Get your EV charging project off the ground

Schools looking to take advantage of the new funding scheme for electric vehicle charge points should consider a number of things before embarking on an EV infrastructure project.

State-funded education settings, including schools, colleges, nurseries and academies, can apply for the grant which provides up to 75 per cent of the cost to buy and install chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket – which is a rise from the previous £350 which schools were able to receive through the Workplace Charging Grant.

The grant aims to boost the chargepoint facilities for staff and visitors, and has the potential to help schools generate revenue by making their chargepoints available to the public.

Those embarking on an electric vehicle charging project will need to consider a number of points, outlined in this article. Power availability Education settings will need to understand their power availability. This involves finding out the size of their agreed supply capacity (ASC) from their DNO, how much of that power they use, and what spare capacity remains for EV chargers.

This process is vital so you do not exceed your supply and risk a power outage. If your site does have power limitations, there are ways to get grid connection upgrades via your district network operator, although this is an expensive move.

Other ways include using smart chargers with load balancing capabilities, or having the ability to generate your own power, such as solar, used with energy storage.

Load balancing systems/software will use real time energy monitoring to change the maximum amount of energy that chargers can use based on availability and requirement of the site.

An important part of the EV installation process is getting a site survey. This will assess how EV charging can be installed E F and engineers will typically visit the site to assess power requirements and if any groundworks would need to be done.

A good chargepoint installer will be happy to do the above as part of their service.

If the school doesn’t own the site where EV charging will be installed, they will need to obtain consent from the landlord for chargepoints to be installed. This can be time consuming and may involve legal work, so it’s worth beginning these conversations as early as you can. Understanding charging speeds Schools should understand the different charging speeds to understand what is the most appropriate for their site.

Fast charging has speeds of between 7kWh – 25kWh and is suited to destination, fleet, and overnight depot charging.

Rapid charging has speeds of 50kWh – 100kWh and can be used for quick turnaround charging.

Ultra-Rapid has speeds of 150kWh – 400kWh and is suited for public charging hubs, car parks, short-stay destinations and electric HGVs.

It’s also helpful to understand the difference between AC and DC charging.

A chargepoint with alternating current (AC) will get the alternating current from the grid and pass this on to the vehicle to convert to direct current and feed into the electric vehicle’s battery. The vehicle dictates the maximum AC charging rate, typically 7kW, 11kW and 22kW (though there are few vehicles capable at the highest rate).

DC charge points have the converter within the charger which means that the power is converted to DC before it is passed to the EV. The size of the converters will be much bigger than those inside a vehicle and therefore this results in a faster charge time. Back office systems When choosing a chargepoint installer, it’s important to find out about their back office portals. A good back office system will allow a school to monitor charging times, speeds, payments and conduct CO2 reporting.

It’s also important to look at what aftercare the chargepoint operator offers for service and maintenance, including callouts for repair.     If a school wants to open their chargepoints to the public and charge for usage, they will need to ensure they comply with the Public Chargepoint Regulations 2023 and associated guidance. Independent schools Independent schools may apply for funding through the Workplace Charging Scheme and the Electric vehicle infrastructure grant for SMEs.

The Workplace Charging Scheme grant covers up to 75 per cent of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket and 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.

The school must have dedicated off-street parking for staff and have parking facilities that are clearly associated with the applicant premises and be either on-site or at a reasonable distance from the school.