not question whether to ‘do’. The future of decarbonisation is the intersection between energy and transport, and we need much smarter legislation.”

She was full of admiration for Europe’s EV journey so far – “Every fifth vehicle sold in Europe is electric” – yet she warned, “we are with EVs and batteries where we were with solar”.

A avoid a similar scenario, she said: “We need a different vision for trade – a holistic vision.”

According to Eurelectric, EVs are booming in Europe. Sales grew by 25% in 2023, with EVs accounting for more than one in five new cars sold. Infrastructure is keeping up, with fast chargers being 10 times more powerful than just five years ago.

However, as per the report How do we solve the challenges of data interoperability in e-mobility, a key challenge stopping e-mobility from reaching its full potential is that of EV charging to grid integration.

Commenting in a release, Serge Colle, EY’s global energy & resources leader, said: “E-mobility is about more than just the technological switch away from combustion engines.

“It’s about connecting the worlds of transport, energy and the built environment. This, however, depends on data interoperability and information sharing and getting there is a challenge. Overcoming this will help improve the overall EV experience and unlock value for ecosystem players.”

Specifically, the report highlights two significant challenges: connecting charging infrastructure to the power grid and smart grid integration.

Connecting charging infrastructure

According to the report, charging infrastructure networks need to be scaled quickly but are hindered by delays in handling network connection requests. Inefficient processing and lack of transparency about available grid capacity mean connection queues are getting longer.

The report cites evidence from a 2023 report by the Council of European Energy Regulators, demonstrating regional disparities across Europe’s highways in time needed for connection request approvals.

For example, it can vary from five months in Spain to 20 months in Portugal, 14 in France and 13 in the Netherlands. In response, adds the report, to help identify and prioritise charging locations, CPOs are calling for:

• Better coordination and tracking of connection requests;
• Heat maps at the distribution level, to understand capacity constraints by illustrating levels of grid congestion in different areas;
• Transparency over connection costs;
• A central point of contact;
• A streamlined process across municipal bureaus and departments to negotiate and speed up installation.

In addition, states the report, industry participants want national road maps that help them decide where best to site and develop charging infrastructure, especially for public transport and commercial fleets.

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Lack of smart grid integration

According to the report, there are currently not enough private EV charging points integrated into smart ecosystems. As a result, EVs are charging at their maximum rate; stopping only when the battery is full.

Alternatively, the report cites the capability of smart EV charging to establish communications and a flow of data between the charger, the vehicle, the CPO and the energy provider.

Instead of simply charging until the battery is full, smart EV charging would allow CPOs to optimise the time and duration of charge and adjust energy consumption.

Smart energy management, an extension of smart charging, would also allow energy consumption to be optimised, based on grid constraints and other factors, enabling CPOs otherwise bogged by high levels of EV charging demand to determine the best and cheapest time to charge.

For private or fleet charging, adds the report, it opens capabilities such as demand-side flexibility, which allows CPOs and other service providers to manage site-level limitations to energy capacity.

Said providers can then reduce or vary charging capacity at individual charge points at times of localised grid congestion, or integrate power from onsite solar panels or batteries to increase availability.

Going beyond smart grid integration, adds the report, V2G capabilities will allow EVs to receive signals to push stored electricity from the EV battery to the grid for local balancing and frequency regulation purposes.

Vehicle-to-home (V2H) is a further extension, using bidirectional charging to transfer the energy stored in the EV battery to the home and vice versa. Although not widely feasible today, standards or platforms will help to better manage EV charging and future increased load.

According to the report, data interoperability will be key for battling the above challenges, promoting collaboration and information sharing between stakeholders to enable services and facilities that support EV rollout, such as charging station optimisation, intelligent grid integration and optimised charging experiences.

Enabling a mass uptake of electric vehicles is “one of the critical litmus tests” for the energy transition in Europe, according to Kristian Ruby, secretary-general of electricity association Eurelectric.

And he has demanded an inclusive approach to solving the problem that he dubbed “the European way”.

“Let’s not do it the winner-takes-all US way. Let’s create a vibrant market around the customer. Let’s make it work with infrastructure, data and interoperability. This is about people’s everyday lives. It’s on us to solve. Let’s do it; let’s do it right; and let’s do it the European way.”

Ruby was speaking at Eurelectric’s EVision conference in Brussels, which presented a where-are-we now picture of emobility in Europe and delivered a where-we-want-to-go blueprint for the future.

Listen now: Podcast with Kristian Ruby

The current state-of-play picture was upbeat: Eurelectric says electric vehicle sales in Europe are “booming” and it expects EV to overtake traditional vehicles by 2030.

A new report by Eurelectric and consultancy EY highlights this strong growth but warns that maintaining – and increasing – momentum depends greatly on “a more interconnected ecosystem where data can be freely exchanged among emobility players to ensure strategic infrastructure planning, cost savings, flexibility and improved charging”.

Ruby said: “To accelerate EV uptake in Europe, all players across the value chain need to work together with open, interoperable and secure data to create a smooth, seamless experience for the customer.”

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Also vital for the customer – certainly in the mind of the customer themselves – is the initial cost of an EV. Serge Colle, Global Energy & Resources Leader at EY, said: “The reality is that cars just need to be cheaper. If we want the electric vehicle transition to go faster, then it must be better and cheaper for the customer.”

But – and it’s a big ‘but’ – Colle highlighted that according to EY data of predicted battery electric vehicle sales between now and 2030, only 17% will come with a under-30,000-euros price tag, which is classed as the so-called ‘economy’ vehicles.

The call for cheaper EVs was pushed by Georges Gilkinet, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and the country’s Minister for Mobility, but this provoked an immediate backlash from the next speaker at the conference, Renault chief executive Luca De Meo.

He said expecting carmakers to initiate a sudden drop in prices was “an illusion only policymakers have. They talk about reducing and reducing. We are not a charity. You have to accept that you have to factor in profitability [for the carmakers].”

De Meo said it that the cost involved around lithium in an electric vehicle was more than the cost of the whole power train in a traditional vehicle.

He also highlighted the huge energy costs around EV production: to make an electric vehicle uses five times the energy which that car will use in its first year.

And that electricity needs to be ‘green’, he stressed. “We have to build gigafactories. We will become a high-electricity user.

“We have to get more decarbonised energy [into the production process] otherwise we are going to have a handicap.”

The report, prepared with EY, points to the complexity of the e-mobility ecosystem with increasing EV adoption with multiple parties including drivers and players from the charging station and energy systems and the web of relationships between them.

Underlying all of these is data and the need for data exchange not only to assure the day-to-day driver experience but also to enable the integration of EVs into the broader energy system, of which ultimately they must be an integral part.

For the driver, some key issues are charge point accessibility and payments and roaming on a seamless basis.

For the energy sector challenges include the timely connection of charging infrastructure to the grid and the grid integration of the EVs both to avoid congestion on the one hand and to draw on the battery storage potential for flexibility on the other.

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To enable these standards and communication, protocols are essential for each interaction, while any use of data also invokes sharing, privacy and cybersecurity requirements.

e-mobility activities

The report states that data interoperability promotes collaboration and information sharing between stakeholders to enable services and facilities that support EV rollout.

For example, charging station optimisation can be achieved with strategically sited stations that provide EV users with easy access and convenience and thereby reduce range anxiety, enhance the driver experience and encourage wider adoption.

Seamless integration of EV charging with the energy grid enables energy optimisation and grid services, such as frequency regulation and voltage support.

With interoperability between data systems, drivers can benefit from real-time information on charging station availability, pricing and compatibility with their vehicles, they can initiate charging sessions remotely, manage payments and track their charging history via an app.

Industry opportunities

The report suggests that while electric vehicle uptake is advancing towards mainstream adoption, to maintain momentum and keep drivers onside, every interaction must be configured around the customer journey.

“From purchase or lease, through EV usage and management, to end-of-life decommissioning, we must deliver a hassle-free and green driver experience.”

The right structural and regulatory mechanisms need to be in place across each of the relevant areas.

Moreover, by getting the mechanics of data interoperability right, connections will form across conventional demarcation lines with players exploring new commercial opportunities, crossing into adjacent services and competing to win over the customer and capture value.

For example, automotive companies, such as Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo are already crossing over into energy provision, battery services and solar solutions, while energy companies are building out charging infrastructure and e-mobility services.

Greater cross-over and innovation can be expected as the customer journey is redesigned and commercial lines are redrawn, suggests the report.

Building blocks for success

The report offers five building blocks considered for success in the e-mobility space, irrespective of industry segment.

These are:

• ‘Control tower’ to provide visibility and understanding across the commercial landscape.
• Customer proposition defined using segmentation and analytics to inform the product and service delivery.
• Dataspace acting as a centralised hub for curating, integrating and managing data from diverse sources.
• Data privacy and legal, commercial and regulatory diligence around areas such as customer consent and data sharing.
• Trust and cybersecurity taking into account the multiple connection points and extending to supply chains.

The report concludes by stating that progress is being made, but there’s a long road ahead.

“E-mobility is gaining pace in Europe. To accelerate EVs’ uptake in Europe all players across the value chain need to work together with open, interoperable and secure data to create a smooth, seamless experience for the customer,” comments Eurelectric Secretary General, Kristian Ruby.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the largest utility in California, is partnering up with energy software business Kaluza and EV charging company Wallbox to pilot the smart charging and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) technology.

Through $1.5 million in phase one funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC) REDWDS grant, the partners will develop new technologies to incorporate dynamic price signals for both one-way ‘V1G’ and bidirectional ‘V2X’ charging.

