On May 14, 2024, the official kick-off of the "Laderabatt" project took place in Zurich. Organized by CLEMAP, this project aims to revolutionize electric mobility through innovative charging stations and optimized energy use. Pascal Kienast from CLEMAP led the event, which took place at Otto Fischer.
As part of the Charging Discount project, CLEMAP's current technical infrastructure, including its load management system, is being used to offer charging discounts to operators of public and visitor parking lots. Electric cars are an important alternative to fossil fuel-powered vehicles, but cost is a decisive factor in times of rising electricity prices. The project aims to overcome this hurdle.
By bundling charging station points into a pool, their freely available capacity can be offered as flexibility on the balancing energy market via the energy service provider BKW. Charging point operators receive financial compensation (yes, cash!) for this flexibility. Electric car users who charge at their destination can plug in their car and benefit from discounted rates.
The project will run for two years and is being supported by 40% by SwissEnergy as part of the Charging Point program.
Electric cars are often charged at a charging stations , but are not charged for the entire time (see Figure 1). This presents an opportunity for the "charger discount" project. By adjusting the charging profile over the connection duration, we maximize the switchable power and can make use of the previously unused connected phase of the electric car. The switchable power can be offered as balancing energy. In contrast to bidirectionality, no electricity is fed back into the grid from the car battery; instead, the charging profile is intelligently and optimally adjusted using CLEMAP's dynamic charging management.
The project is supported by a consortium that brings different perspectives and contributions to the table:
CLEMAP: Carries out the technical implementation and management of the project.
ZHAW - INE: Responsible for user characterization and scientific support.
Otto Fischer: Provides a location for the implementation of the project.
BKW: Connects the system to the balancing energy market and markets the flexibility.
City of Winterthur: Contributes the perspective of the city and municipal utilities.
The cooperation between the partners ensures that technical, economic, and social aspects of the project are taken into account.
CLEMAP customers (as well as new customers) can contact us to connect their charging infrastructure for pilot purposes as part of this project.
We are delighted to demonstrate with our pilot project how smart charging can contribute to grid stability and enable electric car drivers to benefit from discounted rates!