As the world quickly switches over to the EV platform, the number of people charging their vehicles concurrently has increased to an all-time high. The system has become more advanced due to internet connectivity, therefore, EV owners now have the option of scheduling their EV charging times.
EV Owners Love Off-Peak Hours
Several energy suppliers offer different tariffs for on and off-peak times. So, in such cases, numerous owners choose to charge their EVs during cheaper hours.
This might be good for such vehicle owners as they get to charge their vehicles at lower rates. However, it also means that the electricity demand during the off-peak hours increases substantially.
As energy is constantly produced by the grid, managing such a high demand becomes impossible at times.
This is one of the issues that the new Smart Charge Point regulations are aiming to resolve.
What Do The Smart Charge Point Regulations Focus On?
These regulations focus on various aspects which include:
- Cyber security;
- Protection of consumer data.
However, the main principles introduced by these regulations include:
- Default off-peak charging;
- Random delays at the start of EV charging;
- Measures to promote customers for signing up to the Demand Response Services.
Let’s now discuss these principles one by one to know more about them.
1. Default Off-peak Charging
The newly installed charge points will charge EVs at the best possible time for the grid.
The peak electricity demand normally takes place during:
- Morning;
- Late afternoons.
By default, the new charge points will charge the electric vehicles at times other than these peak demand periods.
However, it is pertinent to mention that EV owners will have the capability of overriding these settings. This will be helpful if such owners need to charge their vehicles in an emergency.
2. Random Initial Delays During EV Charging
From the 30th of June 2022, every new electric charger will come with a by default delay of as much as 10 minutes.
This means that as the owner connects the EV charger, the vehicle won’t start charging right away. Rather, a delay of up to 10 minutes will be witnessed.
It might be nagging for many EV owners who won’t be able to make the most out of their off-peak hours.
This will have two effects which are:
- 10 minutes of the off-peak hour will be lost daily;
- You might have to charge your vehicle for 10 extra minutes during peak hours.
While it might not sound much but when you take all this monthly, the results are surprising.
3. Demand Response Service
The Demand Response Service can be beneficial for power suppliers as well. Mainly because EV batteries can be used as huge containers of power storage.
So, in case the electricity demand of the grid exceeds the production at any point in time, these EV batteries can be used for balancing the requirements.
An added benefit for all those EV owners who sign up for this Demand Response Service feature will be an exemption from the 10-minute delay mentioned earlier.
This is the national grid’s way of paying back customers who opt for the Demand Response Service.
Final Verdict
The main aim of the Smart Charge Point Regulations and its above-mentioned principles is to ensure that with the growing demand for EVs, the system doesn’t collapse.
The regulations will be applicable from June and only time will tell how successful they are.
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