Climate policies in Europe, Germany and specifically Baden-Württemberg – the innovative heart of German car industry - will cause fast growing electric vehicle (EV) numbers in the next few years. This requires adequate charging infrastructure. While fast motorway DC charging copies traditional fuel service stations, charging at home, in car parks and shopping centers will be a new and important way to bring fresh energy to vehicles. EV charging should be possible at most car parks and efficient charging solutions for 10-100 EVs are needed for locations where vehicles are parked for several hours (e.g. company car parks).
Smart charging adapts to availability of volatile renewables, so EVs help to use more of them. It also means that EVs are not all charged simultaneously (e.g. immediately after arrival) to reduce grid strain. Easy Smart Grid technology allows to implement both with fully decentral control to keep EV owners in the “driver’s seat”. They set the constraints (such as arrival and leaving time), while the smart system coordinates all charging processes.
Project goals and partners
At three locations (Ludwigsburg, Reutlingen and Constance) existing parking sites will be upgraded with charging infrastructure. Easy Smart Grid contributes technology for decentralized real-time energy management using local energy markets. The objective is to demonstrate the benefit over more traditional approaches: much simpler coordination and preparation for future requirements, specifically dynamic tariffs to which EVs respond while their owners benefit financially. The project is funded by the Ministry for Environment and Energy of Baden-Württemberg, and ESG will collaborate with main project partners Reutlingen University, isc Konstanz, and several other associated partners.
Replication on Islands
Islands are a great spot for ambitious E-car players. Battery range is not a limit at given road distances, and managed charging offers substantial flexibility potential. “Green” transport helps reduce emissions, pollutants and noise. Such environmental action increases island’s attractiveness for tourists, which are keen to try new things (such as E-cars) during their vacations. Easy Smart Grid invites actors on islands to join this initiative and implement intelligent charging systems on the islands.
This content has been published by Easy Smart Grid . The publishing entity is responsible for the contents. The Clean Energy for EU Islands Secretariat may provide quality support to the English language version of this post.