The Asturian Energy Foundation (FAEN), with the support of the Regional Ministry of Employment, Industry and Tourism, has developed a project in Mieres, which consists in the design and installation of an energy charging station for electric vehicles exclusively from photovoltaic solar energy and, therefore, not plugged into the grid. This ensures that electric vehicles loading in the station will be fully 0 emissions in its operation. The new charging station is located next to the FAEN headquarters in Pozo Barredo. It has a capacity of four vehicles.
An Agreement has been signed between FAEN and the University of University of Oviedo, which allowed for the installation of the charging station on the Campus of Mieres University. The project has an important Research and Development aspect. The partnership between FAEN and the University should help to promote projects and activities of Research, development and promotion of the use of clean energy linked to electric mobility.
There are two phases in the implementation of the project. First, the design and installation of an energy charging station for electric vehicles exclusively from photovoltaic solar energy. This first step has been achieved with the inauguration of the charging station in February 2019. On the long run, the second step will consist in the hybridization of renewable technologies.
The main characteristics of the charging station are:
- Grid isolated charging point, solar-powered.
- 30 polycrystalline photovoltaic modules ASTRONERGY of 270 Wp structure-mounted type pergola with the capacity of 4 parking spaces.
- Battery capacity 60 kWh. Tubular lead casting under pressure (PCs) technology. 48v, 1250 Ah C5.
- Connector type II EFIPLUG charging point. 32 A, 230 V and 7.2 kW
- CCS connector type 2, 4 charge mode. Up to 22 kW
- 3 single-phase inverters working in parallel RS 5kVA/5,000 W to 48 V
- Solar controller MPPT 80 A
Economic and environmental advantages
The electricity production of the station forecast is about 8,500 kWh per year. Taking into account that an electric vehicle has a consumption average about 15-17 kWh per 100 km, that production would be useful to travel about 53.200 km per year.
The average emissions in Europe for a conventional vehicle are 143 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre travelled. An electric vehicle, according to the mix of generation of electric power in Europe would be at 68 gCO2. With these values, reducing these emissions by using the station to recharge would be of 7,61 tonnes of CO2 with respect to the conventional vehicle and 3,62 tonnes of CO2 on a vehicle to load in a facility connected to the grid.
Future steps
This station was designed as a place for experimentation and demonstration. This objective should especially be achieved through the installation of an equipment allowing for a real-time and accumulated data analysis, as well as the energy production and recharges made by electric vehicles. It is also open to the University and companies in the sector, where research and innovation may be carried out.
In addition, it is pretended to carry out a hybridization of renewable technologies by incorporating hydroelectric exploitation of mine water existing close to the charging point. This will allow for the maximization of the production of electricity of renewable origin. It will also permit the implementation of testing systems that allow the hybridization of photovoltaic and hydroelectric technologies.
Details
- Publication date
- 21 April 2023