The project will allow drivers to ‘set and forget’ their EV charging: using Kaluza’s algorithms, a smart EV charger, driver preferences, live grid data and dynamic pricing structures, vehicles will charge optimally to reduce grid pressures during public safety power shutoff events.

The programme will comprise 330 vehicles, with a commitment to deploy at least 50% of these assets in low-income communities.

Some of these assets will be connected to Wallbox’s bidirectional charger, Quasar 2, enabling users to charge their EVs and export power back to their homes or offer emergency back-up power when the grid is down. EVs store around 70kWh in their battery – sufficient to power an average home for three days, longer than most stationary batteries.

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Project progression

If the project is successful, additional CEC funding of up to $4 million will be made available through a second phase to continue deploying managed charging and bidirectional solutions in California.

Mike Delaney, vice president of Utility Partnerships and Innovation at PG&E, commented on the V2X partnership in a release: “Our work to prepare the grid to power and support millions more EVs over the next decade includes creating the most robust vehicle-grid-integration portfolio in the world.

“To that end, we are collaborating with the best and the brightest to integrate new bidirectional charging capabilities and to provide the platform, expertise, and cross-industry leadership to enable our customers with a range of options that unleash the full potential of their EVs.”

Phase 1 of the three-year pilot kicks off this year, with customer enrolment expected at the end of 2024. The programme operation and data collection will extend through September 2026.

PG&E provides natural gas and electric services to approximately 16 million customer, with 600,000 operating EVs throughout the utility’s Northern and Central California service area.

In a release, the partners cite high initial costs and the reliance of low-income individuals on their vehicles for work, posing challenges for these communities in transitioning to EVs. The project partners will further collaborate to lower the upfront costs of switching to an EV and showcase the efficiency of managed charging programmes in ensuring affordable charging and constant vehicle readiness for customers.

Additional partners in the initiative include community-owned electricity provider Sonoma Clean Power and Valley Clean Air Now (CAN). The former aims to make EV charging more accessible for low-income communities and the will support customers in learning about options to make use of second hand EVs.

Jonathan Levy, US managing director at Kaluza, commented: “We are thrilled to be selected for up to $6.2 million in funding from the California Energy Commission, enabling Kaluza to accelerate our work in the United States.

“With California rapidly approaching 2 million cumulative EV sales, managed charging with software solutions like Kaluza means everyone’s a winner – including EV drivers, utilities like PG&E, the grid and the planet.”

With the acquisition, energy supplier EDF is positioning itself to meet the expected take-up of solar panels as the demand increases, with projections indicating an up to 75% increase by 2030.

It also forms part of the company’s plans to provide a ‘whole house’ net zero home offering, combining solar, battery, EV charge points and heat pumps and follows the earlier acquisition in November 2023 of the heat pump installer CB Heating.

“This investment marks another important step forward in our commitment to helping our customers achieve net zero,” commented Philippe Commaret, Managing Director of Customers at EDF.

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“We know more and more people want to save cash and carbon and by acquiring a company like Contact Solar we can help them by providing better value and a truly great end-to-end solar panel install service, utilising a company whose expertise, knowledge and service is exceptional.”

Contact Solar, which was founded over a decade ago, is a specialist installer of domestic and commercial solar and battery storage systems and electric vehicle charge points and has gained an ‘Excellent’ rating for its services on the review site Trustpilot.

Contact Solar’s network of local installers across the country will work with EDF to deliver residential installs alongside solutions for local authorities, housing associations and developers in building and retrofitting homes.

EDF also intends to explore the possibility of upskilling engineers already working on home energy solutions to install solar panels, alongside other zero carbon products such as EV chargers or heat pumps.

Expressing delight that EDF had chosen to acquire Contact Solar, director Tom Taylor said: “We are excited about the limitless opportunities that lie ahead and look forward to working alongside EDF to help more customers install solar and batteries in their homes, as the country moves towards a greener future.”

Customers in Britain with ten 4kWp of solar panels along with a 5.32kWh battery could save up to three-quarters on their annual energy bill, modelling indicates.

Customers who opt for an installation will be provided with a personalised performance estimate based on their property type, size, location and household usage.

Currently, each of Ontario’s 58 local electricity utilities have different procedures for connecting new public EV charging stations, with different timelines, information requirements,and responsibilities for customers, the Ontario government said.

As of December 2023, there are more than 150,000 EVs registered in Ontario, including both battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). By 2030, there are expected to be more than one million EVs on the road in Ontario.

In response to Minister Smith’s Letter of Direction, which called on the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to take steps to facilitate the efficient integration of EVs into the provincial electricity system, the OEB issued provincewide, streamlined procedures that all local utilities must follow for installing and connecting new EV charging infrastructure.

This new procedure includes the implementation of standardised forms, timelines, and information requirements which will make it easier for EV charging providers to deploy chargers in all regions of the province.

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“As the number of EV owners in Ontario continues to grow, our government is making it easier to put shovels in the ground to build the critical infrastructure needed for drivers to charge their vehicles where and when they need to,” said Todd Smith, minister of Energy.

“This is just another step we are taking to reduce red tape, increase EV adoption and use our clean electricity supply to support the electrification of Ontario’s transportation sector.”

This initiative is part of the government’s larger plan to support the adoption of electric vehicles and make EV charging infrastructure more accessible, which includes:

• The EV ChargeON programme – a $91 million investment to support the installation of public EV chargers outside of Ontario’s large urban centers, including at community hubs, Ontario’s highway rest areas, carpool parking lots, and Ontario Parks.
• The Ultra-Low Overnight price plan, which allows customers who use more electricity at night, including those charging their EV, to save up to $90 per year by shifting demand to the ultra-low overnight rate period when provincewide electricity demand is lower.

Environmental assessment (EA) process

One of the changes to the EA process is moving to a project list approach, which will list the types of infrastructure projects that still require the highest level of environmental assessment such as large landfills and electricity generation facilities.

The project list approach is a shift from the previous focus on project proponents to what the project is and its potential for environmental effects. Using a project list approach is meant to bring Ontario in line with other similar jurisdictions, including the federal government, Quebec and British Columbia.

The Ontario government noted that the comprehensive EA process for the East-West Tie Transmission Project that runs from Wawa to Lakehead in Northern Ontario took more than five years to complete.

With these changes, it said, a similar project could follow a streamlined process and be completed within two years, while still undergoing a mandatory consultation process and continued environmental oversight. Some of the time savings are a result of the streamlined processes not requiring a Terms of Reference, lasting up to two years, for the project as the streamlined process already sets out the requirements.

The government is also considering a minor change to the Environmental Assessment Act that would make it clearer for municipalities, provincial ministries and agencies that expropriation is one of the ways property can be acquired for a project before the EA process is completed.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on, and edited with permission from, Power Grid.

To enable the integration, PowerPod is to use the community run blockchain from peaq as the layer 1 backbone.

PowerPod’s initiative is founded on the lack of available EV charging infrastructure, reportedly putting off around one-third of prospective buyers, according to the company.

To fill this gap, PowerPod is proposing to tap the thousands of private chargers already installed by existing EV owners to open them up for other drivers and for which they also would be rewarded.

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PowerPod reports currently building a platform and an app to enable the interactions and also is working on a range of hardware devices, including a smart charger adapter, a charger and a travel adapter for charging from regular sockets.

These devices will be outfitted with the peaq self-sovereign identities to enable them to connect with the blockchain, which also is to be leveraged for storage of charging session data, transactions handling and the token-based reward scheme for users.

“The DePIN model is perfect for unleashing the full capacity of the electric vehicle industry,” says Ting, Singapore-based co-founder at PowerPod.

“Through leveraging Web3, PowerPod empowers people globally to contribute to a more sustainable future while also capitalising on existing charging infrastructure. The DePIN-focused functionalities and economic framework offered by peaq will expedite our development and deployment significantly.”

The peaq layer-1 blockchain is aimed to enable anyone to build dApps (decentralised applications) and DePINs that can leverage real world assets to create what amounts to an ‘economy of things’.

Use cases to date out of more than 50 suggested by peaq include car sharing, location mapping and community wifi hotspot implementation with users listed on the website including Bosch, Airbus and NT among others.

Till Wendler, co-founder of peaq, says the smart mobility industry has been displaying a lot of excitement about Web3.

“It’s thrilling to see PowerPod use the DePIN model to close a vital gap for the electric vehicle market while also giving individuals more ownership in its hardware backbone. We are certain that PowerPod will bring new value and opportunities for the entire ecosystem.”

The integrated EV charging solution, which allows for dynamic and intelligent on-site charging management, was customised by Siemens engineering and software teams in Portugal.

According to Siemens Smart Infrastructure, the dashboards present comprehensive information to the building manager or operator who can instantly view all information about each charger, as well as monitor energy consumption in real time.

Precise reports per apartment based on monthly consumption are produced, states Siemens, facilitating optimised and energy performance.

José Cardoso Botelho, CEO of Vanguard Properties, which owns the Infinity building, said in a release: “Real estate activity has a considerable impact both environmentally and socially on the community. Infinity is a project of immense pride to us, and an important reference of our digital transformation. We are glad to have collaborated with Siemens to create a sustainable building for tomorrow.”

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The Infinity building is a luxury condominium by Vanguard Properties located in Sete Rios, Campolide, Lisbon, Portugal.

It is one of the largest residential projects in the city, with 26 floors above ground, 195 apartments and 352 parking spaces, covering more than 50,000 square meters of floor area. It is set to be the tallest residential spot in Lisbon’s city centre.

