Charging - Elite Home & Solar

Solar Energy

“Intelligent charging is possible immediately”

May 27, 2025 ryansheehanrts

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and bidirectional charging are considered game changers for the energy and mobility transition. Nevertheless, the market for this key technology is still in its infancy in Germany. What are the biggest hurdles?

The biggest hurdle is the double grid fees. At the moment, I pay grid fees when I recharge my electric car from the grid after a journey. That’s perfectly clear, because I’m also putting a strain on the grid. But if I use my electric car to benefit the grid, for example to integrate more renewable energies or to provide energy services such as balancing or control energy, then I have to discharge the car. When I recharge it to its previous state, I have to pay grid fees again.

New study: Unlock EV flexibility to save money and optimise grids

However, large battery storage systems or pumped storage power plants, for example, do not pay these grid fees, which is why they are profitable and are springing up like mushrooms, because the market urgently needs flexibility and storage. I don’t have this business case with electric cars because the abolition of double grid fees only applies to stationary storage systems. If we had this for electric cars as well, we could get started with V2G. There are a few other hurdles, but they are all downstream. Only when the business model works does it make sense to tackle the other hurdles, such as the obligation to install a second smart meter or the still high prices for bidirectional charging stations.

For several months, you‘ve been offering a commercial V2G solution in France in collaboration with Renault. To what extent are market conditions more favourable there?

Renault, together with the national distribution network operator Enedis and the French government, has created a three-year exemption for the market ramp-up, under which the double grid fees for bidirectional charging do not have to be paid. This is exactly what we proposed to the Federal Ministry of Economics last year. However, the French energy market is actually slightly less attractive for V2G than the German market because there are not as many price fluctuations due to the higher base load from nuclear power plants.

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As a result, electric car drivers can only generate half to two-thirds of the revenue through bidirectional charging. In France, 300 to 500 euros per year are possible, in Germany 600 to 800 euros, if not more. This means that the potential in Germany’s energy market, which is heavily dominated by wind and solar power, is even greater.

What is the situation in other countries such as the United Kingdom?

In the United Kingdom, even higher additional revenues of 800 to 1,000 EUR are possible for electric car drivers. The reasons for this are the poorer network, the even more volatile electricity market and more products that can be powered by batteries or electric cars. There are already several pilot projects with a total of over 1,000 vehicles for bidirectional charging. At the end of the year, Renault will launch with us in the UK, as well as in the Netherlands. Neither country has double grid fees in this form.

What are the specific advantages of V2G for grid operators?

The need for grid expansion can be significantly reduced if the flexibility of electric cars is utilised. This means that whenever there is a grid bottleneck somewhere, the batteries of electric cars are discharged. If too much electricity is produced, especially during peak hours around midday, the cars are charged and discharged again in the evening, thus shifting the peaks in generation and consumption.

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Unfortunately, this product does not yet exist; it requires different regulations and more intelligent distribution networks. But this is the direction we are heading in. In the USA, nodal pricing is already common practice. Now it is important to bring electric cars onto the market to learn what they are really capable of, how electric car drivers behave and to what extent they can contribute to grid stabilisation. In my opinion, we are talking about around one million electric cars in Germany that will charge bidirectionally by 2030. This will not cause any problems. Last year alone, we connected one million PV systems.

What options are already available today? What advice would you offer utilities operators and electric car drivers?

Intelligent unidirectional charging of electric cars is possible immediately – in combination with reduced grid fees in accordance with Section 14a of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG). By flexibly providing their electric car batteries, customers can already save up to 400 EUR per year. This is because electric cars offer the greatest potential for flexibility compared to household appliances such as washing machines or heat pumps.

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We have developed various solutions for this: a smart charging app that allows electric car drivers to plan and control their charging processes at home, a dynamic green electricity tariff for households, and an EV aggregation platform that allows us to bundle the battery flexibility provided by the connected vehicles and market it in short-term trading. Municipal utilities are our partners here and can use this as a white label solution. We are cooperating with Cologne-based RheinEnergie and Enervie – Südwestfalen Energie, for example. In future, these services will also be extended to bidirectional charging. Those who get involved now will be well equipped for this promising market of the future.

