As more UK motorists and fleets switch to electric vehicles, the requirements for electric infrastructure are evolving. Lee Sutton, co-founder and chief innovation officer of myenergi, explores the mobility transition and reducing reliance on the grid. 

As recently as 2015, just 2.8% of car sales in the UK were electric and hybrid vehicles. Fast forward to 2024, and there were 550,000 new electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) registered within 12 months – around 28.2% of the entire UK car park. This figure will continue to climb as the UK Government’s impending 2035 vehicle ban for new petrol and diesel cars and vans approaches.

In fact, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders predicts that more than 2 million EVs will be sold in 2035, highlighting the significant shift ahead. This will undoubtedly be an important part of the UK’s 2050 Net Zero ambitions, but there are also other important factors to consider.

Rise of home charging

While the operation of an EV produces no tailpipe emissions, it still requires energy. Fortunately, here in the UK, approximately 58% of our energy generation comes from low-carbon sources. This is predicted to grow to around 99% by 2035. This means that the vast majority of EV miles in 2035 will have no direct emissions from usage.

At the same time, however, it is important to understand behavioural trends among EV drivers. Currently, 85% of all EV charging is said to take place on the driveway. This makes the widespread installation of home chargers an integral part of EV adoption and the backbone of future personal transportation. Fortunately, in mid-2022, Part S of the Building Regulations came into effect. The regulation requires all new homes and buildings to be fitted with a smart EV charger.

But with all these new EVs, PHEVs and home chargers drawing power from mains supply, how will the grid be able to manage the load?

Bearing the load

This cumulative demand presents a significant challenge, particularly considering that most motorists will want to charge their car after returning home from work. This sharp peak, which coincides with pre-established evening energy peaks is one of the reasons why the UK legislated a requirement for all EV chargers to be equipped with ‘smart charging’.

Smart charging was introduced in the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021. It stipulated that chargers must have the ability to schedule charging during off-peak periods or when renewable energy generation is high, thereby reducing demand on the grid during peak times.

While this is an excellent stopgap, there is still a question of long-term grid functionality, necessitating widespread network upgrades and maintenance. Policymakers need to understand that meeting emissions targets and transitioning to EVs will also require investment in energy infrastructure, beyond the building of new renewable generation sites.

Household adaptation

While policy decisions remain with those in power, there are proactive options for all of us to consider. One example is the implementation of off-peak tariffs, like those offered by Octopus Energy, which help to further reduce grid demand by incentivising recharging during low-demand periods.

The most effective option for households is to invest in home energy microgeneration systems, such as rooftop solar and small wind turbines. When combined with a large ‘home’ battery, these allow a household to generate and store its own energy. This has two effects: firstly, it provides greater energy independence and minimises reliance on the grid; and secondly, it alleviates pressure on the national grid.

When it comes to EV charging, this stored energy can be deployed outside of peak generation time. It means that households can generate during the day, power their home in the evening, and recharge their EV overnight – all with little to no need for the grid.

At myenergi, we understand the importance of proactivity – our range of eco-smart products is relied upon by households across the UK. For example, our EV charger zappi allows users to recharge their EVs with 100% self-generated renewable energy. Households can also divert renewable energy to domestic heating systems with our power diverter, eddi. We can even help customers automatically optimise energy storage based on the energy being used, how much is generated from renewables, and their electricity tariff, with our intelligent home energy storage system, libbi.

Thousands of myenergi customers are also already playing their part through offering their devices for Demand Side Response (DSR) services, where they essentially remain ‘on standby’ for the grid at times of peak demand, and can adjust their charge rate remotely to either turn down or pause if demand is high and capacity is needed, or turn their consumption up if there is surplus generation that needs to be soaked up to make the grid work as efficiently as possible.

Self-generated

As the number of plug-in vehicles rises, eco-smart devices like these will play a crucial role in enabling consumers to be more energy efficient. We have already witnessed immense progress in the campaign to lower transport and power generation emissions. As the UK progresses towards 2035, it needs to consider the implications of mass EV adoption and better enable households to access self-generated renewables.

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CEF has teamed up with waste management and recycling company Waste Experts and ROSI – a French innovator in solar panel recycling – to offer UK wide collection capabilities for end-of-life solar panels.

The partnership aims to directly address a critical issue in the renewable energy sector – the responsible recycling and treatment of end-of-life solar panels.