VersiCharge wallboxes are distributed over six charging islands, across three floors of the building. The energy management system is also prepared for the future integration of PV or other renewable energy generation, as well as energy storage systems which will contribute further to energy efficiency and the reduction of the building’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The system includes the latest cybersecurity functionalities, and it supports global efforts to achieve climate targets by enabling the expansion of renewable energies.

Markus Mildner CEO eMobility, Siemens Smart Infrastructure added: “Managing EV charging infrastructure via intelligent load management is crucial for sustainable energy systems and grid stability”.

The contract includes delivery of the scalable SICAM Dynamic Load Management (DLM), based on the SICAM A8000 power automation platform.

The SICAM A8000 series is a modular device range for telecontrol and power grid automation applications in all areas of energy supply.

SICAM DLM is a charging station management system prepared to receive grid constraint signals from DSOs and to integrate local DER and energy storage systems, facilitating communication with chargers, from which it extracts information related to consumption and offers dynamic charging management algorithms.

V2G systems have until recently been a technology in need of depth and exploration before fully coming onto the market as a widespread source of consumption management.

The systems involve electric-powered vehicles communicating with the power grid to sell demand response services, usually overseen by a third party, such as energy retailers or aggregators.

With increasing demand on the grid stemming from sources of variable renewable energy, it would be no exaggeration to call V2G a crucial component of the global energy transition.

According to IndustryARC, an analytics and consulting company, the global V2G market size is forecast to reach $28.12 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.28% from 2021 to 2026.

Additionally, bidirectional charging – when electricity flows from the EV battery to the grid and then back to the vehicle – is a core component of this system and was analysed by ARC to grow at the fastest CAGR of 5.12% among the entire segment of charging types for electric vehicles over the forecast period.

Development of the tech surged in 2023, although companies seeking to invest in the market should still be selective about where they choose to do business.

According to AFRY Management Consultants Steffen Schaefer and Xavier Sichert in Market attractiveness for Vehicle to Grid, the ideal market for V2G would be one with a high share of intermittent renewable energy sources, a low share of interconnections with other countries and a high penetration of smart metering in private households and at corporate buildings.

In the meantime, as the market continues to develop, tech companies, automotive majors and utilities have been making moves.

This is what has caught our eye.

Octopus Energy launches first V2G tariff in the UK

Octopus Energy, the UK’s energy wunderkind, has launched the UK’s first mass-market V2G tariff, called Octopus Power Pack. The tariff uses V2G technology and Octopus Energy’s tech platform Kraken to balance charging and discharging when it’s best for the grid.

According to the company, the tariff works as a bolt-on that separates charging from the rest of the home and runs alongside each customer’s regular import tariff. Customers can also stack the benefits of payments for solar generation on top of this.

For eligibility, drivers need to stay below the usage limit of 333kWh per month and plug in their electric car for 170+ hours monthly (roughly six hours daily) to receive free charging. The rest of the process is automated.

Calculated under the assumption of 10,000 miles (16,093.44km) driven each year, the British energy giant claims that an average electric car driver will be able to save more than £850 ($1,070) a year in charging costs on the Power Pack, compared to charging on a standard variable tariff.

Octopus Power Pack is available to drivers with V2G-compatible electric cars, chargers and a smart meter available in the UK. Although there is currently only a limited number of car models that have this capability, car manufacturers such as Volvo, states Octopus Energy, have made commitments to release V2G-ready models soon.

The tariff also follows Octopus’ recent announcement of passing 200,000 customers signed up to its EV-optimised tariffs – Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go – making up roughly a fifth of electric car drivers on UK roads.

The company clearly sees where the V2G segment is going and is preparing to be a key player.

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V2G revenues

In the US, Nuvve Holding Corp. reported recurring revenues from its proprietary V2G services.

The tech company’s intelligent, cloud-based software, Nuvve GIVe, is a platform that transforms electric fleets into mobile storage resources, providing electric grid resilience while also generating recurring revenues to offset fleet operation costs.

In essence, multiple EVs would provide enough “smart load” energy to sell back to the market, providing a revenue stream and lowering the cost of owning the EV in the first place.

In its Q3 financial results, announced December 2023, the company’s CEO, Gregory Poilasne, said the company is on pace to increase its revenues by more than 50%, resulting from orders, sales and deployments of charging stations connected to the GIVe V2G software platform.

Additionally, in January, Nuvve announced a $16 million project win with Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission’s (EOC’s) 50-shuttle fleet, to electrify the fleet and implement its Nuvve GIVe software.

Nuvve assisted Fresno EOC, which is one of the largest nonprofit community action agencies in the US, in securing grant funding through the Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program and Pacific Gas & Electric.

OEMs & V2G

Tech companies, however, are not the only ones with claims to stake in the market. EV original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), for example, are arguably the most poised for market penetration as they are in the starting position of the race – they manufacture EVs, which are the backbone of the system.

Two weeks following Nuvve’s project win with EOC, Nissan announced the launch of a new service – Nissan Energy Share – in Japan, coming March 1, 2024.

The new service features Nissan-unique energy management technology that controls the charging and discharging of EV batteries.

The service comes after conclusion of the Japanese auto major’s research into the most efficient ways of managing energy through EVs. Specifically, Nissa conducted different studies and field tests in locations such as Fukushima, validating its proprietary technologies for autonomously charging and discharging EV batteries.

Offered primarily to companies, businesses and municipal governments, Nissan said that the service is designed to enable optimal energy management in line with the needs and circumstances of customers; a ‘one-stop service experience’, from planning and system build-out to maintenance operations.

In addition to the system itself, the auto major says users will be able to apply for different subsidies, although details have not yet been released.

Also of interest:
Power sector measures key for smart charging in emerging economies states IEA
Sweden’s Polestar launches vehicle to grid and virtual power plant projects

Time pressure

Although tech and automotive companies are making moves in the right direction, there is a palpable time pressure that we also need to be cognizant of.

The market is clear, but the problem of managing increased loads from soaring rates of renewables coming online and EVs coming onto the road will not be going away anytime soon.

In the Netherlands for example, the problem of renewable energy causing grid lock has given grid operators headaches for years already, causing them to increasingly turn to flexibility as a solution.

The compact country is expected to have over 10 million battery-electric cars on the road by 2044; but with a grid at capacity, managing this demand will continue to be a pain point, perhaps mediated by V2G.

Add to this the upcoming deadlines for bans on internal combustion engines (ICEs) – both Europe and the UK angling for 2030 – and the weight of this demand only increases.

Surely then, it only makes sense that we tap more into the market, which provides lucrative opportunities alongside a clear route to managing these critical demand spikes.

The pressure to rev up the V2G market has been gaining urgency and clearly top industry players are responding. But what do you think? Who do you see as leading the market and what more is needed, whether from policy or from technology, to propel the market forward?

Let me know.

Cheers,
Yusuf Latief
Content Producer
Smart Energy International

Follow me on Linkedin

At least half of the utilities reported increases in solar panels and electric vehicles over the past three years and just over a third an increase in batteries. Looking ahead, the majority also foresee further increases in all these resources.

But while this broad panorama is understood by the utilities, more granular details are harder to track, the survey found, with data showing a lack of clarity as they try to understand the location, size and activity of these resources.

For example, DER location information is often accessible only for resources that are either connected to grid management software such as a distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) or required to submit interconnection requests to connect to the grid – or in some cases both.

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Almost three-quarters of the respondents rely solely on interconnection requests and/or integrations with platforms like DERMS to gather location information but it remains incomplete as the majority of customers are not enrolled in DER management programmes.

Overall, the utilities estimate, they have visibility into little more than a third on average of the DERS on their grid – and this is creating operational issues with nearly three quarters citing challenges including voltage visibility and control, back-feeding, protection and control coordination, distribution transformer and conductor overloads and masked or hidden loads.

“The complexities associated with behind-the-meter DERs are a significant challenge to electricity distribution utilities in North America,” comments Marcus McCarthy, SVP of Siemens Grid Software, US and Mexico.

He points out that technology can help by providing actionable insights into the opportunities and challenges of these resources to improve grid resilience.

“The software and digitalisation tools we implement today, will not only increase capacity, but aid in reliability – laying the foundation for an autonomous and advanced clean grid of the future.”

Demand side management

That technology, DER management programmes but especially the more easily implemented demand side management programmes, is pointed to in the survey with over two-thirds implementing such programmes and planning to expand them in the next five years.

With this, more than half of the respondents expect visibility into the behaviour and location of behind-the-meter DERs to benefit their operations by reducing their SAIDI and SAIFI metrics and increasing productivity.

Based on the findings of the survey Siemens offers three key recommendations for utilities, of which one is obviously to invest in the technologies that boost visibility behind the meter as a necessity to successfully navigate the energy transition and future-proof the grid.

The others are to prioritise strategies like demand side and DER management programmes for increased flexibility behind the meter and to strengthen customer trust to enable boosting participation in management programmes.

“With a deeper understanding of their customers’ needs and preferences, utilities can develop transparent policies and practices that reduce barriers to programme enrolment, including lack of interest and hesitation to share information.”

The survey Seeing behind the meter was undertaken with Oxford Economics and was based on input from 100 decision makers from electric utilities in the US and Canada.

The DIVE – ‘Digital identities as trust anchors in the energy system’ – project, which has been reported by Energy Web, is focussed on establishing secure and reliable digital identities for devices and systems within the energy sector.

These can then act as trust anchors, verifying the existence and capabilities of each system in real time.

By automating those verification processes, the electricity use cases that the devices are participating in can be changed quickly and easily to ensure grid stability and cost savings for energy consumers.