Interview by Hans-Christoph Neidlein

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Solar Energy

Transportation transition – Thriving in a new electric driven world

October 29, 2024 ryansheehanrts

Ten years from now, most new vehicles will run on electricity rather than fossil fuels. And renewable forms of energy, like wind and solar, will play a crucial role in supporting the transition and meeting increasing energy demands from electric vehicles. Yet, even with all the progress made, many drivers are still at a crossroads when it comes to embracing the move towards zero emissions vehicles.

The road ahead

Despite the availability of government schemes that have been put in place to support the implementation of physical infrastructure, businesses and individuals are still concerned. There are questions surrounding access to charging stations and range anxiety – the fear that electric vehicles, without adequate charging support, will not perform as well on long journeys as their petrol or diesel equivalents.

There are also challenges around the ongoing management of charging infrastructure. For example, as EVs increasingly rely on renewable forms of power that are more intermittent in nature, changes in weather could affect the availability of power.

See also: E-car boom in Norway

For businesses that own or operate fleets, the transition is likely to be even more challenging. These organisations can have hundreds or thousands of vehicles ranging from cars to vans or HGVs. And the tasks involved in managing a fleet of EVs are totally different to those involved in managing the fuel supply for a petrol or diesel fleet. For example, operators need to consider:

· How can EVs get the power to keep moving around the clock?

· How do you manage the charging infrastructure to support a fleet of EVs?

· How do you smoothly process payments and reimbursements for EVs at home, in depots or on the road?

Keeping the wheels moving

When companies seek to make the transition to electric, leaders often don’t know where to start. The challenge is understanding how to effectively manage their EVs and implement a robust and reliable charging infrastructure to keep the wheels moving.

For businesses and fleets to make the switch to electric effectively and reliably, it requires the right management software that can remove the burden of technology and there are three pillars to delivering a seamless, future-proof driving experience.

Monitor performance

You need to be able to review all your EVs and charging stations in a single view and see in real-time any issues arising with charging units – from malfunctioning equipment to power shortages. The main things to monitor are:

· The physical status of each unit

· Overall power consumption

· The output of your system

Too often an EV charger is purchased without giving any thought to how the infrastructure will be managed. However, it is essential that organisations that are managing a large volume of EVs can balance power loads with demand. A lack of available power could have a major knock-on so a robust management platform is a must. You need to be able to track and manage the draw that EVs are having on your power reserves so you can intelligently distribute electricity around your network, without needing to draw extra power from the grid and face unnecessary costs.

Automate payments

Managing payments, and reimbursements for the charging of EVs is an important consideration. Your charge points may be configured as:

· Public – allowing general use for a set tariff

· Private – only allowing permitted users to connect

It’s likely that the appropriate solutions will vary based on the specific scenarios. For instance, a retail business overseeing an electric car park might set-up a fixed charging fee for employees or customers. While a fleet business setting up charging stations for EVs based at the driver’s home might choose to compensate a predetermined portion of the electricity expenses for work-related use. It’s important to be able to set up tariffs on a point-by-point basis, and to determine usage rights in the same way.

Compliance

As environmental regulations and emission standards become increasingly stringent each year, it’s crucial to ensure compatibility with the most up-to-date and rigorous charging station criteria. Likewise, as ESG reporting standards evolve, the right monitoring features will enable you to identify and report on the consumption and performance of your charging infrastructure to fulfil CSRD requirements in the EU and ESG reporting in the UK. By centralising control of charging, it’s possible to ensure compliance with regional requirements.

