|

Can power napping solve electric car charging challenge?

News Service
10:04 - 27/08/2019 Salı
Update: 10:10 - 27/08/2019 Salı
REUTERS
file photo
file photo

MORE DATA PLEASE

The German city of Hamburg, for example, started a three-year pilot project this month with Siemens to pre-emptively identify overloads on transformers and along cables, and manage EV charging points accordingly.

"Loading processes offer so much flexibility that the overload on the networks can be reduced by deferring loading times or reducing the load that is supplied," said Thomas Werner, expert at Siemens Digital Grid.

"This happens through the digitisation of hardware and software and with communication technology," he said.

Using software to help protect ageing power networks from predictable surges could also avoid costly hardware upgrades to parts of the 1.7 million km of distribution grids in Germany.

With few than 100,000 electric-only cars in Germany at the moment, there is little threat of blackouts from over-demand. But the Transport Ministry in Berlin envisages up to 10 million electric cars on the roads by 2030.

The number of charging points across the country also only stands at 21,000. That's up 50% over the last year but still barely a fraction of future needs.

Next up for Netze BW is a trickier test.

Managing the power for 10 households with electric cars in a suburban street of 22 homes is one thing, now the power company is launching a study of car charging behaviour in an apartment block with 80 flats, where quarrels over access are likely.

It is also looking at a study in rural areas, where the longer cables required present challenges in maintaining stable voltages for charging.

But that's still only part of the story. Lossau said power companies would have to work more closely with carmakers to fill knowledge gaps and exchange information.

"It can only work if we get more data from each other."

#electric car
5 yıl önce