HyperHubs

EvoEnergy exceeded these requirements constructing a new ‘Hyperhub’ alongside Monks Cross Park and Ride in York, with the site going live at the end of July.

The Hyperhub consists of a 30 fast (7kW), 4 rapid (50kW) and 4 Ultra rapid (150kW), charging points, covered by solar canopies (110kWp) and supported by a Tesla battery system (348kW / 507kWh).

The system will initially operate as an asset to Northern Power Grid, offering demand side response and grid services via the batteries onsite, powered by the solar PV, whilst drawing very little energy from the grid and charging Electric Vehicles.

The system was designed and sized to evolve with the anticipated increase in EV usage and the batteries are capable of being switched to peak shaving or load shifting modes depending on demand and grid opportunities.

The batteries flexibilities and EV rapid charging features will future-proof the sites from further developments in car battery technology, as it is equipped with the capacity to support the uptake of the next generation of EV’s that will have larger battery capacities and are capable of increased charging speeds.

Our Design Process

The total consumption and PV generation data were fed into a 5-direction site energy model, factoring in all the changeable parameters, such as fluctuating consumption, variable generation, potential battery capacities and powers.

This refined the multi technology system model, which was able to extrapolate into possible future scenarios and be applied to future Hyperhub sites.

From best estimates, our model show that the amount of self-generated solar energy used on site would increase by 50% in 2021 to almost 100% in 2030, meaning that all the energy produced on site will be self-consumed

Benefits Of Battery & Solar Combination

Having a battery and solar PV allows the site to be more flexible as it can pull energy from multiple sources when required. For example, the battery can maximize the solar used on site and also ensures that the electricity used by the EV charging is from a low carbon source.

In addition, the site will be able to generate energy during the daytime via the solar PV canopies.

We anticipate that initially the usage of the Hyperhub will be sporadic, so we set the battery to participate in Grid Service markets (operated by National Grid), which allows the battery to accrue revenues from National Grid’s artificial energy markets through aggregator Grid Beyond.

This will be reviewed in the future, so when demand increases for the Hyperhub, the battery usage pattern will be re-evaluated to either load shift, peak shave or continue to offer Grid Services.

In addition, the site is future-proofed and easily upgradable when the demand for 350kW charging arises years down the line.

What Are The Results?

Ultimately, the development of this system will support the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. It will encourage both local and non-local car owners to make use of the new charging point facilities available, with an easily replicable system to be deployed across many sites.

Therefore, this achieves the client’s objectives of reducing the region’s overall carbon emissions and improving air quality in York, whilst also generating a financial return and saving drivers money.

The council will receive revenue for; the energy exported to the National Grid, income from road users paying to charge their vehicles and Grid Services.

This project is not only a milestone project for EvoEnergy, but also for the UK as the HyperHub will become the first park and ride in the country to offer electric vehicle charging infrastructure, combined with onsite renewable generation and batteries balancing the grid.

Overall, not only does The City Of York Council have a renewable energy system to support them on their journey to carbon neutrality by 2030, they have already ordered a 3^rd site and are actively exploring more.