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It’s becoming clear that meeting the growing demands of electric transport, and making the investment worthwhile, will require the right tools to be in place. And in a world where there is predicted to be more 525 million EVs on the road by 2035, it’s going to become increasingly importance to deliver a seamless and reliable charging experience to underpin a successful transition. Simplifying how EV charging is managed and monetised to ensure uptime, availability and efficiency will be a pre-requisite for thriving in a new, electric-driven world. (Russel Olive, hcn)

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Solar Energy

Portugal – Dynamic EV-charging in Lisbon

August 16, 2024 ryansheehanrts

José Cardoso Botelho, CEO of Vanguard Properties, which owns the Infinity building, said: “Real estate activity has a considerable impact both environmentally and socially on the community. Infinity is a project of immense pride to us, and an important reference of our digital transformation. We are glad to have collaborated with Siemens to create a sustainable building for tomorrow.”

The integrated EV (Electric Vehicle) charging solution was customized by Siemens engineering and software teams in Portugal. It allows for dynamic and intelligent on-site charging management. The dashboards, which are intuitive and easy to use, present comprehensive information to the building manager or operator who can instantly view all information about each charger, as well as monitor energy consumption in real time. Precise reports per apartment based on monthly consumption are produced, facilitating optimization of the building’s energy performance.

Latest cybersecurity functionalities included

VersiCharge wallboxes are distributed over six charging islands, across three floors of the building. The energy management system is also prepared for the future integration of photovoltaic or other renewable energy generation, as well as energy storage systems which will contribute further to energy efficiency and the reduction of the building’s greenhouse gas emissions. The system includes the latest cybersecurity functionalities, and it supports global efforts to achieve climate targets by enabling the expansion of renewable energies.

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Markus Mildner CEO eMobility, Siemens Smart Infrastructure added: “Managing EV charging infrastructure via intelligent load management is crucial for sustainable energy systems and grid stability”.

The contract includes delivery of the highly scalable SICAM Dynamic Load Management (DLM), based on the SICAM A8000 power automation platform. The SICAM A8000 series is a modular device range for telecontrol and power grid automation applications in all areas of energy supply. SICAM DLM is a future-ready, highly robust charging station management system. It is prepared to receive grid constraint signals from distribution system operators (DSOs) and to integrate local distributed energy resources (DER) and energy storage systems, making it the ideal solution for the energy transition.

15,000 vehicle charging stations in Portugal by 2025

It facilitates communication with chargers, from which it extracts information related to consumption and offers dynamic charging management algorithms. As part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, an open digital platform that enables customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier, faster, and at scale, the device supports a dynamic load management strategy for the operators of the building.

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Portugal’s recovery and resilience plan aims to support the economic growth and make it ready for the future. The plan involves the deployment of 15,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2025. The Infinity building is a luxury condominium by Vanguard Properties located in Sete Rios, Campolide, Lisbon. It is one of the largest residential projects in the city, with 26 floors above ground, 195 apartments, and 352 parking spaces, covering more than 50,000 square meters of floor area. It is set to be the tallest and most iconic residential spot in Lisbon’s city center with environmental engineering and sustainability at its core. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Norway: Incentives for grid-friendly charging

August 5, 2024 ryansheehanrts

The service, called eNabo was introduced recently. This is the first time that Norwegian electricity customers will be rewarded for using electricity, especially for electric car charging, at times that are favorable for the local power grid. The launch is a collaboration between Norgesnett and the software company Volue.

“We’re all rooting for the green shift, but for us as a grid operator, rooftop solar and electric cars also present a challenge. When a lot of solar energy flows into the grid from private homes on sunny days and more and more people choose to charge their electric cars at night, it creates an increasing load on the local grid,” says Vidar Kristoffersen, CEO of Norgesnett, which has around 100,000 grid customers.

The main motive behind the new service is therefore to facilitate the feeding in of more and more solar energy from roofs and increased use of electric cars without having to raise the grid rent to finance a massive grid expansion.