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With the large scale of expansion of renewable energies in Germany – as elsewhere – the system is decentralising and with increased consumer choice use cases such as renewable energy tracing, providing flexibility to the grid and supplier switching need seamless integration for efficient energy management.

Energy Web reports to play a central role in the DIVE project, including taking the lead in developing and implementing use cases related to electricity labelling and verification. This includes the use of digital identities in conjunction with the registry and exploring energy industry use cases and their links to the identity register.

Additionally, Energy Web intends to extend its existing open-source Green Proofs solution to connect to the digital trust anchors of DIVE and leverage the Energy Web X chain (EWX).

The Green Proofs solution is designed to enable trustworthy device identities to connect with different registers for guarantees of origin.

In the project, Energy Web will develop standardised representation and description forms for smart contracts under DIVE. This includes classification within the energy industry context, ensuring implementation-independent descriptions of inputs, outputs, conditions and logic of smart contracts.

The establishment of a ‘Smart Contract Register’ as an ‘app store’ for decentralised applications and logic devices, along with the provision of smart contracts under free licenses, should set the groundwork for an independent technology library.

Throughout, Energy Web aims to support existing standards and platforms, such as EnergyTag, the Elia Group platform Energy Track&Trace, GO, REC, I-REC and the German guarantees of origin register (Herkunftsnachweisregister, HKNR).

Energy Web also is integrating the ReBeam ‘fast change of supplier for EV charging stations’ solution with DIVE. Initially tested with Elia Group and 50Hertz Transmission in Berlin during the summer of 2022, the integration ultimately allows the consumption of self-generated PV power at public charging stations.

Other partners in the project are Forschungsstelle für Energiewirtschaft e.V, Oli Systems, KILT Protocol, Fieldfisher and Fraunhofer FIT.

In NERC’s Potential Bulk Power System Impact of Electric Vehicle Chargers white paper, the Corporation calls for greater cross-sector collaboration due to significant load growth, projected by the Energy Information Agency (EIA) to 2050, estimating that EV sales will grow to add millions of vehicles each year.

The paper states that as EVs become more numerous, their charging characteristics, such as where and how they charge, will have an increasing effect on the grid.

Ensuring BPS reliability

Grid-friendly charging

The paper states that EV chargers can negatively impact bulk power system (BPS) reliability depending on the way they draw current from the BPS.

To avoid reliability issues, EV and charging system manufacturers must increase their collaboration with electric utilities and establish performance criteria and standards regarding grid-friendly EV charging methods.

Without greater collaboration, they add, policymakers may need to act.

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Grid characteristics

Reliability implications, states the NERC, vary depending on the characteristics of the grid in specific locations and the number of EVs present.

As a result, performance criteria are likely to vary based on location.

Transmission planners will need to modify their planning criteria to indicate the types of charger performance criteria that are grid-friendly for their planning area.

Different parts of North America will likely have different criteria for this and it may be possible to address these criteria with EV charging software updates.

Knowledge gaps

Finally, the white paper states that knowledge gaps about EV charging behaviours create uncertainty in planning and understanding of the electrical impact that these devices may have on the BPS as well as associated policymaking.

Vehicle manufacturers, the electric industry and policymakers must increase collaboration to close knowledge gaps and address reliability concerns and benefits.

Historically, states the NERC in a release, the transportation sector has largely remained independent of the electricity sector, but this is changing quickly as EV charging depends on the safe, reliable, resilient, secure and affordable delivery of electricity.

Additionally, this increase in demand has the potential to significantly change the load profile of the North American BPS.

“As the rapid electrification of the fleet continues, increased cross-sector awareness, collaboration, innovation and information sharing will be essential to closing these knowledge gaps, meeting future demand and ensuring grid reliability, resilience and security,” said Soo Jin Kim, NERC’s vice president of Engineering and Standards.

REN is partnering with Italian EV charging infrastructure provider Atlante Energy through an MoU to develop five projects using the Speed-E grid connection solution.

The Speed-E solution, which was developed and patented by REN, enables the charging of EVs through a direct connection to the electricity transmission network.

In addition to the availability of significant power levels for the charging, offering simultaneous supply for multiple fast and/or ultra-fast chargers, it opens the way for the expansion of charging infrastructure to locations where the transmission network is available – an extension of about 9,000 km in Portugal.

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“This partnership reflects REN’s ability to develop solutions that address the energy transition, while positively contributing to the decarbonisation of society,” says the company’s COO, João Faria Conceição.

“Atlante is an obvious partner for Speed-E in Portugal, not only due to its broad experience in the charging sector but also its recognition, from the outset, of the potential of this tool to promote faster and safer charging of electric vehicles, thus mitigating future challenges related to an increased need for power availability.”

REN has not specified where the projects are to be implemented, or what others may follow, but the initiative is set to be a world first with EV fast charging directly from the HV network.

The Speed-E solution transforms the transmission high voltage to low voltage and can be implemented up to 300m from an existing overhead line.

It has been designed with a modular architecture to enable projects to be customised to customers’ needs and to be scaled over time with the increasing penetration of EVs.

Atlante is currently one of the largest EV charging point operators in Portugal in a network that also spans across Italy, France and Spain.

Giovanni Ravina, Atlante Innovation Officer and Atlante Iberia CEO, says that Portugal is at the forefront of zero emission driving.

“We can’t wait to see how Speed-E will transform the EV-charging landscape in the next months.”

EV chargers use immense power; writes Ijlal Ullah Khan, analyst at PTR Inc. thus, installing them on-site could strain the property’s electrical system.

And electricity supply and power loads are generally overlooked unless there is an incident.

However, power is essential to any EV charging infrastructure as a standard AC charging station consumes between 7.4 and 22 kW, depending on the model. As power is necessary for EV charging infrastructure, it is crucial to implement EV charging strategies that minimize incidents and prolong existing grid infrastructure.

With the growing number of EV charging stations worldwide, it is vital to adopt load management strategies specific to location requirements to ensure the most efficient charging of EVs.

Load management

EV charging load management requires finding the right balance between daily energy requirements.

Load management optimizes EV charging and reduces grid load by minimizing energy usage during peak demand hours.

On a grand scale, it creates power demand equilibrium across numerous sites, such as individual charging ports, fleet depots, residential buildings, and public parking lots. On a small scale, load management adjusts the charging schedule for a single charge point to a time when energy is affordable.

When several charging stations are in use, load management ensures harmonious power distribution, leading to vehicles being charged efficiently.

There are three load management techniques: unmanaged charging, static, and dynamic load management.

Unmanaged charging

There is no active management of charging loads in unmanaged charging. Due to a lack of control, EVs can charge at full power, leading to high energy peaks and potential blackouts. This unmanaged charging method is only suitable for places with fewer charging points.

Static load management

Static load management is a simple but rigid approach to managing electricity. It divides the total available grid capacity into set portions for base load and EV charging.

However, it is ineffective in certain situations because it does not adjust to real-time load fluctuations. The best places to incorporate static load management are sites with stable base load.

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Dynamic load management (DLM)

Dynamic load management is the most advanced and flexible load management method. It continuously adjusts EV charging capacity based on real-time grid conditions and optimizes charging power without causing unnecessary peaks or overloads.

Moreover, this method allows more charge points to operate on existing grid infrastructure without needing a significant upgrade. It works intelligently to support sophisticated prioritization logic for customized charging strategies.

DLM is applied in large residential complexes to oversee numerous charge points effectively. It finds application in commercial settings and destination charging, such as office buildings, hotels, retail spaces, and hospitality and fitness centers. Additionally, DLM proves advantageous for on-the-go charging, supporting EV charging along highways.

The importance of load management

EV charging load management is essential as it offers various benefits for the existing grid infrastructure.

Inadequate management of EV charging may strain the grid, potentially causing blackouts. Load balancing guarantees that all EVs can charge simultaneously without burdening the grid excessively. This optimization enhances the efficiency of EV charging sites by ensuring swift charging for all vehicles. Moreover, load balancing proves cost-effective by avoiding the necessity for expensive grid upgrades.

Load management is also crucial in commercial settings due to businesses’ unique and diverse electrical demands. Companies can enhance their energy efficiency and reduce costs by optimizing energy consumption patterns, steering clear of peak demand charges.

Businesses can bolster energy resilience by integrating backup power sources. Furthermore, load management aids in prioritizing critical loads and meeting energy-related regulations and standards, contributing to compliance.

Businesses can support grid stability by actively participating in demand response programmes through effective load management strategies.

Types of EV charging strategies

Multiple EV charging strategies can be incorporated at the charging stations in the load management process, keeping the user’s needs in alignment.

Priority charging

Priority charging is helpful for locations where some EV drivers have special needs, such as employees who work in the field or delivery vehicles that need to make trips at short notice.

Balanced charging

Balanced charging distributes the available charging power evenly to all connected EVs. It is suitable for most locations as it is a fair and efficient way to charge EVs.

Series charging

Series charging gives priority to EVs that are plugged in first. It is a good option for locations where EVs typically arrive and depart at different times, such as hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets.

Proportional charging

Proportional charging allocates charging power based on the individual needs of each EV driver. It is best suited for locations where EV drivers have different departure times and required ranges, such as workplaces and fleet depots.

PV surplus charging

PV surplus charging is a sustainable and cost-effective way to charge EVs as it uses surplus solar power, but it is only possible in locations with solar panels.

Scheduled charging

Scheduled charging enables EV charging during off-peak hours to avoid high grid tariffs. EV drivers with flexible schedules can benefit from scheduled charging.

The best EV charging strategy for a particular location depends on the specific needs of that location. Some important factors to consider are the number of EVs that need to be charged, availability of solar power, grid capacity, parking duration of EVs, and mobility needs of the EV drivers.

