Power poles transformed into front-of-meter EV charging stations

An Australian project led by Intellihub will see local street side power poles turned into electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the Sydney and Hunter regions of NSW. The chargers will be installed in front of the meter as a controllable resource for grid operators.

Fifty street-side locations will be selected for the EV Streetside Charging Project, with each EV charging station to be connected directly to the overhead electricity supply and energy use matched with renewable sources of power.

Smart metering and data intelligence provider Intellihub will lead the project, which is being delivered by several energy and EV businesses in partnership with local councils.

Schneider Electric is providing EV chargers for the project and Origin Energy is providing 100% renewable energy, meaning all the energy used by the EV charges will be matched with the equivalent amount of certified renewable energy added to the grid.

Intellihub CEO Wes Ballantine has explained how the chargers will be installed in front of the meter, aiming to enable them as controllable resources for grid operators. This in turn will allow increased renewable penetration into the electric network.

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Tackling EV access

Ballantine also stated how the project would help tackle the lack of public access to EV chargers, particularly for the one in four Australian households that do not have off-street parking: “It’s expected that as many as 10% of new car sales in Australia will be electric vehicles by 2025.

“That equates to an extra 120,000 new EVs on our local streets each year. It is likely that many of these car owners may be unable to charge their EVs from home. Power poles line most of our public streets and that presents an opportunity for the EV charging market. They’re an accessible, safe and practical option for EV charging.”

Potential locations for charging stations include areas near apartment buildings and high-density single dwelling suburban streets, shopping strips, bus or train stations, sporting facilities and hospitals.

Charging specialist at Withywindle David Anstee said there was potential for 190,000 public street-side EV charging stations across the country: “Thousands of power or light pole-based EV chargers have already been successfully deployed across London, Germany, Canada and the United States.

“This trial…will uncover the charging habits of Australian EV owners across different locations and with different incentives. And it will give energy suppliers insights into how to use electric vehicles to soak up excess rooftop solar power during high generation periods.”

The trial is also expected to provide safer ways for owners without off street parking to charge their cars. Local councils are receiving regular reports of cars being charged via extension cords strung from homes to cars parked on the street.

The charging station sites will be nominated by up to nine local councils taking part in the project. Nominations will be based on feedback from residents, expected demand, traffic access and parking availability.

The project is being supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency with a AUD 871,000 (USD 597,902) grant.