Smart, but not “grid smart“

„Many of us have developed a relationship with smart charging of electric cars, i.e. charging at times when electricity in the spot market is cheapest, typically at night. The problem with this type of first-generation smart charging is that it doesn’t take into account the load on the local electricity grid. It is not “grid smart”. That’s the element we’re now introducing together with Norgesnett,” says Kjetil Storset, who heads the “neighborhood systems” initiative at Volue. This initiative goes under the name Spark.

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“In practice, the system will be handled through operators that offer smart charging. The service will be offered in areas where the network is seen to be particularly heavily loaded. Initially, this will apply to around 130 neighborhoods, but the number will increase as new solar production is rolled out. End-customers who choose to join the scheme will receive an extra line on their grid rent invoice from Norgesnett where the compensation will appear. This will be independent of which electricity supplier you buy electricity from.

Helping to keep grid tariffs down

With the new system, the grid company will receive a continuously updated forecast of production, consumption and bottlenecks in the local power grid in the coming days.

According to NVE, Norgesnett is the country’s most efficient grid company. “We are passionate about keeping our grid tariffs as low as possible, so it’s important to think in new ways, which we are contributing to here,” says Kristoffersen, and adds: “If we do nothing, we will soon be faced with two options. Either enormous grid investments, which customers will pay for through increased grid rent. Or throttling solar energy production and electric car charging to avoid overloading. In that case, we think it’s much better to give customers a small premium for charging “grid-smart” with short-distance solar energy.

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“This is a good start and one of several tools needed for us to develop more solar power in Norway,” says Solar Energy Cluster CEO Trine Kopstad Berentsen. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

mobility – EBRD funds EV charging infrastructure in eastern Europe and Baltics

July 23, 2024 ryansheehanrts

By 2028, Eldrive will install and operate 7,400 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in addition to 900 it already operates, expanding the EV infrastructure currently available in those countries.

The EBRD will invest alongside Renalfa Solarpro Group, Eldrive’s owner, in the first phase of development. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is also providing a €40 million venture debt facility.

Pave the way for other EV infrastructure investments

This investment supports the European Union’s commitment to decarbonisation. With the transport sector responsible for 22 per cent of global CO2 emissions in 2022, EU countries are accelerating the rollout of clean electric mobility. The EU Green Deal’s objective is to reach one million public EV charging stations in the EU by 2025 and three million by 2030. Currently, central, southern and eastern European markets are lagging behind western European countries in the availability of EV charging stations.

Sue Barrett, EBRD Director for Infrastructure in Europe, the Middle East and Africa said: “This is the EBRD’s first equity investment in a charging point operator (CPO) and we are pleased to support Eldrive’s expansion plans in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania. We hope this investment will pave the way for many other EV infrastructure investments across the region and help speed up the decarbonisation of the transport sector in Europe.”

Align financing activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement

Stefan Spassov, Eldrive CEO, commented: “We are excited to welcome the EBRD as an equity investor in Eldrive. Being the first CPO to receive such an investment makes us proud and shows the potential and resilience of our business strategy and model. This is great recognition not only for Eldrive but for the whole European electric mobility sector.”
Eldrive is a leading regional EV CPO in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania, facilitating the acceleration of EV uptake and bolstering the decarbonisation of transport, critical at this early stage of market development.

Also interesting: E-car boom in Norway

Renalfa Solarpro Group, an existing client of the EBRD, is an Austrian-based clean energy and e-mobility investment group with a focus on renewable energy generation assets. The group currently has solar and windpower projects under construction and development with a total capacity of 3 GW in Bulgaria, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland and Romania.

Also see: EBRD supports renewables in Romania and Moldova

The EBRD, a leader in climate finance in central and eastern Europe, Central Asia and the southern and eastern Mediterranean region, has aligned all its activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement and committed to making at least half of its annual investment volumes green by 2025, a goal the Bank has met for the past three years. (hcn)

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Solar Energy

Nordics – E-car boom in Norway

July 23, 2024 ryansheehanrts

While sales of electric cars are currently rather sluggish in Germany, the picture is different in Norway: around 84 percent of new cars registered on Norwegian roads in the first half of 2024 (new cars and imported used cars) were electric cars. This is according to statistics from Statistics Norway (SSB).

