The upcoming surge in the use of electric cars has led to FEVER, a project aimed at easing grid demand with completely grid-independent, renewable-powered charging hubs.
FEVER (Future Electric Vehicle Energy Networks support Renewables) is a five-year, EPSRC-funded project led by Andrew Cruden, a professor of energy technology at University of Southampton†
ofgem estimates that electric cars and vans will require 65-100 TWh of electricity annually by 2050, an increase of 20-30 percent compared to 2021.
Cruden explained that in a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario after 2030, it could be possible to get between 40-50 percent EV penetration by, for example, using supervisory control to alternate charging between EVs. that are connected to the same street at the same time.
“After that you really have to strengthen the network,” he says. “We are looking at a scenario where all charging energy for EVs would come from renewable sources.”
He added: “The existing portfolio of renewable energy developments is currently limited in the grid, not all of them continue due to the time and cost of connecting to the grid.
“What we’re planning is a possible solution to disconnect that. You wouldn’t be connected to the grid and thus not be limited by the vagaries of the schedule and the timing of getting grid hooked up.”
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In addition to renewables, the project will integrate off-vehicle energy storage (OVES) into the EV charging solution, forming the core of a local electric smart grid that can flexibly support energy demand in communities underserved by current infrastructure. .
The project aims to combine available renewable resources from different locations, with rural locations potentially combining solar and wind, while solar may be more suitable for urban environments. The project will also have an agnostic view of OVES, although Cruden said there will be a “significant battery element.”
“We currently think this could be a hybrid battery, possibly between lead acid and lithium, for example,” he said. “It can contain supercaps, especially with the powerful 350 kW chargers.”
In years four and five, the project aims to deliver two demonstration hubs that can charge six to eight EVs. Cruden added that if the first phases of the project show promise, there will be potential to look at a larger solution with a capacity of 25 to 50 vehicles.
Starting in September of this year in earnest, the FEVER project includes 11 partners from academia and industry.
