A new off grid solution has been launched combining solar PV, energy storage and rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging to offer remote access to EV charging without the need to improve local energy infrastructures.
Virtue EV from Powerstar uses 80kWh of NMC batteries along with a 50kW rapid DC and 11kW fast AC charger to remove the need for additional cabling or upgrades needed to accommodate the increased load and demand of rapid charging.
Rapid chargers are currently limited to areas where the supply is able to tolerate a sudden 50kW load and Powerstar says many locations would struggle to charge more than two cars simultaneously, purely due to the amount of power required.
By using the stored energy of the Virtue EV system to manage any sudden ramp up in power, the rapid/fast electric vehicle charger is expected to reduce these demand spikes.
In addition, the system is supplied with either a 6kW single or 12kW double solar canopy, allowing the storage unit to store energy either from the grid at times of low costs or self-generated on site. Powerstar argues that either option provides significant financial savings.
The company expects the solution to be used in a variety of sectors and industries including public sector, retail, railways, airports and education and healthcare facilities.
Dr. Alex Mardapittas, managing director at Powerstar, said: “By providing an off-grid locally connected storage solution and rapid/fast charging, Virtue EV will assist in meeting the increased demand for EV chargers, whilst removing the need for costly cabling and infrastructure redevelopments.
“From our launch day (6 December) we have already received significant interest in Virtue EV, with businesses from a variety of sectors realising there is a demand from customers to provide a cost effective electric vehicle charging solution.”
