Brighton Solar Canopy

All content on this case study was created prior to the acquisition of EB Charging by Blink Charging.

Brighton & Hove City Council is committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, so we were delighted to be chosen by them to create a reliable, sustainable and future-proof electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The first step in this partnership involved creating a city-wide charger network which was, at the time, the biggest single-contract electric vehicle infrastructure deployment in the UK. We installed 200 lamp column charge points, upgraded 19 more on-street units, and constructed 12 OLEV-funded taxi rapid charge points in locations across the city.

In the latest development, the partnership is set to further develop Brighton & Hove City Council’s renewable energy infrastructure with the installation of a solar canopy over three 50kW rapid charger bays at Brighton Racecourse. These will be initially open to the public, and will enhance the Council’s already strong environmental and green public service reputation.

The Siemens QC45 Rapid Charger units will be supported by Tesla’s Powerwall, a smart, 40.5kW battery storage technology solution which charges with solar power during the day, storing the energy produced until it is used in the evening. The devices can also detect outages in the grid and provide a source of energy for other applications where necessary, potentially replacing noisy and polluting diesel emergency generators.

The structure of the canopy itself will use EB’s own Solar Carport design, giving the Council a bespoke unit manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled steel. The modular, versatile carport can be installed at different scales, in various locations, from independent car parks to larger retail sites. Its mono-pitch single cantilever design can be angled to maximise solar yield, and it has a steel base that enables vehicle doors to be opened uninterrupted by support columns. Over six bays, the Solar Carport can support 13.92 kW peak generation.

This project is part of an OZEV rapid charger initiative for taxis, with the aim of optimising the use of the grid in order to ensure a sustainable supply of energy for the future expansion of Brighton’s charge point network. The specific goal is to ensure that when taxi drivers charge their vehicles in the evening, power is drawn from battery storage units within the canopies rather than the grid.

To find out more about solar canopies, battery storage or urban charging infrastructure, please get in touch.