The essential role of smart charging in the energy transition

Welcome back to our blog series, inspired by our webinar with our partner, Stekker! We've covered the key insights, answered your top questions, and explored the financial advantages of smart charging. Now, it's time to focus on another critical aspect: sustainability. How does smart charging truly contribute to a greener EV ecosystem?

Driving electric is a step in the right direction on its own, but the real benefits are found in how we charge our cars. Smart charging plays a pivotal role here. It’s not just about when you charge, but more importantly, with what kind of power.

Making the most of what is given to us: solar & wind power

The greenest form of electricity is that which is generated from renewable sources. The challenge is that these sources aren't always available—the sun doesn't shine at night, and the wind isn't always blowing.

As expert Erik de Bruin of Stekker highlighted in the webinar, a smart charging system can perfectly time your car's charging session to moments when there is an abundance of solar or wind power. If you have your own solar panels, the system will prioritise charging your car with that free, 100% green energy. This ensures the clean power is used directly where it's needed, rather than being sold back to a grid that might lack the capacity for it at that time.

Reducing grid congestion and stabilising the power grid

One of the greatest challenges of the energy transition is grid congestion, a 'traffic jam' on the electricity network you can say. When everyone uses power simultaneously (for example, in the evenings after work), the grid gets overloaded. As large consumers of energy, electric vehicles can aggravate this problem if they all charge at once.

Smart charging does the exact opposite. By shifting charging sessions to quieter, off-peak hours (such as the middle of the night), the load on the grid is distributed more evenly. This practice, which Erik referred to as 'load shifting,' helps flatten consumption peaks and improves grid stability. A more stable grid can accommodate more renewable energy and reduces the need to activate polluting power sources as back up.

Even more importantly, by using existing capacity more efficiently, smart charging literally creates more 'room' on the grid. This facilitates the incorporation of more EVs as well as other equipment such as heat pumps. All of this without the immediate need for costly and time consuming grid reinforcement.

The road to a 100% fossil free energy system

The ultimate mission, as Erik explained, is to become entirely free of fossil fuels. This means achieving not just zero-emission driving, but also zero-fossil-fuel charging. Smart charging is a critical link in realising this vision.

By using our cars as flexible batteries that charge whenever there is a surplus of green power, electric vehicles transform from part of the problem into part of the solution. They become an integral component of an intelligent energy grid. With every smart charge, we contribute to a future powered entirely by solar and wind energy.

Looking ahead: your car as an active player in the energy transition

Smart charging transforms your electric car from a passive consumer of electricity into an active, intelligent player in our energy system. Not only do you maximise your use of green power, but you also actively contribute to stabilising the grid. It's a powerful way to enhance your personal environmental impact, simply by being smarter about when you charge.

Continue following us here! In our next blog post, we'll take a deeper dive into debunking common myths about smart charging.

Missed the webinar and want the full explanation from our experts? You can watch the entire recording here! (Please be aware that original audio is in Dutch. Turn captions on to enjoy in English)