EV chargers are increasingly being combined with large batteries to optimise electricity use, and a new installation at Gridserve’s Gatwick hub has seen two 3.6 megaWatt-hour batteries installed to store energy generated by on-site solar panels.
The vast batteries, supplied by SYL, are designed to store electricity harnessed by the site’s 114 photovoltaic panels, which can generate up to 33.3 kiloWatts, using this energy to charge EVs during hours of peak energy demand.
The batteries are said to be capable of powering the 30 charging bays at the Gatwick hub for three hours when the site is at full capacity.
One megaWatt hour is equivalent to 1,000 kWh, and with a typical EV having around 70kWh of capacity, the battery installation could in theory charge 100 EVs from full to empty, or 200 cars from 20-80%, which is a common charging session. The batteries can also feed electricity back into the grid, helping balance demand.
The installation was completed by Gridserve in conjunction with UK Power Networks, the distribution network operator (DNO) covering London, the south-east and the east. The project involved adding a 33,000-volt network to the site, while also connecting it to transformers at Gridserve’s electricity substation.
UK Power Networks says that by storing energy generated from the site’s solar panels, then using this at hours of peak electricity demand to charge cars, the batteries will “support EV charging, lower carbon emissions and efficiently use the grid”.
Gridserve’s London Gatwick Electric Forecourt opened at the start of 2024 and is located on the ring-road approach close to the airport’s south terminal long-stay car park, a stone’s throw from Junction 9 of the M23. It hosts 22 ultra-rapid 350kW chargers, four 22kW chargers and four Tesla Superchargers.
A lounge with free wi-fi and a Costa Coffee feature at the site, which also hosts a convenience store offering Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. This allows shoppers to tap in when they enter the store, with the system detecting when an item is taken or put back on a shelf, automatically debiting customers’ cards accordingly.
The hub also offers assistance for drivers with disabilities, who may struggle with heavy charging leads, stiff plug sockets or tight access between chargers and cars, and can call for assistance via fuelService. This is an app and SMS based tool that was set up by a disabled driver to help those who might otherwise struggle fill their cars with petrol, diesel or electricity.
Raoul Tufnell, Gridserve’s development director, said: “This is the fourth Electric Forecourt within UK Power Networks’ geography and a fantastic statement for how Gridserve, working closely with UK Power Networks, is contributing to a greener future for the UK.”
Tosin Abimbola, UK Power Network’s major connections project manager, commented: “We strive to make it easy to connect low carbon technologies to our networks and are proud to continue collaborating with Gridserve”.
