NAA BE Member Company Profile: EA Technology
EA Technology is a global, independent provider of end-to-end power engineering solutions, supporting customers in managing and operating electrical assets reliably, safely and efficiently. The company is also the project lead for My Electric Avenue, an innovative project that is providing a solution to the potential impact that the recharging of electric vehicles (EVs) may have on the local electricity network…
EA Technology began life as the UK Electricity Industry’s Research Centre in the 1960s and today the company – which is now employee-owned – is recognised as a world-leading expert in its field, working collaboratively with partners across the energy, utilities, infrastructure and associated sectors.
EA Technology’s innovative work on developing smart grid solutions has helped many Distribution Network Operators as well as the industry in general begin to understand, plan and implement practical solutions for future networks. These include:
The Transform Model – the world’s leading techno-economic modelling tool for electricity networks. The model determines the best investments for network operators to ensure that the grid can sufficiently meet the demands of the network in the future in the cheapest way possible.
Thames Valley Vision (TVV) – a £30 million project designed to evaluate smart grid solutions being tested on the electricity distribution network in Bracknell and the surrounding area.
Customer Led Network Revolution (CLNR) – the UK’s largest smart grid project, at the forefront of the move towards a low carbon economy.
My Electric Avenue – the project lead for My Electric Avenue, an innovative project that will provide a solution to the potential impact that the recharging of electric vehicles (EVs) may have on the local electricity network.
My Electric Avenue exceeds targets for electric car trials
My Electric Avenue is focusing on the potential problems that can arise when a large number of EVs charge in the same street at the same time, and is the first trial that directly controls domestic EV charging to prevent underground cables and substations being overloaded. The project aims to prove a solution that would avoid the costly, time-consuming and potentially disruptive alternative of digging up roads to install higher capacity electric cables.
My Electric Avenue set out to look for ten ‘electric avenues’ – groups or ‘clusters’, with seven groups of ten people or more – where each person will drive an electric car for 18 months to trial a new technology which will monitor and control the electricity used when the car is being charged.
As at March 2014 My Electric Avenue has exceeded the targets set by Ofgem for the electric car trials.
Although the Technical trials are now fully subscribed, My Electric Avenue’s Social trials are still open for business. The Social trials are designed to complement the information gathered during the Technical trials and participants can lease a new 100% electric Nissan LEAF at a specially negotiated rate for 18 months. Applicants can be individuals or groups and there’s no requirement to have any technology installed in the home. Spaces in the Social trials are limited and so the cars will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information visit www.eatechnology.com