The power distribution of EV load management

EV load management provides power to EV chargers in two ways: equal distribution and first-in, first-charged.

In equal distribution, each EV charger gets the same amount of electricity, regardless of when it starts charging. Fleet managers who want to charge all their vehicles at the same time find equal distribution to be useful.

In first-in, first-charged, the EV charger that begins charging first gets the most power, and the other chargers receive whatever power is left. This method is handy at public charging spots where people want to charge their vehicles quickly.

The best type of load sharing for a particular application depends on the user’s need. The figure below shows both types of load sharing.

Way forward

When properly maintained, EV charging infrastructure enables load balancing, ensuring the energy grid’s stability and efficiency. Using innovative charging capabilities, charging stations may optimize charging schedules based on grid conditions, demand changes, and available energy capacity.

The solutions alleviate grid stress during heavy demand by evenly dispersing the load among charging stations, fostering a more stable and robust energy infrastructure.

Load management is essential for a sustainable and efficient EV ecosystem. It prevents grid overloads, ensures optimal charging for each EV, balances energy consumption across sites, and allows for customizable charging strategies.

This leads to reduced environmental impact, enhanced grid resilience, improved cost efficiency, and a better experience for EV drivers. Future research and development should focus on interoperability, integration with smart grids and renewables, cybersecurity, and data standardization to ensure success in optimizing EV charging strategy.

The aim of the over $20 million project, which is being supported with $10 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission, is to develop and deploy services for utilities, energy tech startups and others to model and test smart grid scenarios prior to implementation.

In particular with much of the region rural, the rural electric coops should be better enabled to deploy smart grid technologies to better serve their communities and address challenges such as the rolling blackouts that have impacted consumers across the country during times of peak energy usage.

Such technologies include electronic vehicle (EV) charging stations, wind farms, solar PV arrays and battery storage.

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The work also is expected to benefit the expansion of battery manufacturing in Appalachia to fuel economic growth.

“It’s easy to take our power supply for granted, but sustainable solutions that engage the natural resources of our region to modernise our energy infrastructure are needed,” said John Liu, vice president for research at Tennessee Tech.

“We look forward to working with our partners to that end.”

Other partners in the multi-state collaboration, are located in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Tennessee.

The project is using the HILLTOP microgrid simulation platform, which was development previously by Tennessee Tech and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, with each collaborator focussing on a different aspect of the modelling services.

For example, the Penn State team will focus on bolstering the resilience of Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, which provides electricity to almost 20,000 people across an area of 13,000km².

Peter B. Idowu, professor of electrical engineering at Penn State Harrisburg, says the Appalachia regions are often left behind in advanced technologies and areas are remote and generally small without the resources needed to adapt smart grids.

“We’re providing the framework for regional utilities to develop their grid. They tell us what matters to them, and we’re helping them understand what their network could look like – what happens if they put a charging station in one spot over another or if they incorporate windmills? They can start to assess their situation and see what their best grid will look like before making decisions and committing the resources.”

Tennessee Tech expects that within one year of the project’s completion, it will have served and improved almost 500 businesses including seven rural electric utilities, one energy tech startup, 60 electrical engineering firms and 400 freelance software developers.

Economic impact analyses also will be conducted for the utilities to assess the impact of both the cost savings for the utility itself and the downstream effect on consumers and businesses.

The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development entity of the federal government and the 13 state governments of the region.

In two separate and unrelated initiatives united only by the word ‘waste’, Veolia has pioneered V2G in a trial with its waste collection trucks, while Octopus Energy is investing £200 million ($255 million) in the startup Deep Green to scale its technology to capture waste heat from data centres and provide free heat to energy-intensive organisations such as leisure centres.

In the first phase of Veolia’s trial, the company has demonstrated charging and discharging of 110kW of energy from two specially designed bi-directional vehicles – enough to supply power to 110 households for over two hours during peak evening hours.

Veolia now plans to expand the trial and test it out on the streets, using Westminster council collection vehicles to pilot the innovation.

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In due course and by 2040 Veolia plans to electrify all of its 1,800 refuse collection vehicles, with the potential to provide around 200MW of flexible power to the grid daily.

Such vehicles are considered ideal for V2G with batteries that are six times larger than those in an average car and that the fleet is usually parked at peak energy consumption times for the national grid.

Veolia also intends to maximize the use of local decarbonised energy from its waste-to-energy plants to power its vehicles.

“We need to innovate in local decarbonising energy and transform our traditional approaches to take advantage of untapped sources,” commented Veolia CEO, Estelle Brachlianoff.

“This requires a change of mindset and a collective willingness to rethink the way we produce, distribute and consume energy. The success of the V2G demonstration illustrates this perfectly.”

Waste heat for heating

Octopus Energy’s investment in London-based data centre company Deep Green is aimed to help it rapidly scale its micro data centre technology at ‘edge’ sites across the UK.

The Deep Green furnaces are comprised of computers immersed in a biodegradable mineral oil to capture the heat generated, which are installed on-site and the heat delivered to the adjacent swimming pool or other user of large volumes of heated water such as a distillery or large apartment block.

In return, Deep Green gets free cooling to give it the competitive advantage over traditional data centres and to offer more affordable, energy-efficient computing to businesses.

With their micro-scale and on-site installation, the data centres do not require additional grid upgrades or planning permission so can be up and running in a matter of weeks.

Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation says innovative solutions to unusual problems are needed to tackle the energy crisis head-on.

“By using excess heat from data centres to slash energy bills for communities across the UK, Deep Green solves two problems with one solution. We’re looking forward to rapidly rolling this out and positively impacting even more people as we drive towards a cleaner, cheaper energy future.”

In a press notice, the company quotes a swimming pool in Devon as slashing its pool heating bill by over 60% and cites current customers including York University.

Octopus Energy launched its Transition fund in 2023 to support scaling companies in fast-growing sectors decarbonising society. A previous recipient is the ground-source heat pump company Kensa Group.

The centre, located at a new site in E.ON’s home city of Essen, covers an area of around 10,000m² with more than 25 stations and digital test environments for testing vehicles, charging stations, wallboxes and accessories.

It also includes five special climate chambers that can simulate temperature conditions from freezing cold to extreme heat, enabling the charging behaviour of electric vehicles to be tested at temperatures from -40 to 50^oC, so that such tests do not need to be undertaken in real environments.

In addition to this research and development, the test centre is available for training customers and partners in installation and maintenance.

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“Energy transition, clean transport, climate protection – all this will only succeed if electromobility gains even more momentum,” said E.ON Board member Patrick Lammers at the opening.

“With our new test and innovation centre, we are creating the necessary capacity to meet the growing demand for charging infrastructure. As a result, we are ideally positioned for the dynamic market development of electric mobility.”

A special focus of the test lab is the electrification of heavy duty vehicles – an area where a lot of technological innovation is anticipated in the years ahead.

E.ON reports together with vehicle manufacturers to be testing and developing charging technologies designed to meet the special requirements of electric trucks and buses.

As such, the test lab is the only facility in Europe where fast charging in heavy-duty vehicles can be tested with up to 3MW of power.

The test centre forms part of E.ON’s Europe-wide growth strategy with its electromobility business, which includes the plan to build at least 1,000 new ultra-fast charging stations per year in its European markets.

Of these around 140 new charging locations with more than 1,200 charging points will be built in Germany for the federally subsidised ‘Deutschlandnetz’ network.

In addition, E.ON is building charging infrastructures for private and business customers across Europe.

To save you the trouble of opening marketing emails, we’ve curated a list of noteworthy announcements relevant to the renewable energy sector, including new EV charging solutions, clean energy storage, and electric Caterpillar vehicles. Get scrollin’.

Bosch Technologies shows off automatic valet EV charging, heat pumps, and hydrogen plans

Bosch is a supplier along the entire electromobility value chain – from chips, e-axles, and electric motors to battery technology, charging stations, and numerous other services.

The company showed off several offerings and updates at CES 2024, including:

• Automated valet charging. In a parking garage equipped with an automated valet parking system, electric cars featuring this technology can drive themselves to an available parking space furnished with a charging spot. After receiving input through a smartphone, a robot charges the battery without any further human intervention. Once charging is complete, the vehicle maneuvers to another parking space, leaving the spot free for the next car.
• IDS Ultra Heat Pump. This heat pump was developed specifically for North America, and is meant to provide 100% heating capacity down to outdoor temperatures of 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius), and is designed to operate down to as low as minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 25 degrees Celsius.
• Hydrogen investments. Bosch says it sees hydrogen as a key to meeting global energy demand in a resource-efficient way. Bosch is investing in technologies along the hydrogen value chain. The focus is currently on the mobile fuel cell, which recently went into volume production in Stuttgart. This lies at the heart of the powertrain system for heavy vehicles.

Siemens unveils smart home energy management portfolio

Siemens unveiled its smart home energy management portfolio, Inhab, at CES. The suite of Intelligent Habitat solutions is meant to allow users to have full transparency and control over which sources are supplying energy at a given time and how that energy is being distributed throughout the home.

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The portfolio includes features like real-time alerts, 24/7 monitoring, and energy goal setting. As more appliances go electric and homeowners introduce EV charging and solar arrays, monitoring and management solutions are Siemens portfolio is meant to help lower energy consumption and utility bills while increasing safety and capacity.

Caterpillar’s electric machines and onsite power/storage

At CES 2024, Caterpillar is showing off its electric machines and energy solutions, designed to meet the evolving needs of customers who are electrifying their job sites. Its showcase display at the event is its zero-exhaust-emission underground loader, the R1700 XE, used for mining. The vehicle includes what Caterpillar calls the industry’s only onboard battery with fast-charging capabilities and a mini excavator.

