POD Point, one of the UK’s electric vehicle charging service providers, is launching an innovative new charging technology – a communicating charge point that turns the charging location into a smart energy hub, by providing local energy management.
The Solo2 communicating charge point will be unveiled this week at the Low Carbon Vehicle event, and according to POD Point Technical Director Steve Large, it is a bridging technology that brings us closer to realizing the smart grid.
“The communicating charge point is a smart energy hub that can be programmed to initiate the charging cycle when the carbon mix of the grid is at its lowest, or synchronize charging cycles according to the availability of locally generated electricity. It can also deliver greater energy efficiency by using the spare energy from buildings to charge parked cars.”
This integrated approach to local energy management is a cornerstone of the smart grid, and one that has the most immediate impact on end users. The Solo2 charge point has the ability to deliver energy efficiency in response to local supply and demand; users are expected to become more aware of the electricity they use, and how much it costs in both financial and environmental terms.
The Solo2 is Europe’s first communicating electric vehicle charge point and contains a GPRS system that allows two way communications between the charge point and a smart-phone or web-based account, allowing remote control of the charging cycle. The most immediate benefit to many drivers will be the ability to remotely set the time for charging, so they can make the most of the lower cost of off-peak electricity.
Businesses and corporate charge point owners will also benefit by being able to cap the amount of electricity supplied to individual users, and produce automated expense reports detailing the amount of electricity supplied to each user.
POD Point is launching the new Solo2 communicating charge point this week, at the Low Carbon Vehicle event at the Millbrook Proving Ground.
