Electric Vehicle

How solar energy and electric vehicles complement each other

Exhibitors at the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry, Intersolar Europe, are presenting the latest trends and technologies in the areas of photovoltaics (PV), PV production technologies and solar thermal technologies from June 13 – 15, 2012. For the first time, the topic of e-mobility is also taking center stage with the new PV and E-Mobility special exhibit unveiling mobile storage technologies and showcasing combinations of PV carports, charging stations and electric vehicles. In addition to presenting solutions individually, Intersolar Europe shows the most important ways in which they work together, providing information on how electricity storage and grid integration can be combined to ensure solar power is used effectively by those who generate it. The program also provides the opportunity to take an electric vehicle for a test drive in the outdoor exhibition area of Messe München, allowing visitors to experience the future of mobility first hand.

Electric vehicles play an important role in our future energy supply, thanks to their batteries storing electricity which in turn stabilizes the grid. Intelligent control technology charges the batteries when sufficient cheap power is available. At peak times, when electricity demand is high among grid users, the stored power can be used as a short-term backup. As private vehicles spend 90% of their time parked and not in use, this opens up enormous potential to compensate for peaks in demand.

E-mobility and solar power

These intelligent systems are the most effective and sustainable when the vehicles are "filled" with solar power from, for example, the energy produced by the user’s own roof-mounted PV installation or carport. In addition to protecting cars from rain and snow, PV carports are also able to deliver the energy needed for e-vehicles. Part of the solar power is used to charge the vehicle battery, while the rest is consumed for a different purpose or fed into the grid. Special charging stations for PV carports synchronize the charging times of the electric vehicles with electricity generated by the photovoltaic installation. An installation with a capacity of three kilowatts (kW) can supply enough power for a vehicle to travel around 15,000 km per year. The combination makes sense because electric vehicles have significantly greater levels of efficiency than vehicles with combustion engines, and generating power from renewable sources is much more efficient than producing biofuel for example.

PV and E-Mobility special exhibit:
To turn this vision into a reality, the industry is also working on new charging systems. Up to now, users have had to charge their vehicles by connecting them to a power source using a cable, but inductive cable-free charging will be possible in the future. Vehicles will be parked over coils in cable-free charging stations in garages, car parks or public parking lots, allowing charging from the power grid to start automatically without the need for the vehicle to be connected in any way.

At Intersolar Europe 2012, the new PV and E-Mobility special exhibit in the outdoor exhibition area (booth FG.700) unveils the latest technology and shows how the individual components work together. With a total of 11 partners, Intersolar Europe presents numerous PV carports, charging stations and electric vehicles, bringing to life the e-mobility of the future. The program also provides the opportunity to test drive a variety of electric vehicles.

Intersolar Europe 2012 takes place from June 13–15 at Messe München.

www.intersolar.de