Page 25 - European Energy Innovation - autumn 2017 publication

Autumn 2017 European Energy Innovation 25

SMART BUILDINGS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES

registered cars fully electric by 2025. cars to electric vehicles. While buildings encouraging more electric vehicles,
are becoming smarter, so are cars and smarter buildings, and greener
In the UK, up to 60% of new car sales their charging infrastructure. And as electricity, providing at local community
in 2030 should be electric vehicles. electric vehicles are mostly charged at level the necessary charging systems,
And recently Britain banned the sale home and at the workplace, buildings interconnected with micro energy-hubs.
of all diesel and petrol cars and vans are slowly being transformed into
from 2040, due to rising concerns that docking stations – modern gas stations However, given that the technology
high levels of nitrogen oxide present a – providing renewable electricity related to electric vehicles and
major risk to public health, especially in instead of fossil fuels. charging is developing rapidly, any
cities. The commitment follows a similar lock-in to existing technologies must be
pledge made by France this year. FOR A SPEEDY EVOLUTION avoided. Pre-equipping buildings (with
The building, transport and power conduits for pre-cabling, for example)
Many cities are leading the way. sectors are connected by these and access to a sufficient power supply,
Iserlohn, in Germany, is implementing innovative developments, but also by a to enable the installation of recharging
an innovative pilot project to create growing need to facilitate their market points later, is more appropriate than a
smarter charging and easier billing uptake to avoid costly spikes in power specification of charging infrastructure
procedures for electric vehicle owners. demand. This is where forward-looking that may be outdated, unnecessary,
While early-adopters of electric vehicles and progressive legislation comes in. insufficient or oversized once the
have dealt with a fragmented market, New policies are needed to foster not building is used. Plus, the cost of
a smarter payment method is required only uptake, but also decarbonisation equipping buildings with conduits is
to further boost uptake. Through smart of the energy system. Electric vehicles expected to be considerably cheaper,
contracts it could be possible for a and buildings are crucial for Europe to so this could easily be put in place in all
building owner to sell stored, or excess, meet its climate and energy goals. new or renovated buildings.
green electricity produced by the
building to cars passing by. Policy-makers should support Policy-makers should encourage and
innovative business models foster production and self-consumption
Industry is also looking for ways to
tap into this revolution of the mobility
market. A German company, Ubitricity,
is undertaking a project to build
charging sockets for electric vehicles
into street lamps. Volvo has announced
that it will launch electric and hybrid
cars from 2019. And Toyota is working
on an electric car to be powered by an
advanced type of battery that has the
potential to increase driving range and
reduces charging time.

But if electric vehicle charging goes
unchecked, the grid may not be able to
sustain it. The problem is not the surge
in the total energy production, but the
management of peaks stemming from
a widespread switchover to electric
cars. Buildings can be the solution.

Operating as micro energy-hubs, Copyright: commonenergyproject.eu
buildings can act as a balancing force
for the energy system and foster a
smooth transition from fossil fuelled

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