“Smart Charging Solutions: Optimizing Power Grid Capacity for Electric Cars”

In Europe, the sale of new cars equipped with internal combustion engines will be officially banned from 2035, but even now the trends reflect a growing interest in electric cars. Over the past four years, the volume of electric cars in Latvia has increased tenfold, but at the same time the necessary charging infrastructure has increased only two and a half times. Currently, there is an acute shortage of places to charge cars, although there is power in the grid that is not being used. This power can be used rationally by installing small, smart charging devices – charging the car yourself and sharing electricity with others.

The problem with the inadequacy of the electric car charging infrastructure is widely known and actively discussed, but less attention is paid to a possible solution – a thoughtful use of power grid capacity and ways to make an electric car charger accessible while earning money. With small-sized, smart charging devices that can be installed in a home or workplace, made publicly available and selling electricity to others, the infrastructure would become wider and more flexible in a relatively short time. Such equipment is used in many parts of the world.

Charging from a standard outlet – risk of system overload

Why is it not possible to fully use the power available in the power grid, in fact even half of it? In Europe, a three-phase electrical network is used – electricity reaches homes and other places via three cables. The first cable is more stressed than the others for various reasons. If the house has an older electrical network, the automatic fuses will trip when the load is too high. Although the system is designed to be balanced, too many electrical devices in the home or workplace can throw it out of balance. Charging an electric car from a standard outlet can not only take a lot of time, but also significantly overload the system. In addition, an electric car can take about 2 kW from a standard outlet.

Smart charging stations ensure an even load of all three phases and allow rational use of already existing electrical networks, their unused part. This makes it possible to use the existing power grids three times more efficiently, without creating overloads and without requiring significant additional costs. With intelligent load distribution between phases, in some cases, even an additional connection to the power grid is not required. Of course, there will come a time when the amount of electric cars will reach such volumes that the existing electric grid will not be enough, but it is not such a near future. In addition, as more and more solar panels, battery solutions and smarter ways of using the grid enter the market, it will be possible to provide the necessary amounts of energy for consumption.

80% want to charge their car at home or at work

The development of the electric car market and people’s desire to buy such vehicles are hindered by public infrastructure problems. In addition, according to research, 80% of people would prefer to charge their cars at home or in the office, rather than on the side of the road. This means that manufacturers of charging devices have to adapt – the charging devices offered by VOOL, which can be installed at home or at the workplace, can also be made publicly available, charging your car and selling electricity at the same time. The device will pay back its price and installation costs within two years, in addition, it will contribute to the development of the overall infrastructure.

Save electricity and reduce costs

It cannot be denied that as the number of electric cars increases, electricity consumption also increases. However, there is also another side to this issue – electric cars are also able to store large amounts of electricity at the same time and can help reduce electricity consumption if necessary. If necessary, the electricity in the battery can be fed back into the grid. Using smart devices, car charging can be scheduled and carried out when electricity prices are the lowest. On the other hand, when the stock market prices are high, it is possible to use the electricity stored in the car battery.

Although many people think that the transition to electric cars is a distant future commitment, it opens up new opportunities that we don’t even know about yet. We can’t build a gas station at our doorstep, but we can make our electric car charger publicly available, recouping the cost of the charger. In addition, the car battery is also a valuable provider of cheaper energy. While we wait for the network to be modernized, we can use the existing capacity more efficiently.

Juhan Harms, co-founder and CEO of “VOOL” company