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Description
Renel IKE provides solutions for energy and electromechanical projects and services.
Both EU and national guidelines push for the adoption of EVs. For example, according to a recent law, in Greece from 2030 only EVs will be sold in the country. Due to the high adoption of EVs, there will likely be a peak in electricity demand when most EVs are recharging. This, in combination with the increased electricity generation from renewable sources, will lead to the increasing importance of smart energy production, consumption and storage.
R&D-project “SMART” by Renel IKE comprises of the development of a SMART Solar Charge Station for EV vehicles, with an integrated system to manage real time energy consumption, generation and storage. The product will be based on energy storage systems and stochastic forecasting models. The SMART Solar Charge Station will support energy producers, energy suppliers, owners of charging stations and EVs through a decision-support system that will decide on the appropriate energy consumption.
For the project, Renel IKE has partnered up with two Greek companies. Amongst them, the Greek company G. K. SKYLOGIANNIS & SIA OE. They will assist the development and implementation of the optimization model for real time energy management in the charge station, and the with the implementation of the IoT technologies. Power Public Corporation, their second partner, are the largest energy producer in Greece. They will also be a potential client to later adopt the solution and install the smart EV chargers throughout the country. Their contribution to the project, is to be the pilot user of the EV charger, as of their experience in the energy market.
The project will lead to increased competitiveness of enterprises registered in Greece. Through the project, 2 new jobs will be created. Additionally, the entry of the product will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption due to better energy management of the electrical vehicles.
Summary of project results
Both EU and national directives push for the adoption of EVs. For example, according to a recent law, in Greece from 2030 only EVs will be sold in the country. Due to the high adoption of EVs, there will likely be a peak in electricity demand when most EVs are recharging. This, in combination with the increased electricity generation from renewable sources, will lead to the increasing importance of smart energy production, consumption and storage to ensure grid stability and efficient management of energy supply, demand, and storage. This need, combined with the lack of relevant infrastructure (there is a short supply of even standard EV chargers in Greece), led to the SMART project idea by Renel.
The project involved the development of a smart metering system as well as an optimisation algorithm that takes into consideration both user-defined data as well as environmental information, information about the infrastructure, the car hardware, etc.
Specifically, the project identified 10 key factors that affect the charging of electric vehicles, such as fast charging infrastructure, smart charging stations, battery management, renewable energy integration, etc. The project then developed various algorithms to enable smart charging stations to make optimal decisions in response to grid conditions, electricity prices, user preferences, battery health, and other parameters. The algorithm aims to optimize the production, consumption and storage of energy in the smart charging station, taking into account the market price of electricity, the battery level, and the presence of a car.
The project tested and evaluated the model and the pilot system, using different scenarios and algorithms to simulate the charging operations. The project also analyzed the user behavior, energy efficiency, and grid integration of the smart charging station. The project achieved full functionality and performance of the model and the pilot system.
In the end, the project delivered a smart metering system that collects environmental and metering data, an optimization model and algorithm that optimizes the charging operations, and a pilot system that demonstrates the functionality and efficiency of the smart charging station.
The project will address the issue of energy optimisation in a constantly shifting energy market, as production shifts to renewable energy sources and consumption patterns change with the introduction and increasing adoption of electric mobility solutions. The project will benefit all users/owners of electric vehicles but could also have other commercial applications in the future.
The project will contribute to increased profitability for Renel (increased revenues and net operating profit), and led to the creation of 2 new high-skilled full-time jobs in the company, which were retained even after the completion of the project.