Preparing for the energy transition – E-REDES

Preparing for e-mobility

In 2020, over 12% of new car sales in Portugal were electric, and forecasts suggest that the uptake of electric vehicles will only accelerate in the coming years. There is a risk that in some locations grid capacity may become insufficient to power the increasing number of charge stations required across the country.

Portugal needs to prepare its electric grid for the influx of EVs and ensure a smooth transition to renewable energy and low-carbon mobility. Portugal’s mainland distribution system operator (DSO), E-REDES, is contributing to the transition to renewable energy and clean mobility with a project that tests smart charging technology at the company’s office in Setúbal.

Data from this project, organised in collaboration with GreenFlux, will help E-REDES understand how smart charging can be used as a network management tool in increasingly flexible energy markets.

Smart EV charging in Setúbal

The E-REDES charging site consists of nine double-socket charge stations, which are connected to the GreenFlux platform, and a local smart meter that measures the energy consumption of the office building. If the consumption of the building is high, the GreenFlux platform receives a signal and reduces the power available to EVs.

The meter data also shows whether an electric vehicle is single- or triple-phase charging. As a result, smart charging per phase can be applied to increase the number of EVs charging simultaneously.

E-REDES is testing different charging scenarios to make the best possible use of the smart charging algorithm. The DSO also benefits from several fallback scenarios on the GreenFlux platform that guarantee safe operations when meter data is unavailable.

Integrating solar panels, DC chargers and a charging app

Solar panels on the roof of the Setúbal office already provide clean power for smart charging.  E-REDES will soon add DC fast chargers and integrate them into the existing system, such that their charging sessions are prioritised over those of the AC chargers.

To boost company-wide uptake of EVs, E-REDES will install a charge point for each vehicle in its fleet and provide a charging app to employees. The company will also expand the project to office buildings across Portugal.

This will help the DSO reduce their investment in electrical infrastructure and redirect the funds to a smarter investment in the grid that uses smart charging to accelerate the energy transition.

Read more about the E-REDES project.