Greener Power Solutions‘ business model is Battery as a Service (BaaS): the company rents batteries for a period of time, including full site management and configuration, maintenance, and integration of charging stations and energy producers such as photovoltaic panels.
What is interesting about this solution is that it enhances charging sites that cannot be developed or expanded to their full capacity due to network limitations.
How does it do this? By bridging the time gap for network upgrades.
“When building charging sites, the connection to the network is often limited. Additionally, the time to obtain an upgrade is long and can take several months, even years,” explains Jeroen Jonker, Business Consultant at Greener Power Solutions, in a conversation with Mobility Portal Europe.
In this situation, Jonker says there are two options: the first is to install only one or two charging points until the network connection is increased; the second involves installing all the stations and increasing the site’s power to fully exploit its potential.
Not only that, but the batteries also allow for the storage of energy generated on-site or at nearby locations, mainly wind and solar energy.
“Nowadays, with fluctuating prices throughout the day and week, you can store electricity at low or even negative prices and release it when people need to charge during peak hours, providing a direct benefit,” says the consultant.
It is important to mention that any electric vehicle charger, whether alternating (AC) or direct current (DC), can be connected to Greener’s batteries.
This is possible because their Energy Management System, which is built in-house, can flexibly adapt to the charging point operator’s (CPO) charger and charger backend.
Why Should CPOs opt for Greener’s Solution?
“Batteries at charging sites are something CPOs often do not want, as they can add complexity and require large sums of money in CAPEX,” comments Jonker.
He continues, “CPOs wonder whether they will actually use them, or if they will secure a larger grid connection. This is where Greener comes in to fill that gap, providing a flexible, temporary and easily scalable solution.”
In fact, the BaaS offered by the company includes not only deploying the batteries but also their maintenance and 24/7 remote monitoring and control.
“Most (pending) malfunctions will be resolved before the client notices anything wrong with the battery. Worst case they’ll send a technician over to repair any malfunctions, or even swap out the battery entirely” the consultant acknowledges.
Before each deployment, Greener works with clients to design the best site configuration for seamless integration of electric vehicle chargers, photovoltaic panels, on-site installations, energy trading, and grid connection.
The company’s energy management system (EMS) is at the core of all this and can be freely configured according to the client’s specific needs and site requirements.
“Through this ecosystem, we can configure, control, direct, and resolve issues remotely,” explains Jonker.
For example, Greener worked with a fuel retailer that had charging stations, a small shop, a café, and solar panels.
“To orchestrate all the energy flows between the different consumers and providers, you need an intelligent system,” he points out.
Greener then assesses the site and discusses with the operator or site owner how to set the priorities.
“For instance, to ensure the café continues running smoothly, someone charging their car might receive slightly less power, while making sure solar energy is used up first” he exemplifies.
About Greener
Greener was founded in January 2018 to make an impact on the CO2 footprint of on-grid and off-grid energy markets through mobile batteries and intelligent energy planning.
“They began by replacing generators, mainly diesel ones, with batteries,” Jonker comments.
Currently, they serve several markets, including construction and infrastructure, e-mobility and the event sector.
For instance, Greener provided 20 charging stations to Solar Solutions International, as they needed additional infrastructure for electric vehicles attending their exhibition.
In two days, they charged over 80 cars while their owners explored the latest innovations in solar energy at the event.
They also offered their solutions at the Cannes Film Festival in France, partnering with BMW to transport people from the airport to various locations.
“All the BMWs were electric and were charged with Greener’s batteries,” Jonker confirms.
It’s worth mentioning that the UEFA EURO 24, which took place last month, was also supported by the company’s energy storage solutions, as well as the Paris Olympics currently underway.