As the UK makes efforts to shift to clean energy, sustainable solar panel recycling and material recovery has never been more critical. Despite this, the UK currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the transition. Currently, many end-of-life solar panels risk being sent to landfills, stock pilled or illegally exported – leading to increased environmental harm.

To tackle this challenge, CEF in partnership with Waste Experts and ROSI, is offering a UK wide collection for end-of-life solar panels via a combination of in house and subcontracted fleets, ensuring fully compliant handling and transportation in line with environmental and regulatory standards.

The end-of-life solar panels will then be processed at ROSI’s facility using advanced recycling technologies to recover up to 95% of the value of photovoltaic (PV) modules, including high-purity silicon, silver, copper, aluminium, and high-transparency glass.

The approach aims to significantly reduce the reliance on virgin materials and ensures valuable resources remain in circulation. Producing less than 1% of disposable waste, it also helps cut carbon emissions, as each tonne of recycled solar modules saves one tonne of CO2, greatly reducing the environmental footprint of solar energy.

Mike Gadd, Director of Renewables at City Electrical Factors (CEF), said: “Waste Experts provide CEF customers with a nationwide solution to manage their carbon footprint by considering a product’s full lifecycle and ensuring responsible end-of-life treatment. By recovering valuable materials and minimising landfill waste, we are driving long-term sustainability in clean energy and beyond.”

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Carl Kammerling International (CKI), the home of C.K Tools, has launched its Renewables Highlight Promotion offering its trade customers fantastic discounts across premium tools designed for the ever-growing renewables sector.

As the demand for renewable energy increases so does the demand for professionals equipped with the right tools for the project. Live from 1 May until 28 June 2024, this promotion will see CKI support its retail partners in establishing a strong bottom line by providing fantastic savings on popular products, as summer approaches.

This new promotion will see many of the premium tools C.K Tools is known for, available at discounts of over 60 per cent, including range deals, single SKU’s and complete kits optimised for both EV and solar installations.

Janet Bourke, Trade Marketing Manager at CKI, said: “As the nation becomes increasingly reliant on renewable energy, we are passionate about supporting our valued retail partners and trade professionals in navigating this change.

“The Renewables Highlight Promotion is our way of supporting our retailers in growing their businesses by providing an exciting promotional mix of fresh displays and great value deals on our high-quality range of innovative tools, at a time when the renewables sector is front of mind.”

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Mersen has unveiled ProGrid, a smart and versatile electrical protection systems designed to protect, monitor, detect and report events on the low-voltage grid.

With ProGrid, Mersen is accelerating its development in the smart grid. This will help to meet the changing patterns of managing power grids, linked to the increasing share of renewable energy sources and highly distributed generation in the grid. The Mersen ProGrid system is a smart solution that includes embedded fuses, fuse switch disconnectors, and monitoring functionalities to protect against overcurrent and ensure the availability of the low voltage electrical network.

Mersen ProGrid meets all the requirements of grid operators and industry for power distribution in grid and transformer stations, cable distribution cabinets and low-voltage distribution boards.

By implementing protection such as the Mersen ProGrid solutions, utility companies can improve the reliability, safety, and operational efficiency of their electrical systems. This solution enhances safety and security measures, preventing unpredictable faults and unwanted interference.

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Carl Kammerling International (CKI), the home of C.K Tools, has launched its Renewables Highlight Promotion offering its trade customers fantastic discounts across premium tools designed for the ever-growing renewables sector.

As the demand for renewable energy increases so does the demand for professionals equipped with the right tools for the project. Live from 1st May until 28th June 2024, this promotion will see CKI support its retail partners in establishing a strong bottom line by providing fantastic savings on popular products, as summer approaches.

C.K Tools has been at the forefront of hand tool manufacturing for more than 100 years, producing high quality tools that meet the most demanding needs of trade professionals. This new promotion will see many of the premium tools C.K Tools is known for, available at discounts of over 60 per cent, including range deals, single SKUs and complete kits optimised for both EV and solar installations.

Janet Bourke, Trade Marketing Manager at CKI, said: “As the nation becomes increasingly reliant on renewable energy, we are passionate about supporting our valued retail partners and trade professionals in navigating this change.

“The Renewables Highlight Promotion is our way of supporting our retailers in growing their businesses by providing an exciting promotional mix of fresh displays and great value deals on our high quality range of innovative tools, at a time when the renewables sector is front of mind.”

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