Ask the Experts – What Is EV Charging Load Balancing?
With growing demand for EV charging, can your local electricity g...
Businesses, landowners, fleet managers and public sector bodies are not experts in fleet electrification, and nor should they be. There are concerns around this ‘unknown’ new reality for many who are interested in installing EV charging, and they need to work with key strategic partners they can trust, who are agile, and have the credible knowledge and expertise to help them deliver on their goals.
In this blog, our EV charging expert – Cameron Galloway, Design Manager at Mer UK – Fleet & Workplace, shines a light on:
Why does Mer offer an EV Charging Design & Consultancy package, and what are the benefits for those interested in installing EV charging?
One of the core competencies of anyone who is exploring an EV charging installation should be looking for in a charge point operator, is its ability to design and implement the right solutions, for both the short and long term. If a CPO is offering to support you for your entire customer journey, this starts right at the beginning, with a strong and comprehensive design and consultancy offering.
At Mer, our EV Charging Design & Consultancy package includes site surveys, a full design package including civils, 3D designs, DNO applications, EV transition analysis and renewable integration viability studies. We have created this offering to allow fleet managers to ‘see’ their charging infrastructure as the initial planning stages are carried out, so they can fully understand the infrastructure ahead of procurement and installation.
What’s included in Mer’s EV charging infrastructure strategy?
When we visit your site, we collect all the information required to support your EV charge point installation. Our bespoke survey report will summarise our installation plan, covering the best location for your charger points and details of any electrical and civils works that will be necessary to install and operate them. It will contain all the information needed for an electrical contractor to quote for the installation. Additionally, the survey can be offered as a stand-alone service to understand your site’s current suitability for EV chargers.
To help you visualise your EV charging infrastructure, we provide you with detailed drawings of the planned infrastructure. This includes:
If your project has already been partially scoped, we can still offer our design service with no need for a site survey. This would be suitable for a site that is planned to be constructed rather than currently existing.
We also use 3D Modelling and AI imagery to provide an accurate visualisation of the complete charging infrastructure. Using charger models, bollards, signposts, and bay marking, we can help you envision what your charge points will look like before the project begins.
This part of our service is also offered as a stand-alone option, which may help with tender requirements as well as the marketing and promotion side of your site’s development.
Distribution Network Operators, or DNOs, are responsible for the ongoing operation of all electrical distribution throughout the UK. In the EV charging world, they are responsible for enabling new points of connection for our chargers. Charge points are power-hungry, and, in some situations, fleet managers must obtain a new or upgraded power connection to supply their new charge points. Our site surveys and EV transition analysis will help determine if a new connection is needed for your infrastructure or if there is a cost-effective alternative.
Mer can take care of this process for fleet managers. We work with DNOs and IDNOs across the UK, bringing our expertise to connection applications so you do not have to worry.
To ensure your site can accommodate your EV charging needs, our engineers can carry out load tests, looking at the site’s supply capacity and load implications to assess your EV charging suitability, before making charger recommendations.
With backing from our parent company Statkraft, we can offer PV solar installation, battery storage, tariff optimisation, and more. These assets can help you maximise your site’s potential by integrating renewable energy to power your EV charging infrastructure.
Not all fleets are ready to transition to electric right now. It may be that the current vehicles are not suitable for your needs or there is not enough power for your charging plans.
We can develop for a fleet optimisation transition plan that details specifically which vehicles are ready to become EVs now and which may require a longer-term view. It may not be the correct decision to switch to a full EV fleet straight away and a phased transition can be managed easier and more cost effectively.
If you are a business, landowner, or local authority who is keen to explore what Mer can offer, we would love to have a conversation with you.
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