Mobilize Power Solutions, an electric vehicle charging specialist and part of Renault Group, has partnered with Connected Energy to offer customers a solution to locate battery energy storage units at EV charging sites.
Connected Energy is reportedly one of the world’s leading suppliers of second life battery energy storage systems (BESS), and all its systems in operation across the UK and Europe are currently made from ‘second life’ Renault vehicle batteries. The partnership builds on this existing relationship with Renault, and opens up new markets for the company’s used vehicle batteries.
The partnership will support locations for EV charging which otherwise lack an appropriate energy supply. Mobilize Power Solutions says there are around 30,000 public EV charging stations across the UK, but points out that as the demand for electric vehicles grows, many more will be required to meet the UK’s charging needs – especially at workplaces and within fleet depots. However, it says, an increasing problem is a lack of adequate power supply at sites and depots. The company explained: “EV charging requires an electricity supply which is able to flex up and down by some 15 kW to 350 kW depending on the speed of the charge. It is common for sites to have less than 50 W flexibility – the gap between energy supply and maximum consumption – meaning they are defined as ‘grid constrained’.
Mobilize Power Solutions says siting a battery on site can often be less costly than a power upgrade, and in some areas, it is physically impossible to bring in additional cabling and electricity. Here – it maintains – energy storage can bridge the gap, providing a buffer at peak times that allows the cars to charge directly from the battery. This solution has been successfully trialled in Germany and Belgium, where two Connected Energy storage units are located on either side of a motorway balancing the grid between the EV chargers.
Battery storage can also be used to store any excess power generated from renewable sources such as PV. This allows the charging points to be powered by renewable energy, decarbonising EV charging for organisations and drivers.
Mobilize Power Solutions provides an end-to-end charging solution that includes analysis of requirements, design, procurement, installation, implementation, maintenance, and scalability. It says that the system’s ‘intelligent back office’ is able to track the grid load in real time, and manage the battery response to overcome any grid constraints caused by peak loads such as EV charging.
Matthew Lumsden, Connected Energy’s CEO, said: “Connected Energy has been collaborating with Renault for six years on second life battery energy storage technology, and our system is a fundamental part of harnessing the circular economy to provide industrial-scale energy storage. This partnership builds on this relationship. There is increased awareness of global supply chain issues and electricity grid supply challenges, and this partnership addresses both of these in one solution.” The photo shows a Connected Energy 300 kW E-STOR energy storage unit made from 24 Renault Kangoo batteries