In addition to its electric machines, Caterpillar showed off some of its integrated solutions, including:

• On-site power generation — generators capable of running on renewable fuels, solar panels and hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
• Energy storage solutions meant to work with any combination of diesel, natural gas, or renewable energy sources for optimal power.
• Chargers tested and validated to work with equipment on harsh construction and mining sites.
• Inverters that transfer power from a generator or battery to the machine’s electric motor, which in turn delivers optimized power.
• Digital monitoring and advanced analytics meant to make it easier to operate battery-electric machines and infrastructure.

EcoFlow launches DELTA Pro, a hybrid whole-house battery generator

EcoFlow, a portable power and eco-friendly energy solutions company, launched DELTA Pro Ultra, a “smart” hybrid whole-house battery generator and backup system.

EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra is a residential power backup system designed for both extended outages and daily use. With a single-unit capacity of 6kWh, 7200W output, and 5.6kW of solar input, it is designed to run an entire home. Its compatibility with a variety of energy sources, including solar and gas, is intended to cater to a wide range of power needs.

“In the face of increasing energy insecurity due to grid failures and extreme weather, we have developed DELTA Pro Ultra along with Smart Home Panel 2 to address these challenges,” said Brian Essenmacher, EcoFlow’s head of North American business development. “We aim to empower individuals with the freedom to choose the best power solutions in daily use for their households and give them peace of mind during power outages.”

EcoFlow is also launching Smart Home Panel 2, offering a way to fully integrate Delta Pro Ultra with any home for grid-to-backup transition with auto switch-over. It also aims to optimize energy use, reduce costs, and extend backup through intelligent analysis and solar utilization.

Ambient Photonics announces collaboration with Google to develop a new indoor solar-powered device

Ambient Photonics, a provider of low-light, indoor solar cell technology for everyday electronics, announced at CES 2024 that it is partnering with Google on the development of a new consumer product that will feature indoor solar cell technology that “turns any light source into power.”

“Ambient Photonics is tremendously excited to work together with Google on this first-of-its-kind product that takes full advantage of our breakthrough low-light, indoor solar cell technology,” said Bates Marshall, Ambient Photonics’ Co-Founder & CEO. “And I can think of no better time and place to make this announcement than here in Las Vegas on the opening day of CES 2024, the epicenter of breakthrough consumer technologies.”

With Ambient’s bifacial solar cell technology, the company says light power can be harvested from both sides of the cell to produce more energy, boost cell efficiency, and enable more powerful electronics. The front side of an Ambient bifacial solar cell delivers 100% of the power of a typical Ambient cell, while the back side delivers at least 50% of the energy as the front side.

Zendure’s “Plug-and-Play” energy storage systems

Zendure, an energy solutions provider, is showcasing new storage systems and associated tech, following the launch of its SuperBase V system at CES 2023. Zendure’s Plug-and-Play energy storage system, Superbase V is tailored for both on-grid and off-grid settings.

On-grid, it connects with the PVHub 2000, integrating with a microinverter and solar panel. This setup saves up to 12.8 kWh daily, Zendure says, and supports high-power MPPT with a combined capacity of 4800W.

Off-grid, Superbase V can connect to the transfer switch via Zen Y Pro cable, compatible with dual voltage appliances (120V/240V). The system also features smart control and customizable power options from 3600W to 7200W AC, with a capacity of 4.6 to 64 kWh. Qualifying for a 30% tax rebate under the ITC, Zendure says it is ideal for blackout situations, camping, RV trips, and off-grid living.

Zendure’s Smart Home Panel, a component of the Plug & Play Home Storage System, supports up to 10 power circuits. It integrates with the Zendure App for energy management, allowing users to monitor, manage, and customize energy usage.

The PVHub 2000, which the company says is optimized for large-scale photovoltaic systems, is meant to enhance power generation efficiency. It supports solar panels up to 2340W and features fast charging.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com

Through the partnership, which aims to reduce stress on the power grid, Monta’s managed EV chargers will be used as demand side assets in the capacity market and SFFR (Static Firm Frequency Response) programmes.

By pausing all ongoing charges, electricity demand is reduced, matching the pattern set by the imbalance, stabilising the grid and earning revenues from participation of these flexible assets within the market. Monta customers can opt into the service via Monta’s ‘PowerBank’ product.

“EVs have a huge opportunity to serve as a flexible asset to the grid if charging is managed correctly. We’re excited to partner with GridBeyond to deliver this pioneering service in the UK and Ireland,” said Monta’s regional director Alok Dubey in a release.

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According to the partners, the testing stage is already underway and has delivered successful results.

By linking with Monta’s platform GridBeyond is able to provide market access to flexibility programmes in Great Britain, to forecast periods in advance where imbalances occur and aggregate the flexibility provided by Monta’s charges for dispatch under market programmes.

“GridBeyond are delighted to be partnering with Monta in this innovate solution to help balance the local and national grids. As EV ownership grows, the opportunity that these types of services gives can provide a useful solution across the UK. We are looking forward to growing our relationship with Monta, who are a market leader in EV software related services” added Michael Kent, head of EV Solutions at GridBeyond.

The partners cite how EV charging stations are often concentrated in specific areas, especially urban centres, which can lead to a situation where the local grid struggles to meet increased demand, affecting not only the charging but also the overall stability of the electricity supply to homes and businesses.

Grid contribution, they state, becomes pivotal during times of imbalance – either an unforeseen dip in power generation or a surge in demand across the local distribution network or the wider power grid.

Steady EV sales growth despite economic headwinds

EV sales are expected to continue rising steadily in 2024, likely increasing around 50-70% year-over-year. This growth comes despite economic challenges facing consumers like high energy prices and cost-of-living pressures.

We expect that economic issues will only temporarily slow, not reverse, EV adoption trends. Once economic shocks stabilize, fundamental factors underpinning EV growth will persist. Government policy supportive of EVs provides tailwinds in many markets too.

Specifically in the UK, a change in political leadership could accelerate EV sales growth. Any new government will likely emphasize EVs more to meet carbon reduction targets. The previous administration had cut EV subsidies and proposed new taxes, creating temporary uncertainty. A policy shift could quickly boost consumer confidence.

Moreover, once emerging from the current economic crisis, consumers will refocus on long-term fuel savings from driving electric. Both energy security and climate change considerations favor EVs. As more affordable EV options launch too, sales should rebound strongly by 2024.

In summary, the EV transition is slowed but not stopped amidst short-term economic fluctuations. Industry analysts widely agree underlying EV adoption trends remain intact. Thus, electric vehicle sales growth is forecast to continue rising at around a 50-70% annual pace despite facing some economic headwinds.

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Battery electric vehicles surpassing hybrid EVs in sales

We predict that every month moving forward, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will outsell hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This transition officially began in January 2023. From now on, BEVs will be the second highest selling powertrain behind mild hybrid petrol cars.

BEVs have experienced rapid sales growth in recent years, while HEV sales have stagnated. This trend will accelerate in 2024. Total BEV sales could jump over 70% this year alone as more affordable options launch.

Meanwhile, HEVs have little room left to gain market share given their low starting point. As BEVs expand, they will increasingly eat into petrol and diesel car sales too. Experts forecast BEVs could grab an additional 4% share of total auto sales in 2024.

As BEV options diversify, and prices continue falling, consumers look set to switch away from petrol vehicles more rapidly. Volvo’s decision to cease diesel car production in 2023, for instance, foreshadows moves by other automakers to come. Diesel’s decline will free up even more market share for BEVs to capture.

Battery electric vehicles are poised to dominate the fast-growing EV category moving forward. Their sales will rise by over 70% this year, cementing their position as the number two powertrain overall. Accelerating BEV adoption will directly cut into petrol and diesel sales, signaling the imminent decline of ICE vehicles.

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Combating anti-EV misinformation to become a top priority

The rapid growth of electric vehicles faces a substantial challenge from the proliferation of misinformation on social media and other platforms. EV myths can easily go viral online, sowing public doubts that hinder adoption.

Unfortunately, fact checking efforts simply cannot debunk false narratives as quickly as they spread. More concerning is that those propagating misinformation have even conjured up conspiracy theories – undermining the credibility of fact checkers themselves.

As such, the EV industry is likely to make curbing anti-EV rhetoric a top priority over the coming months. Far more advanced technological solutions are needed to promote truth and combat falsehoods. Failure to get misinformation under control risks slowing the transition to electric transport significantly.

Some compare the scale of the EV transition to the societal impacts from the advent of the printing press centuries ago. What enabled positive outcomes back then was developing better information filters to handle the flood of new media. Similarly, innovative systems to prioritise factual EV narratives today can help to manage this issue.

Specific anti-EV misinformation like doubts over electric grid capacity must be a focus too. However, grid experts have prepared for rising EV numbers for years. The capacity exists, it just needs communicating properly to counter persistent myths.

Ultimately, misinformation indeed threatens to delay EV adoption. However, proactive efforts from industry leaders and policymakers can both provide correctives and slow the spread of false narratives. Prioritising the battle against misinformation will ensure EV growth stays on track through 2024 and beyond.

About the authors

This article was written by Dunstan Power, managing director, Versinetic and the engineering team at Versinetic.

Power is a chartered electronics engineer providing management of design, production and support in electronics to Versinetic’s clients.

The EV engineering team has experience designing EV charging points going back almost 10 years, when they developed new software and electronics for the EV charging stations at the London 2012 Olympics.

