Join us at the EV Infrastructure & Energy Summit on the 2nd of October, 2024!
We are excited to announce that Grace Carroll, Senior Consultant, will be hosting a panel and speaking at the EV Infrastructure & Energy Summit at the Novotel London West Hotel on the 2nd of October.
Formerly known as the EV World Congress, the rebranded EV Infrastructure and Energy Summit is the annual flagship event bringing together leaders from the entire EV ecosystem to tackle challenges and devise solutions that will accelerate EV goals.
Grace will be moderating the panel discussing “The Role of Destination Charging in Achieving 2.3 Million Charge Points by 2030” from 11:30- 12:10 on the 2nd of October. The panel will explore how businesses can benefit from different charging offerings, the potential opportunities for destination sites installing EVs and battery assets, and whether setting ‘targets’ for charge point numbers is helpful for the transition.
The other panel members include:
- Alan McCarthy-Wyper, Managing Director – EV and Energy - Moto Hospitality
- Paul Comer, Director of EV Implementation - Roadchef
- Maebh Reynolds, CEO & Co-founder - Plugable
- Gareth Dauley, Founder and CEO of KOE Group
You can book tickets for this panel and read more about the EV Infrastructure and Energy Summits here.
What’s in a name? – EVs and Energy
The Summit’s name change may be subtle, but it is significant as it draws attention to an under-discussed element of the EVs in the journey to Net Zero. As an alternative to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EVs play a vital role in achieving Net Zero transport. Grace Carroll highlights, “EVs have much lower carbon emissions and create far less pollution, which would otherwise damage people’s health and the physical environment. They are also almost always cheaper to run, and for those with home charging, it is a more convenient way to top up range when the vehicle would otherwise be sat on the drive.”
So why is adding the word ‘energy’ to an event title so significant? Engage believes it is important as EVs play a unique role in facilitating another overhaul to reach Net Zero 2050 – the shakeup of Great Britain’s energy markets.
EVs and Demand Side Response
To achieve Net Zero by 2050, the UK’s energy markets need to change. In part, this will be with physical infrastructure, such as the development of new windfarms or transmission lines. However, the way consumers engage with energy use will also need to change. Energy is currently a commodity which you turn on as you need it, delivered behind the scenes due to the work of the ESO (Electricity System Operator) and energy trading markets players. However, to make use of the increasingly green energy entering the National Grid, consumers should be encouraged to adjust their electricity usage when the grid is less clean or use distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar panels and local batteries. EVs are a frontrunner in this space for several reasons.
- A car first, DER second – EVs are not bought just to make a household’s energy usage more efficient. They are a vehicle first and DER second, meaning these benefits are brought in even if a household is not immediately engaging with changes to their energy use. This also means their numbers are much higher than those of other DERs, such as household batteries or heat pumps, as there is not a multi-year wait for perceived ROI.
- You CAN take it with you – A renting household is far less inclined to spend money on DERs tied to a property as they do not own it, especially if the cost saving benefits are years away. EVs can be taken with you when you move house, and whilst EV charge points cost money to install, they are still considerably less than other household DER installations. Some charge points focus costs into the device itself, with their financial model minimising the actual install costs so it is economical to bring it to another property.
- Policy – the government has put clear targets and regulatory pressure on the rollout of EVs. The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate is in place and will gradually increase the % sales of EVs each year, and Labour is expected to reinstate the 2030 phase-out date for the sale of new ICE vehicles. The ‘Smart Chargepoint Regulations’ has required all private charge points to have smart functionality since 2021, including the ability to respond to signals to increase the rate or time at which electricity flows through the charge point and demand side response services.
Engage Consulting and EVs
Engage Consulting are involved in several flagship government programmes looking to transform both the energy system and consumer behaviour and are therefore acutely familiar with the potential of EVs in the journey towards Net Zero. EVs and Smart charge points are integral parts of the interoperability testing which we are project managing under the Interoperability Demand Side Response project. We are also project managing delivery of the Alternative Energy Markets initiative, which models and trials innovative energy tariffs to increase the installation and use of DERs.
If you are interested in hearing more about our work in this area, please contact us at [email protected] or contact Grace at the EV Infrastructure and Energy Summit in October!
