Photo caption: A University of Canterbury research team that includes Dr Patricio Gallardo Ocampo (left), Dr Sharee McNab and Dr Hamish Avery, is investigating how solar panels installed on EVs could help reduce demand on the power grid and add value for consumers.
The Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) team at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) has received $452,000 in grants towards the new project. It is part of Horizon Europe's SOLAR-MOVE initiative which also has support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on behalf of the New Zealand Government.
The UC team is the only non-European Union partner in SOLAR-MOVE which involves 35 partners across 16 countries.
EPECentre Director Dr Hamish Avery says as the number of electric vehicles grows - particularly with fuel prices soaring - New Zealand's electric power grid is experiencing additional load. His team is exploring how solar panels installed on EVs could help reduce demand on the power grid and make them an even cleaner, more affordable transport option.
"Our electricity network was never designed for every house to have an EV, so we're excited to be part of the SOLAR-MOVE project that is looking to reduce some of this new load by incorporating solar power into EVs, along with solar power-assisted charging points," he says.
The three challenges of the project are to extend EV driving range by five to 10 km per day; reduce grid dependence by 20 to 50%; and deliver solutions that add additional value for consumers and the power grid.
"The point of this project is to do a formal and rigorous analysis of rules and regulations and how to integrate these new initiatives into existing energy systems," Dr Avery says.
"Finding solutions that seamlessly fit into everyday life is the easiest pathway to reducing emissions, but behind change is often a lot of work. In this case, we are challenged to investigate how solar-augmented cars and solar-augmented charging stations fit into our rules and regulations and to understand what barriers might need to be overcome."
The EPECentre team, which includes Senior Research Engineer Dr Sharee McNab and Transition Research Engineer Dr Patricio Gallardo Ocampo, is also exploring whether solar panels on EVs could benefit consumers as well as the electricity grid.
Dr Avery says it's possible that the charge from panels on stationary EVs could help power their owners' homes. "Or large parking lots of charged EVs might be used to charge a newly arrived vehicle without relying on the supply grid," he says.
Along with reducing the charging requirements of EVs, the project also aims to better understand how solar integration could extend their driving range.
EPECentre is planning a New Zealand trial of solar-assisted 'last mile delivery' as part of SOLAR-MOVE. Last mile refers to the final step in a supply chain, delivering goods to an end location.
The pilot will involve attaching photovoltaic (solar) panels on UC buggies which are already in use by some UC staff on campus. These electric-powered vehicles will then be monitored to see how their range is affected by using the panels.
Dr Avery says it will be a "real-world testbed for last-mile delivery scenarios". "Getting real-world data is vital to establish a baseline of what we could expect."
Internationally, SOLAR-MOVE is investigating vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) across five key applications: heavy-duty trucks, passenger buses, rubbish trucks, last-mile delivery vehicles, and motorhomes.
The EPECentre was chosen to take part in the Horizon Europe project, which is coordinated by the non-profit Portuguese Research and Innovation Institute, because of its expertise in the New Zealand regulatory and environmental context.
EPECentre was established in 2002 as a joint initiative between UC and the electricity industry. It brings together industry, researchers, students and academics to foster innovation in electric power and clean energy applications.
