ev.energy and Flexitricity partnership helps suppliers unlock Balancing Mechanism with smart EV charging

Flexitricity and ev.energy have partnered with an intent to register the first domestic electric vehicle aggregated unit in the Balancing Mechanism (BM). Utilising ev.energy’s smart charging platform with over 10,000 electric vehicle assets, Flexitricity will be able to trade this domestic flexibility as a Virtual Lead Party (VLP).

Flexible charging of EVs creates an opportunity for customers to save or even earn money whilst also helping National Grid ESO balance the growing quantities of intermittent renewable energy needed to achieve net zero. It also enables energy suppliers to deliver renewable energy to their EV charge point customers.

Most electric vehicle owners come home from work, plug in their car, and start charging immediately - during the natural peak in energy consumption. This increases demand at peak times which is expensive, can be high carbon and puts pressure on local electricity networks. Smart charging turns this problem into an opportunity, by unlocking valuable flexibility to help balance the grid.

Using ev.energy’s smart charging app, electric vehicle owners set a ‘ready by time’ to ensure their car is always ready when they need it. During the time before their car needs to be fully charged, ev.energy’s smart charging platform and Flexitricity’s automated platform will work in unison to ensure that the optimal charging strategy is deployed. This delivers much needed flexibility to National Grid ESO and the lowest prices possible for the consumer. ev.energy’s smart charging platform automatically reacts to real-time electricity price signals, including within the Balancing Mechanism.

The Balancing Mechanism is one of the main tools National Grid ESO uses to balance supply and demand on the electricity system in real time. It’s a profitable market where providers can offer to increase or decrease their generation or demand to help balance the system. Now, as the country moves towards its 2050 net zero carbon targets, National Grid ESO and Elexon have made changes to encourage smaller, more agile energy assets to contribute. This presents a huge opportunity for a range of flexible energy consumers, including EV users.

William Goldsmith, ev.energy’s Head Commercial & Grid Services, said: “With a rapidly growing 60MW capacity of EV load currently on our platform, ev.energy is in an excellent position to help balance the GB energy system. By partnering with Flexitricity we are able to offer energy suppliers an advanced trading service that reduces their cost, benefits the grid, the environment, and delivers better value to their customers.”

Andy Lowe, Chief Commercial Officer at Flexitricity said: "Electrification of transport presents both a huge opportunity for suppliers and customer and a challenge for networks. The partnership with ev.energy allows us to take a leap forward in demonstrating how flexible EV charging of the future will look like.

“This partnership has the potential to revolutionise the way the EV market operates and most importantly it will make a significant impact on our 2050 net carbon zero targets.

“Flexitricity made history last year when we were first to utilise the Balancing Mechanism Wider Access arrangement to trade one of our customers’ battery assets. Now we’re looking to do the same with a network of EVs.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About ev.energy

ev.energy’s (https://ev.energy/) smart, cloud-based platform automatically optimizes EV charging, for a greener, cheaper charge. It enables electric vehicle owners to enjoy:

- Savings on the cost of EV charging

- A truly green motoring experience, delivered from renewable electricity sources

- Automatic control and integration with charging hardware, at home and on the go

Their technology integrates with leading electric vehicle brands. It is a cloud-based software platform that requires no special hardware, and no day-to-day management is required to meet an EV owner’s charging requirements.

About Flexitricity

Flexitricity (www.flexitricity.com) created and now operates the first and most advanced demand response portfolio in GB and has unsurpassed knowledge of the market and its requirements.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Flexitricity partners with businesses throughout Great Britain to provide reserve electricity to National Grid. The word “Flexitricity” means “Flexible Electricity”. The company looks for flexibility in electricity consumption and generation, creating revenue for energy users and generators as well as reducing national CO₂ emissions and helping to secure energy supplies.

Their team is fully engaged at industry and regulatory level and has a track record that demonstrates innovation and delivery success.

Flexitricity is a wholly owned subsidiary of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners.

About Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (www.quinbrook.com) is a specialist investment manager focused exclusively on lower carbon and renewable energy infrastructure investment and operational asset management in the US, UK and Australia. Quinbrook is led and managed by a senior team of power industry professionals who have collectively invested over $8 billion of equity in energy infrastructure assets since the early 1990's, representing a total enterprise value of $28.7 billion or 19.5 GW of power supply capacity. Quinbrook's investment and asset management team has offices in Houston, London, Jersey, and the Gold Coast of Australia. Quinbrook has completed a diverse range of direct investments in both utility and distributed scale wind power, solar PV, peaking power and grid support, biomass, battery storage and ‘micro-grid’ installations in the US, UK and Australia.

CONTACTS

Flexitricity - Ross Henderson / ross@mediazoo.tv / +44 (0) 141 471 8399