Smart on-street charge points are being developed by the Smart Subsurface Technology for Electric Pathways (SmartSTEP) project following an £856,000 funding boost.
The project, run by low carbon energy consultancy Element Energy, aims to deliver new on-street electric vehicle charging infrastructure. These will include smart meters to integrate with the existing electricity network.
Smart charging enables customers to access EV charging when electricity is cheapest by automatically shifting the charging period to times of low electricity demand.
Currently smart charging is available for home charging and at dedicated public EV charging bays. The project said SmartSTEP will be the first demonstration of smart charging in shared parking spaces on residential streets.
Trojan Energy will develop the technology and said affordable, accessible and convenient on-street EV charging is key for decarbonising transport. Its research shows 30% of household do not have access to off-street parking.
This trial will involve charge points slotted into the pavement which will provide access to charging for those that do not have driveways or garages.
The project said as well as meeting customer needs, integrating EV charging so the grid remains balanced is fundamental to success.
Sarah Clements, Project Manager from Element Energy, said: “Smart charging is a vital enabler of the EV transition, allowing the fine balancing of both customer needs and electricity network constraints.
“Whilst already available for drivers who charge at home, smart charging has never been tested in an on-street context before. This is essential for ensuring low-cost charging is available to all, and we are proud to be managing this industry first project that will help deliver Great Britain’s interconnected electricity and transport system.”
The project will be split into two phases, initially Trojan Energy are working alongside Landis+Gyr and Octopus Energy to develop an effective smart charging system. If this phase is successful, the smart charging system will be trialled in phase two.
Some 200 of Trojan’s charge points will be deployed on streets in the London Boroughs of Brent and Camden from spring 2021. SmartSTEP will upgrade 100 of these devices with Landis+Gyr’s SMETS2 smart meters.
Ian Mackenzie, managing director of Trojan Energy, said: “As we roll out our charging technology it is important to be at the cutting edge of what technology allows, as this can bring maximum benefits to our customers, energy suppliers and delivers maximum value for the UK.
“This trial allows us to push our technology further unlocking new billing options and services for EV chargers throughout Great Britain, advancing our lead further in on-street charging technology, and helping drive adoption of EVs throughout all areas of GB. We are grateful to Business Energy & Industrial Strategy and our fantastic consortium team and are committed to leading the charge to net-zero.”