E-cars catch up with petrol cars

This means 2024 could be another record year. In 2023, the proportion of newly registered e-cars in Norway was 82% – higher than ever before. Around 732,000 electric cars are currently on the roads in the Scandinavian country. It is expected that more electric cars will be registered in Norway than petrol cars from September – this is unique in the world. Only the Norwegian diesel fleet, with around one million, is still slightly out of reach.

With a market share of around 17 percent in the first half of 2024, Tesla is at the top of Norwegian new car sales, with the Model Y being particularly popular. With a market share of around 11 percent, Volkswagen also makes it into the Norwegian top 3 after Toyota. VW’s best-selling car is the ID.4.

Reasons for the Norwegian e-boom

But how can the continuing popularity of electric cars in Norway be explained? What do the Scandinavians do differently to the Germans? For one thing, the Norwegian government has long provided strong incentives for electric cars. For example, there were major concessions and tax breaks for electric cars, lower parking fees and permission to drive in bus and cab lanes. Some of these measures were withdrawn, but the e-cars remained.

According to Michael Kern, Managing Director of the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (AHK Norway), the dense public charging network, which extends to the remote regions of Norway, also plays a role: “Such growth in e-mobility requires that the charging infrastructure keeps pace with the sales of electric cars – and does not become an obstacle to their introduction,” he says.

Fast-charging stations, which enable efficient and time-saving charging on the move, are particularly relevant here. In Norway, there were 7741 of these at the end of 2023 (in June 2024 there were 8550); Germany, with a population around 15 times larger, had 25,233 on January 1, 2024.

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However, Kern points out that direct comparisons between countries are often difficult. “In Germany, for example, there are completely different market conditions that influence consumers when buying a car.” As far as the switch to electromobility is concerned, Norway also has favorable conditions – apart from the cold winter: “In addition to the smaller population, the country has a more manageable and less complex infrastructure that needs to be adapted. In addition, Norway has always generated well over 90 percent of its electrical energy from renewable sources – so electric cars have always been able to fully exploit their environmental advantage here.“

Reduced fees for grid-friendly charging

The grid operator Norgesnett, in collaboration with the software company Volue, recently started offering reduced grid charges for electricity customers who charge their electric cars in a grid-friendly way. “We are all in favor of the green transition, but for us as a grid operator, solar roofs and electric cars are also a challenge. When a lot of solar power from private homes flows into the grid on sunny days and more and more people charge their electric cars at night, this leads to an increasing load on the local grid,” says Vidar Kristoffersen, CEO of Norgesnett, which has around 100,000 grid customers.

The main motive behind the new eNabo service is therefore to facilitate the feed-in of more and more solar power from rooftops and the increased use of electric cars without having to increase grid charges to finance a massive grid expansion.

“Many of us have developed a relationship with smart charging of electric cars, i.e. charging at times when electricity is cheapest on the spot market, usually at night. The problem with this first-generation smart charging is that it does not take into account the load on the local power grid. It is not “grid intelligent”. That is the element we are now introducing together with Norgesnett,” says Kjetil Storset, who heads the ‘Neighborhood Systems’ initiative at Volue.

Offer for regions with particularly strained networks

In practice, the system is managed by service providers who offer smart charging. The service will be offered in areas where the grid is considered to be particularly congested. These are initially around 130 districts, the number of which will increase with the expansion of solar power generation. End customers who decide to participate in the program will receive an additional note from Norgesnett on their electricity bill showing the offset. This applies regardless of which electricity supplier they purchase their electricity from.

Also interesting: Norway – First large solar park connected to the grid

With the new system, the grid operator receives continuously updated forecasts of generation, consumption and bottlenecks in the local electricity grid for the coming days.
“This is a good start and one of several tools we need to develop more solar energy in Norway,” says Trine Kopstad Berentsen, CEO of the Solar Energy Cluster. (hcn)

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