16 February 2023
Two of Australia’s largest electricity distribution businesses, Energex and Ergon Energy, will use key insights from their nation-leading research program to prepare for an acceleration in electric vehicle (EV) numbers across the Sunshine State.
Just as Queensland’s electricity distribution networks evolved to support an abundance of air-conditioning and world-leading uptake rates of rooftop solar, they will need to cater for the electrification of transport.
The results of the program, which analysed the charging profiles of 167 Queensland EV owners over 19 months, will help drive decisions that benefit EV customers and the electricity networks that support them.
Executive General Manager Engineering Peter Price said, “While EV sales in Australia have been relatively slow compared to the global average, we wanted to get on the front foot and gather data to help us understand the needs of our customers and the potential impact of their charging behaviours on the network.
“The key outtake from the research is that while an EV has the potential to double the electricity demand of a household during charging, it is an extremely flexible load that need not add to network peak demand in the evening, provided it is managed appropriately.
“Balancing demand and supply has long been the key to delivering secure, affordable, sustainable and safe energy solutions. “Over the course of more than a year on the top 10 network peak EV charging days, from 4-9pm, the diversified average of home charging tripled, from 0.25kW to 0.75kW per vehicle, which is something we want to avoid.
“Our results demonstrate that the availability of solar and cheaper off-peak tariffs can have a significant influence on the timing of EV charging and could assist with demand management on the home front and on the network more broadly. Interestingly, we also found there was less charging at home than other research suggested.”
The EV SmartCharge Queensland Insights Report provides a solid foundation for planning for residential EV charging options.
“As an industry we are facing a new wave of opportunities and challenges from electric vehicles, so it is critical to have the data to get in early and come up with real solutions that are good for the customer and good for the network.
“Although our research involved a relatively small sample, it is significant because we had devices fitted to a range of EV models in diverse locations, collecting data over a long period.
We’ve seen that when EV owners take advantage of renewable solar generation, or a more dynamic tariff, the diversified daily charging profile is favourable to owners and networks alike. Customers can save money while supporting grid stability without being inconvenienced and this is something we want to encourage,” Mr Price said.
The report will inform the development of new tariffs, dynamic customer connections, and demand management opportunities that benefit EV owners and their electricity networks.
“It’s still early days and there’s a lot more to learn, but this is a valuable guide to help us navigate uncharted territory before the EV juggernaut really takes off in Queensland.
“In Queensland we are continually improving our knowledge of the number of electric vehicles, where they are and how they are charging than possibly anywhere in Australia, so we’re starting in pole position,” Mr Price said.