GRIDSERVE, a sustainable energy infrastructure owner, developer and operator, has opened a new solar-powered battery charging point at Cornwall Services, the first of its kind in the UK.
The new 12-charger Electric Super Hub is now open on the A30. Six 350kW-capable chargers provide top-ups for people passing through on their journeys, along with six Low Power AC chargers for overnight guests at the onsite hotel.
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The site uses a combination of the existing 100kW grid connection, a lithium-ion battery, solar energy and 12 chargers, to provide additional charging power.
While the site is now operational with chargers that can provide up to 350kW of power, chargers will be limited from providing full power while a testing and optimisation phase is worked through, which is expected to take several months.
The 1MW SEC 1000 battery is monitored by GRIDSERVE Technologies hardware to manage its load and output. The software considers available grid connection power, the state of charge of the battery, the time of day, the solar output and the power requested by all the vehicles charging to maximise charging speeds.
Future updates include more accurate predictions of future demand based on historical usage patterns, forecasting solar generation and utilising ways to match this optimally with EV charging demand.
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By GlobalDataGRIDSERVE has also submitted planning permission to build a solar farm adjacent to Cornwall Services. Company usage data shows a close correlation between the profile of solar energy generation and energy consumption across the chargers over a day.
High Power EV charging traditionally requires new grid connections, and these can be challenging, expensive and in some cases, take a lot of time to deliver.
Toddington Harper, GRIDSERVE CEO, said: “We have also submitted plans to further increase energy capacity at the site in future with an adjacent solar farm, which will allow us to deliver up to 4 million zero carbon miles energy directly into electric vehicles every year.
“While we are still in the initial stages of the project, the Electric Super Hub has already proven itself through the Easter and early May Bank holidays charging over 100 cars a day during busy periods.”
Andrew King, commercial manager at Cornwall Services, said: “We are delighted to share the news that GRIDSERVE is increasing an already significant commitment here at Cornwall Services.”
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