Through the recommendations, the NDRC calls on the establishment of a technical standard system for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interaction by 2025, by when charging peak and time-of-use electricity prices should be fully implemented.

The specific reform recommendations include:

1. Promote research on core technologies of V2G interaction, by:

• Increasing efforts to research key technologies for power batteries
• Developing a reliable, flexible and low energy consumption V2G interaction system architecture and bidirectional charging and discharging equipment
• Researching key technologies for grid-friendly charging and battery stations, as well as technologies for accurate prediction and aggregated control of distributed V2G interaction
• Strengthening research on key technologies for V2G interaction information exchange and information security.

2. Accelerate the establishment of a V2G interaction standard system, by:

• Developing and revising national and industry standards related to V2G interaction
• Formulating and revising key technical standards for charging and discharging equipment and technical specifications, vehicle-pile communications, grid-connected operation, two-way metering, charging and discharging safety protection, information security and other key technical standards in two-way charging and discharging scenarios by the end of 2025
• Improving the standard supporting testing and certification system while promoting the implementation of intelligent and orderly charging standard requirements in vehicle production access and charging pile production, installation and acceptance.

3. Optimise supporting electricity prices and market mechanisms, by:

• Encouraging the formulation of independent peak-valley time-of-use electricity price policies for charging facilities with strong load guiding capabilities
• Fully applying residential peak-valley time-of-use electricity prices for charging by the end of 2025
• Studying and exploring the pricing mechanism for the discharge of EVs and charging stations to the power grid.
• Establishing and improving V2G interactive resource aggregation to participate in demand side management and market transaction mechanisms
• Encouraging bidirectional charging and discharging facilities to participate in pilot demonstrations of the power market through resource aggregation.

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4. Carry out demonstrations of two-way charging and discharging models that integrate new energy vehicles, by

• Encouraging power grid enterprises to jointly carry out two-way charging and discharging pilot projects with charging companies, vehicle companies, etc. in residential communities.

5. Improve the interaction level of battery charging and swapping facilities, by:

• Promoting intelligent and orderly charging facilities
• Establishing and improving the smart and orderly charging management system and process for residential communities while clarifying the responsibilities and rights of power grid companies, third-party platform companies, new energy vehicle users and other parties
• Encouraging power grid enterprises to cooperate with charging operators to establish an efficient interaction mechanism
• Exploring and studying power access capacity assessment methods and related standards and specifications for different types of intelligent and orderly charging and swapping facilities
• Encouraging charging operators to build integrated PV, storage and charging stations according to local conditions to promote the integrated development of transportation and energy.

6. Systematically strengthen support capabilities of power grid enterprises, by:

• Incorporating V2G interaction into power demand side management
• Supporting power grid enterprises to carry out V2G interactive management in combination with new power load management systems
• Improving power grid demand side management and power regulation platform functions to provide basic support and technical services for V2G interactive aggregation transactions
• Accelerating the improvement of V2G interactive supporting grid connection, metering, protection control and information exchange requirements and technical specifications
• Optimising power grid clearing and settlement mechanisms and supporting V2G interactive load aggregators to directly participate in the clearing and settlement of the power market.

According to research from the International Energy Agency, in 2022, China accounted for 60% of global electric car sales, maintaining its dominance in the sector.

They add that more than half of the electric cars on roads worldwide are now in China, with the country already exceeding its 2025 target for new energy vehicle sales.

And with the increase in EV uptake, demand will continue to rise similarly on the power grid, necessitating better integrated V2G planning.

Through the announcement, the NDRC stated they will work alongside the country’s National Energy Administration and relevant departments to implement the above reform recommendations.

The implementation of the battery passports, which will be established with blockchain traceability solution provider Minespider, will ensure that Temsa is compliant with the EU’s new battery regulation.

Under the regulation, which came into force in August 2023, battery passports become obligatory for all electric vehicle batteries as well as industrial batteries with capacity greater than 2kWh with effect from February 2027.

“Temsa’s intention is being transparent about the information for the battery packs that are delivered in buses, coaches or even sold as an off the shelf separate product,” says Burak Onur, Head of Electric Powertrain at the company.

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“In that way we can be more confident about the safety and reliability of our battery packs. End-user can access data just by scanning the barcode on the pack and reach to information very quickly.”

Minespider launched its blockchain-based open battery passport in May 2023 following development with a number of companies including Ford Doosan and Renault.

The project with Temsa started in August and includes conducting the battery regulation readiness assessment, integration of the Minespider platform with existing software, setting up the battery passports and then scaling them up throughout Temsa.

A battery passport is in essence an electronic ‘identity’ with technical and other information relating to both the battery model as well as the specific individual battery, including usage data – and including both publicly accessible as well as commercially sensitive restricted access data.

Its purpose it to promote circularity and a passport ceases to exist only after the battery has been recycled.

The EU regulation states the battery passport should be based on a decentralised data system and sets out the information it should contain, enabling it to be offered by multiple operators.

Other companies known to be developing and/or offering battery passports within Europe include Siemens, Dutch solution provider Circularise and German software development company P3, while the global non-profit MOBI also is focussed on developing a global framework and standards.

Minespider also is applying its platform to track minerals such as tin Uganda and copper and cobalt in the DRC and most recently, as winner of ABB’s Motion Services Challenge 2023, plans to co-develop a circularity certificate management tool.

V2X allows users to leverage EV-stored excess electricity in the vehicle’s battery to power home appliances, such as fridges and washing machines, or flow back into the power grid for stability.

This builds on existing smart charging technologies, where EVs can be charged when electricity prices are lower overnight.

Customers could then use these V2X technologies to save money on their bills by selling the electricity back to the grid when prices are higher.

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Specifically, four projects have received a share of £4.8 million ($6 million) of government funding to support their work testing and implementing these innovative technologies, including:

• Hangar19 Ltd in Chelmsford, to demonstrate a 3-socket bidirectional charger, making a wider range of EVs available for energy flexibility and bidirectional charging;
• 3ti Energy Hubs Ltd in Leatherhead, to combine a quick-to-deploy bidirectional charging hub with a solar canopy and energy storage battery, housed in recycled shipping containers, which can make access to bidirectional charging available in more destinations, including vehicle depots;
• Otaski Energy Solutions Ltd in Gateshead, to trial its bidirectional EV charger to enable fleet EV operators to access energy in a flexible way which could deliver savings in line with electricity supply and demand surges; and
• Electric Green Limited in London, who will work with QEnergy to trial wireless V2X technology with a fleet of 20 delivery vehicles at Royal Mail.

In a release, the UK Government cites how businesses could also benefit from the V2X technologies by storing electricity in their fleets of EVs and using it to power their operations at a later date.

These technologies will also help make it even easier to rely on renewable technologies such as solar panels, with less need for fossil fuels to provide for surges in demand by allowing stored renewable energy to be sold into the grid instead.

Transport minister for Technology and Decarbonisation Anthony Browne said in a release: “We’re continuing to support drivers and this innovative new development is the next step in levelling-up our charging technology, which will benefit many households across the country.

“This government has already spent over £2 billion ($2.5 billion) in the transition to electric vehicles and our charging network is growing at pace, with 44% more public chargepoints than this time last year, meaning drivers can charge more easily than before.”

The funding builds on existing government funding for EV charging, such as a £70 million ($89 million) pilot scheme, announced at COP28 in Dubai. This will also boost the number of ultra-rapid charge points at motorway services.

The UK has also committed to ending the sale of all new non-zero emission vehicles by 2035 to support the delivery of net zero.

The programme is part of the overarching Flexibility Innovation Programme, supporting the efficient and flexible use of electricity, within the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s £1 billion ($1.3 billion) Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

The capabilities of Uplight and AutoGrid will be combined in a single platform to integrate, orchestrate, and monetise distributed energy resources (DERs).

Uplight says the acquisition can lead to more customers enrolled in utility energy programs, more DER connections, and more program options for utilities, grid operators, energy producers, and businesses across increased market segments and geographies. AutoGrid’s software specialises in electric vehicles, batteries, roof-top solar, utility-scale wind and other DERs.

“The grid is at a critical inflection point that demands integrated, effective digital solutions to accelerate electrification, efficiency, and decarbonisation,” said Luis D’Acosta, CEO of Uplight.

“Our new platform will combine Uplight’s deep customer engagement capabilities and AutoGrid’s leading renewables and flexible capacity management solutions to provide a vibrant connected ecosystem where our utility clients, energy users, and equipment manufacturers can accelerate their impact in the energy transition.”

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AutoGrid is currently owned by Schneider Electric, which is also a strategic investor in Uplight. Schnieder Electric acquired AutoGrid last year. The combined entity will employ more than 700 employees globally. The deal is expected to close in early 2024, pending regulatory approval.

Earlier this year, Uplight announced it has reached more than 330,000 grid-connected devices under management.

The company enrolled more than 3,000 devices per week in the second half of 2022, a 150% increase compared to 2021. This is the equivalent of 50 MW of incremental flexible load, or one fewer peaker plant, every four months, it said.

The enrollment achievement comes two years after receiving a strategic investment from a consortium of investors and as the company continues to scale and solidify its performance for its utility clients. Uplight launched 34 client projects in 2022, all while achieving a 40% efficiency gain in speed to launch.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on, and edited with permission from, Power Grid.

For context, in 2021 electric fleet vehicles made up 25% of total vehicles on European roads, but the shift to electric by 2030 is expected to double their electricity consumption compared to private vehicles. Internal combustion engine (ICE) fleets are responsible for 50% of road transport emissions, making their electrification vital for climate targets, especially when powered by renewables. Driven by competitive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), policies, ESG awareness, and technology advancements, commercial EV fleets are projected to reach 18% market penetration by 2030, up from the current 1.4%.

