What are the benefits of smart charging?
Smart charging is the process of shifting the time of day when an electric vehicle charges or adjusting the rate of charge to help reduce and manage the impact of EVs on the electricity system. This innovative way of charging creates benefits for consumers and maximising the use of renewable electricity.
Benefits of smart charging
When EV charging (or discharging) occurs, the implications for the grid network could be significant.
Without smart charging, EV charging is probably going to occur during existing electricity system peak times when numerous individuals arrive home from work (usually between 5pm-7pm). This would require radical degrees of extra investment in both the systems and in electrical generation capacity to meet demand, with the costs falling onto the customers.
The capacity to delay or direct charging could bring about a better balance of the system and limit the requirement for expensive network upgrades. This can be passed through to consumers via cheaper electricity tariffs or other offerings such as rewards. Furthermore, EV drivers are able to set their charging preferences remotely through applications with having to manually connect and disconnect their car.
EV smart charging guarantees that the supply and demand of electricity is better balanced, as it is intended to move electricity utilization away from existing peaks.
This what it looks like before and after smart charging has been applied.
Here you can find an overview of all smart charging projects that GreenFlux participated in:
For more information on smart charging, click here
