When looking at a plan for energy autonomy and how we might be powered by 100% renewable energy, there’s an elephant in the room - homes and businesses need electricity but increasingly so do our cars.
With the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) predicted to rise significantly in the near future, this extra demand for power has to be factored into any strategic energy plan for the region.
Data sourced by energy consultant, Enhar, shows there are approximately 4000 cars permanently housed in our region. An infinitely greater number visit during summer and long weekends so this means we will need a combination of different charging stations.
Ready for a crash course in EV charging stations?
There are three main types.
Level 1 - generally an existing powerpoint used in combination with a specialised cable supplied with the vehicle. This method adds between 10 and 20km of range per hour plugged in. It will top up daily use, but it won’t fully recharge a typical pure EV overnight.
Level 2 - a dedicated AC EV charger installed anywhere the vehicle is parked for a while. This method adds 40 to 100km of range per hour of charging depending on the vehicle. It will top up average daily vehicle use in half an hour and deliver a full recharge overnight.
Level 3 - the big guns, a dedicated DC EV charger which can fully recharge some EVs in 10 to 15 minutes.
If we install 10 of these fast charging stations, Enhar says it will likely increase the demand for electricity by around 3.5MW and cost about a million dollars. Add home charging units as well and the consultant warns we could easily triple the energy demand for the region.
But electric vehicles aren’t just greedy power guzzlers. They have the capacity to give as well as take.
Say what?
Yes, an EV is a big battery on wheels (~5x an av. household battery) and as such these vehicles have been identified as an important part of a virtual powerplant solution proposed for our community.
Alas we are out of space again so we will recharge and dig deeper in the next edition!