The transition to electric fleets will have disruptive effects, increasing grid capacity and generation needs while creating potential bottlenecks at the distribution level. If well optimised, fleet electrification could boost system flexibility while offering new revenue sources for both existing and new players. We explore the challenges at each level.

Impact on Distribution System Operators (DSOs)

The Distribution System Operator (DSO) is responsible for managing and maintaining the local electricity distribution infrastructure. Therefore, the impact of increasing fleet electrifications on DSOs is significant.

It is estimated that around €1 trillion ($1.1 trillion) of investment in charging infrastructure, grid upgrades and additional renewable energy generation will be required to facilitate the electrification of all road transport in Europe by 2050. Commercial fleets account for a significant part of that, with their electricity demand expected to grow from 1.5TWh in 2021 to 65TWh by 2030.

That growth in power demand translates to around €20 billion ($21.9 billion) in grid upgrade investments by 2030 to support fleet electrification and grid operators will need to deploy the necessary capital to support the grid capacity expansion. However, given the regulated nature of grid businesses, new grid capacity would fall within the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) of transmission system operators (TSOs) and DSOs, compensating them for their investments with limiting incentives for operators to act preemptively. If rightly exploited though, fleet electrification could improve system efficiency, increasing grid operators’ margins.

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Accordingly, early cooperation between grid and fleet operators is necessary to ensure enough capacity is in place to support the full electrification of commercial fleets. The need for cooperation is exacerbated by the simultaneous electrification of other industries, which increases the competition for grid connections and upgrades. Coordination with grid operators is even more urgent at the distribution system level, as the nature of fleets could result in thousands of vehicles charging at the same time through a single grid connection which may strain the grid or lead to localised brownouts.

Despite the challenges, fleet electrification could reduce grid upgrade needs and benefit the wider electricity system. Early coordination in the planning phase can identify the most suitable locations for electric fleet depots. Depots could be positioned outside high-congestion grid areas or alternatively, depots’ electricity demand could be clustered with other electricity-intensive facilities to streamline the provision of grid connections and increase site fuse limits.

Furthermore, when coupled with smart charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions, electric fleets offer considerable opportunities for peak shaving and for the provision of grid services, enhancing system flexibility and substantially reducing grid investment needs. In the UK for instance, smart charging could reduce annual grid investment needs from £600 million ($760 million) to £100 million ($127 million), while V2G would save almost £900 million ($1.1 billion) a year in grid investments if implemented for both private and commercial vehicles.

Impact on suppliers

For energy suppliers, fleet electrification represents both a risk and an opportunity. As fleets electrify, the level of competition in this space is growing with both utilities and new entrants coming to market, often with products that cover multiple needs such as both the supply of electricity to depots and charging point installation and operation.

At the same time, utilities face fierce competition to capture the revenues from charging, which in the ICE era were a prerogative of oil & gas companies operating fuel retail stations. In this context, suppliers must ensure that they do not lose existing customers to new entrants and other incumbents. Utilities can do so by offering tailored fleet products, to expand into this growing segment while gaining access to additional revenue streams. New B2B tariffs could be developed to target fleet operators; given how sizeable fleet electricity demand can be, these industrial & commercial (I&C) tariffs must enhance dynamic pricing to ensure operators can capture lower off-peak prices.

When it comes to fleet charging, smart charging and V2G will also play a key role for suppliers. As energy management becomes increasingly important for fleet charging, utilities will need to develop software capabilities, representing an additional administrative and operative burden. At the same time though, integrating V2G to an I&C tariff for depot charging will allow suppliers to optimise the flow of electricity back into the grid and maximise their margins.

Lastly, there is a growing market for as-a-service products (aaS) for fleet electrification. These solutions vary in coverage but allow operators to reduce their exposure to multiple risks. Utilities could benefit from an operator’s appetite for aaS products by bundling electricity tariffs with charging services and even vehicle leasing. In the U.S. for instance, several utilities offer financing solutions and/or incentives to support fleet electrification, underlying the potential value suppliers could capture from this transition.

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Impact on generators

Fleet electrification represents an opportunity for power generators too. In Europe alone, €25 billion of investment will be needed for additional renewable energy capacity to meet fleets’ growing electricity demand, with generators set to benefit from this growing segment.

As they electrify, commercial fleets are increasingly looking for solutions to hedge against volatile electricity prices. In this context, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) are chosen by many fleet operators as an optimal solution to guarantee long-term price stability while ensuring their vehicles are powered by sustainable energy. Besides that, coordination between generators and large fleet operators can ensure depots are located closer to electricity plants, reducing the strain on the grid.

Furthermore, in areas with limited available grid capacity, on-site generation could be a viable solution for operators to save on grid connection fees while reducing exposure to electricity price volatility. On-site generation, and especially a renewable energy one, can be also coupled with battery storage to optimise energy consumption and capture off-peak prices.

Fleet electrification is possible in the near future

Whilst the measures we have discussed consider the replacement of the ICE fleet with an equivalent electric fleet, fleet electrification is a unique opportunity for grid operators, utilities and generators to capture additional revenues while enhancing the flexibility of our electricity systems.

The necessary grid and generation investments may vary substantially depending on how fleet electrification takes place but in the near to mid-term the electrification of fleets across the UK and Europe will play a significant role in meeting net zero ambitious, while offering long-term improvements to grid infrastructure and renewable generation across the continent.

About the author:

Francesco Nobili is a consultant at Charles River Associate (CRA) Energy practice. He has an extensive experience advising clients on eMobility and Energy topics. He provides strategy and transaction support on matters such as fleet electrification, EV charging, battery second life, V2G and energy management.

The warehouse contains a power of 150kW and a capacity of 150kWh in Jaworzno and already cooperates with the power grid, says the DSO in a release.

Tauron states how, for several years, they have been observing an increasing number of electric buses in use on the Polish market.

The standard service life of battery modules in an electric bus is eight to 10 years and with the rapid development of electromobility in public transport, the distribution company expects a significant increase in available second-life batteries.

By using them in a stationary warehouse, the battery life cycle can be extended by up to eight years; instead of being disposed, they will be recycled.

“Batteries in electric buses lose part of their capacity and efficiency as a result of their use. Batteries with a capacity below 80%, which are no longer useful in buses, can become an excellent element of stationary electricity storage. The second life of batteries is therefore an extension of their useful life by at least eight years,“ explains Patryk Demski, vice-president of the Tauron Group for strategy and development in a release.

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“During the project implementation, we checked how the warehouse works with an electric vehicle charger and how it affects the parameters of the local power grid. We plan further analyses of the warehouse’s operation and verification of the possibility of its integration, for example, with the Group’s production sources.”

The warehouse is the first industrial second-life warehouse in Poland using used battery packs.

The warehouse is directly connected to the power grid and is composed of four battery modules with 78 individual battery cells each. Each module weighs approximately 500kg, coming from the first electric bus operating in Jaworzno.

Adds Demski: “Energy storage systems using lithium-ion cells will constitute an important element of intelligent power infrastructure. Small storage facilities are an effective tool for stabilising the operation of power grids, especially in low-voltage networks, where the share of energy from unstable renewable energy sources is growing dynamically and are also an important element of the system of microgrids or energy cooperatives.

“Lithium-ion cells from buses may play a significant role here due to the expected increasing supply of used batteries and lower construction costs compared to classic industrial warehouses.”

Tauron‘s project is co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund of the Smart Growth Program.

The British Columbian electric services company’s bidirectional charging trial project will include medium-sized vehicles such as buses, and heavy-duty vehicles like transport trucks, marking the first of its kind in the province and the country.

According to BC Hydro in a release, compared to other backup generation, these medium-sized vehicles can be mobilised much faster than traditional sources like diesel generators and they are far cleaner.

“The average car is parked 95% of the time, and with the evolution of technology solutions like vehicle to grid, stationary vehicles hold the potential to become mobile batteries, powered by clean and affordable electricity,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro, in a release.

“We are grateful to the Province for their support and funding, and we are proud to be working with our partners at Powertech and Coast to Coast Experiences to trial a technology that has the exciting potential to benefit communities right across BC.”

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As the EV market grows in Canada, V2G technology can offer several benefits including the ability to aid in emergency response by providing power to critical infrastructure such as schools, community centres, hospitals and police and fire departments, during major storms or natural disasters.

“This technology offers a host of new opportunities for British Columbians – everything from feeding electricity from your personal vehicle back to your home during a power outage to powering homes off-grid in times of need,” added Pierre Poulain, president and CEO of Powertech Labs.

BC Hydro has already successfully tested a 60KW charger connecting a Lion Electric school bus from Lynch Bus Lines. The typical bus battery holds 66KW of electricity, enough to power 24 single-family electrically-heated homes for almost two hours.

Today, BC has thousands of buses on its roads. They state that if 1,000 of these were converted to electric, the buses could power 24,000 homes for two hours.

Coast to Coast CEO Robby Safrata commented on the opportunity of the pilot to create new grid infrastructure solutions: “This technology will enable commercial electric fleet operators, when their vehicles are sitting idle, to create a high-power, mobile, bi-directional power plan that can support grid reliance and power homes and buildings.”

“We are excited to provide CleanBC funding to pilot projects like this that pave the way for more innovative, climate conscious solutions for powering BC,” added Josie Osborne, minister of Energy Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.

“The rapid rise in electric vehicle sales in recent years means we can expect to see up to 900,000 EVs in use in the next decade, and innovative vehicle to grid energy solutions could expand the use of EVs even further to provide more benefits to British Columbians.”