As the UK cools from record temperatures in excess of 40oC, 3ti, the UK’s leading designer, installer, funder and operator of Solar Car Parks (SCPs), has provided a very timely and fitting reminder of the significant power of the sun and how it can be put to more positive effect on the environment.
Since installation at the end of May, the prototype of 3ti’s world’s first pop-up mini solar car park and EV charging hub, “Papilio3”, has generated sufficient solar power to drive an average family EV in excess of 20,000 miles: well over twice the average UK driver’s annual mileage.
“Solar is an abundant source of renewable energy – yield from our first Papilio3 unit at Surrey Research Park has already topped 4.86MWh, and all 12 charging points have been in regular use,” says Tim Evans, 3ti founder and CEO. “The most recent International Energy Agency statistics show that, thanks to higher solar and wind power generation, renewable electricity production is up by 9.8% year-on-year across all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, but there is still plenty of room for further improvement.”
In June, the first Papilio3 unit generated 2.36MWh and is on track to exceed this figure in July. Currently, this represents a 53% PV Generation to EV Charging ratio, although this will reduce throughout the year and expected to average around 20% after the winter. Papilio3 is built around a recycled shipping container, can be deployed within 24 hours and integrates the three technologies of 3ti: solar electricity generation, battery energy storage systems (capacity of up to 250 kWh) and EV charge points (of 7, 11 and 22 kW).
“SCPs have already displayed vast potential as a method of generating renewable energy,” continues Evans. “In June, for example, just one of our customer sites produced 290MWh from a 2.2 MWp solar array. At current prices that’s over £65,000 worth of electricity. Papilio3 will play a direct and prominent role in decarbonising the UK transport sector with scalable technology that is easily deployed as a workplace and destination charging solution. It will also help to deliver on renewable energy targets and reduce the carbon intensity of EV charging, especially during peak hours where the grid relies on a carbon-rich safety net.”
The first 3ti crowdfunding round opened on June 23rd and exceeded its initial £500,000 target within just one hour of going live publicly. The fund will accelerate the roll-out of Papilio3, enable expansion of the 3ti team and underpin continued clean energy technology development, and with a week left before closing on 31st July, the company has tripled its investment target on the Crowdcube platform to £1.5 million.
