Connected Energy installed our E-STOR system alongside the EV chargers and PV canopies managed by our back office control system. The system is programmed to set the battery to charge and discharge according to when predetermined criteria are met; charging when the sun is shining, and discharging to manage capacity when the power demand from the chargers is high.
The system used by Dundee City Council tracks usage of the chargers and the generation of the PV and works to maximise the amount of renewable energy that is used to charge the vehicles. The E-STOR system will achieve this by managing its state of charge to store as much PV generated electricity as possible.
It also tracks the EV chargers so that as they are used, the E-STOR discharges to provide the energy to them via OCPP. When the system is overcharged or requires additional charge it will take advantage of amber and green tariff periods to minimise the operating cost.
The solution also circumvents a major issue many organisations face when looking to install EV charging sites – which is current grid capacity to site. If a site is looking to install five 50KWh charging points, but only has grid access to service 40KWh chargers, it would have originally required a rethink of the entire project, or a substantial grid upgrade. With onsite battery storage, you can avoid this, whilst maximising generated renewable energy.
The E-STOR system makes upgrading the energy capacity of the site easy to achieve. The systems are modular and scalable in design, offering a range of configurations suitable for the varied requirements of industrial and commercial customers. This will allow Dundee City Council to add more chargers to cope with growing demand.
