Building a cost- and energy-efficient charging infrastructure for electric vehicles with Commeo’s storage solutions
More and more companies are setting themselves the goal of becoming energy self-sufficient and generating their own electricity. This brings many benefits, the biggest of which is probably cost savings. There are now various models that companies can pursue in order to make optimum use of energy. For example, it is ideal if a photovoltaic system is coupled with the use of electric vehicles. In this way, the company’s own vehicle fleet can be at least partially fuelled by the power of the sun. For this to succeed, a suitable charging infrastructure must be created within the company. Read this article to find out what is needed and how Commeo’s efficient storage systems can help.
The components of the charging infrastructure
A company’s charging infrastructure consists of various components. In order to be able to charge electric vehicles, you need charging points and the appropriate space where the vehicles can be supplied with electricity. Another important component in this scenario is a photovoltaic system that generates electricity cost-effectively using the power of the sun.
Modern photovoltaic systems are becoming increasingly efficient and can cover a large part of many companies’ own electricity requirements. However, the challenge with such systems is always that power generation and power consumption do not always go hand in hand in terms of time. This is just as true for solar energy as it is for wind power or hydropower. Battery storage systems are required so that a photovoltaic system or the electricity generated can be utilised optimally. These storage systems can store energy and release it when it is needed.
Commeo is an expert in storage solutions and offers various solutions for temporarily storing electricity – regardless of the source – and making it available later for charging electric vehicles, for example.
If large amounts of energy are needed to charge a large fleet of electric vehicles, Commeo’s containers are ideal. They can be flexibly deployed locally and come as a turnkey energy supply landscape, compressed to the size of a lorry load. The multi-use approach also promises rapid amortisation.
The grid connection power must be designed for the charging infrastructure
Every consumer in the electricity grid has a defined grid connection power. This is normally specified in kW and is determined before a building is connected to the public electricity grid. When planning a charging infrastructure, it may be necessary to increase the grid connection capacity. In most cases, this involves existing infrastructures that were planned long before the introduction of electric vehicles and are therefore dimensioned lower than required for the use of electric cars.
If the grid connection capacity has to be increased, additional costs may be incurred, for example due to connection costs or a higher grid cost contribution. From a technical point of view, increasing the grid connection capacity usually involves upgrading the transformers and installing larger cables.
If the electricity demand in the system is likely to increase, it is advisable to apply for an increase in the grid connection capacity. While falling below this level is generally not a problem, an increase must be agreed with the electricity supplier. Failure to do so may even result in contractual penalties.
Forecast-based charging for better utilisation of the charging infrastructure
For the charging operation of a large fleet of electric vehicles to run smoothly, it is not only the technical infrastructure that is crucial. It is equally important to incorporate various data in order to harmonize supply and demand for electricity. When charging electric vehicles with electricity from renewable energy sources, two challenges come together: on the one hand, the fluctuating amounts of energy that renewable energies bring with them and, on the other, the consumption of the vehicles, which is also subject to daily fluctuations. Ideally, there should be charging plans for electric vehicles. To do this, it is necessary to know the energy requirements of the vehicles, the standing time and the maximum power of the connection point. In addition, the electricity demand from the charging infrastructure must be harmonized with the electricity demand of the entire company in order to avoid peak loads or to make targeted use of times when little electricity is otherwise consumed. If several vehicles need to be charged at the same time at one location, the grid connections must be able to cope with the corresponding load. The load capacity of the grid connection must not be exceeded under any circumstances. Without appropriate planning, charging electric vehicles is generally very inefficient. In practice, this means that for larger fleets, efficiency can only be achieved through forecast-based charging. These forecasts incorporate weather and consumption data in order to create an optimized charging strategy for the vehicles.
Efficient solutions from Commeo for any charging infrastructure
With an HPC Cube (High Power Charging) from Commeo, you can set up or support the charging infrastructure in your own company. This is especially true if the grid connection is not large enough for HPC charging, as the integrated storage systems artificially increase the existing grid connection capacity. The Cube is dimensioned as a standard sea container and promises a service life of 10,000 charging cycles with a charge/discharge rate of 1.6C. Modern lithium-ion battery technology and efficient DC-DC charging technology are installed. The system itself can cover charging voltages from 200 to over 900 volts and is therefore easily compatible with 400 and 800 volt vehicles. Of course, the Cube can be connected to existing renewable energy sources and can be equipped with almost any size of storage system to suit individual requirements.
The importance of load management, authorization management and billing services
When installing a professional charging infrastructure, several aspects need to be considered, not only in terms of the hardware but also the software, in order to ensure smooth operation. This is where the Energy Control System developed by Commeo provides support with its comprehensive services.
Specialized billing services take care of billing, making it possible, for example, to charge private vehicles at the charging stations and calculate the costs correctly. A professional billing service ensures transparent and comprehensible cost distribution and guarantees compliance for public and private charging infrastructures.
Another important aspect is load management. This allows the available power to be distributed efficiently and load peaks to be avoided. Intelligent load management ensures that the charging infrastructure is used optimally without overloading the power grid. This is particularly important when many vehicles need to be charged at the same time. Authorization management also plays an important role. With personalized control parameters, access rights can be individually defined so that, for example, only authorized users can use the charging stations or certain charging cards can only be used with green electricity. This increases security and ensures that the charging infrastructure is used efficiently and fairly. By combining billing services, load management and authorization management with the necessary hardware, Commeo helps you to set up and operate a modern charging infrastructure efficiently, safely and cost-effectively.
