Solar car park installed at Surrey Research Park

The world’s first pop-up solar car park and electric vehicle charging hub has been installed at Surrey Research Park, Guildford.

The charging unit is constructed from recycled shipping containers. The first deployment has been set up at the Park, owned by the University of Surrey 4,500 staff are employed across 200 businesses there.

Many of those companies work on sustainability projects.

Described as the world’s first pop-up electric vehicle charging hub, 3ti said Papilio3 addresses the UK’s need to expand electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

The unit can support up to 12 fast EV charge points. The solar and battery-boosted charging system optimises the speed of charge and reduces the carbon intensity of electricity used.

Papilio3 integrates three technologies that are more usually considered individually: solar photovoltaic electricity generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and EV charge points.

The combination offers a range of benefits, including the ability to use grid energy, solar power and battery storage to optimise the speed and carbon intensity of EV charging. Onsite renewable energy generation from solar panels also reduces energy costs and gives businesses greater control over energy supply.

Tim Evans, 3ti founder and CEO said: "We believe that solar and battery boosted destination and workplace charging will become the best EV charging solution.

“By utilising dwell times of several hours, when cars are parked at work or when the driver is visiting a shopping or leisure venue, for example, 3ti’s system ensures that EVs can achieve a level of charge that covers day to day driving needs and does it in the most low carbon way."

“One of the best things about owning an EV is that you don’t have to visit a petrol station to fill up,” added 3ti Chief Technical Officer, Mark Potter.

“As EV drivers, we want to charge when we stop, not stop to charge."

"The three technologies integrated in Papilio3 enable the system to store and use the cleanest, lowest cost energy from its own solar panels and the grid supply. That means we can reduce the demand on peak hours grid energy without compromising EV charging speed.”

Papilio3 is available from 3ti on a rental contract and therefore requires no capital investment by customers.

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