Why AI-mediated energy storage is essential for EV charging infrastructure growth

Transportation electrification is essential to global decarbonisation. Across the world, the electrification movement is gaining ground; proponents argue that the most efficient, effective route to the highest emissions reduction impact is to electrify, then decarbonise.

In other words: we must replace fossil fuel consumption with electricity, and then ensure that electricity is generated 100% cleanly. For transportation, the major shift is from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).

By Avraham Edelstein, VP R&D at Sparkion

To achieve necessary, widespread BEV uptake, industry must instill driver confidence in charging station access, public charging sites must be lucrative business decisions for operators and businesses who install them and the electric grid must be able to handle the increased demand that EV charging will necessitate.

Energy storage offers a viable solution to address many of these challenges. Deploying energy storage behind the meter and on-site at EV charging stations, flexibility can be brought to service suppliers. Access to effective charging services in more locations will also increase driver confidence. However, traditional energy storage alone is not enough, this transition requires solutions driven by AI-powered software that can fully optimise the power flow operation while keeping all the site’s parties under control.

Shifting energy consumption to prepare the grid for public EV charging

The aging electric grid already teeters with grid strain, threatening brownouts, rolling blackouts, or all-out crises, when events like severe heat or storm outages heighten demand and damage infrastructure. Combined reports of EV sales forecasts and related charging infrastructure growth reveal that, by 2030, EVs will be responsible for an estimated 30% increase in energy consumption. Without solutions to help monitor and meet demand behind the meter, this could have an adverse impact on an already-strained electric grid.

Accessible and reliable public charging sites are a key facet of US clean energy infrastructure growth, as EV owners cannot solely rely on home chargers to meet their needs. To that end, the Biden Administration introduced the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula plan, which offers $5 billion in funding for the creation of a national EV charging corridor. The programme aims to facilitate 500,000 EV charging stations, available across the US by 2030.

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Public fast charging stations offer convenient and reliable charging that will help facilitate the transition from ICE to electric vehicles and assuage driver concerns about on-demand access to charging outside their homes. However, at the same time demand for charging at these sites, which could include shopping malls, highway-side convenience stores, grocery store parking lots and more, will be inherently unpredictable and, if mishandled, could come with costly downsides for drivers, site operators and utilities.

Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) is the most practical application for public charging sites but, thanks to its high and concentrated energy demand, it also possesses the greatest risk of upsetting the grid in times of stress. What’s more, a public charging site can never truly account for when charging demand will spike.

Take a NEVI site at a turnpike rest area with four DCFC, for example. The days and times when those chargers will see the most activity might follow somewhat predictable overall patterns (i.e. more visits during rush hours, holiday weekends, fewer in the overnight hours) but it’s not an exact science. Each site needs to be prepared to handle the (somewhat unlikely) possibility that four vehicles will arrive simultaneously on a summer afternoon to charge up. When this happens, the local grid will be strained. Peak consumption will likely trigger demand charges for the site operators and, by extension, higher energy prices for the customers. This is where public charging sites supplemented by AI-enabled battery storage can help DC fast charging avoid cost spikes and grid stress.

The essential supplement: AI-mediated energy storage

To maximize the upside and minimize the downside of this transition, charging stations – especially public, DC fast charging ones – must integrate intelligent energy storage systems to better manage demand, reduce grid strain and mitigate costs.

Conventional behind-the-meter storage is a familiar solution to grid operators and those working on the frontlines of the energy transition. These platforms are helpful in limited cases but cannot address grid woes alone, particularly when faced with scenarios where end-user behaviour may be unpredictable. Just like newer model cars have some automated features but still require someone in the driver’s seat, an added layer of monitoring and control for energy storage is essential to not just monitor but manage demand.

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To suit EV charging infrastructure growth and long-term reliability, an energy storage solution must be equipped with intelligent, AI-powered software to navigate demand and optimise charging sites. The topology of each charging site is unique and can include diverse hardware and software providers. This is where a versatile and product-agnostic energy storage software solution can offer many benefits to site operators, customers and the grid, including:

● Predictive analytics for offer more visibility into demand patterns and can reveal opportunities to adjust a system’s behavior over time.
● Site’s chargers communication to facilitate load reduction when needed based on overall site consumption, vehicle’s state of charge and other factors.
● Real-time and historical data analysis, paired with predictive software to create working plans for meeting daily demand and optimising performance.
● Advanced machine learning tools to power and improve daily decision making over time through operational experience.
● Oversight of energy and power prices to optimize profits for the site host.

Benefits to consumers, business and the energy industry

With intelligent behind-the-meter energy storage solutions on-site and NEVI funding available, the provision of public fast charging becomes much more feasible for operators. It’s essential to deploy these solutions in tandem with public charging infrastructure to ensure a smooth transition to mass EV adoption and transportation electrification.

A smooth transition to EVs and, by extension, a smooth transition to a decarbonised economy, can be facilitated by widespread adoption of energy storage solutions to support charging sites. AI-enabled platforms can react independently and in real time to fluctuating energy prices and user demand. As NEVI sites pop up across the country and business owners weigh the viability of installing DCFCs, an intelligent storage model will be the key to optimising customer experience, minimising operating expenses and saving on costly and time-consuming infrastructure upgrades.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Avraham Edelstein manages research and development at Sparkion.

Edelstein is an experienced power systems engineer with a demonstrated history of working in renewables focused energy storage, power plants, electrification of things and the energy transition.

He holds Electrical Engineering and MBA degrees from Tel Aviv University.