First 'smart charging station' supplies office with energy from car batteries
In Zelzate, Belgium's first charging station was opened at an office of engineering firm Sweco. Electric cars are used there to store solar energy so that it can be used elsewhere or during dark periods.
In Zelzate, Belgium's first charging station was opened at an office of engineering firm Sweco. Electric cars are used there to store solar energy so that it can be used elsewhere or during dark periods.
In Zelzate, Belgium's first charging station was opened at an office of engineering firm Sweco. Electric cars are used there to store solar energy so that it can be used elsewhere or during dark periods.
The charging station consists of a series of smart charging stations that engage an entire fleet of cars to store solar energy en masse. Sweco is a pioneer with a fleet that will soon include 200 electric vehicles, good for a storage capacity of 1 MW, comparable to a small power plant. It is an expensive investment, but one that can also be earned back through fluctuating energy prices, and which in the meantime relieves the burden on the grid.
Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) already indicated that by 2026 only the electric company car will be fiscally advantageous. Flemish Vice Minister Hilde Crevits, for her part, provided subsidies for the innovative pilot project. In the future, charging plazas can play an important role in relieving the energy grid, which now often suffers from a power surplus during sunny weather.
The technology can also provide a financial benefit for users with an electric car, especially if they generate their own power with solar panels. By injecting it when the price of electricity is high or storing it when it is cheap, the investment can also pay for itself in the long term.
The Sweco office in Zelzate, which is still under construction for the time being, will be able to run on an entirely energy-neutral basis with the new infrastructure.
Latest insights & stories
Luxe hergedefinieerd: ontdek de kracht van zacht water
Of het nu voor vakantie, werk, een congres of wat voor reden dan ook is, veel mensen over de hele wereld reizen en verblijven in verschillende accommodaties. Hoe denk je dat dit in de toekomst zal zijn?
8 cybersecurity trends & bedreigingen voor 2024
Wie vandaag over cybersecurity praat, neemt haast spontaan de term AI in de mond. Maar het aanvalsvlak reikt veel verder. Daartegenover staan gelukkig ook nieuwe en solide verdedigingsmechanismen. Proximus NXT en zijn securitypartners lichten toe.
WERELDWATERDAG: Keuzes, oplossingen en acties voor een betere toekomst
Hallo, waterliefhebbers! Op 22 maart 2024 is het Wereldwaterdag, een dag om water te vieren als een bindende kracht en een fundamenteel mensenrecht. Dit jaarlijkse evenement dient als een broodnodige herinnering aan het belang van zoet water, de wereldwijde watercrisis en de noodzaak van duurzame ontwikkeling van waterbronnen.