‘EV Connect’ for Wellington, NZ

A project called ‘EV Connect’ will be introduced to Wellington, New Zealand, to provide a business model for smart electric vehicle charging technology.

The three-stage project is coordinated through a partnership between Melbourne-based energy tech firm GreenSync and Wellington Electricity, with part funding of $275,000 provided by the NZ Government’s low emission vehicles contestable fund.

It’s designed to provide solutions to manage peak electricity demand on Wellington Electricity’s network, the stages including grid connection technology, a corporate fleet pilot programme and a roadmap for industry consultation and wider adoption.

GreenSync uses an innovative decentralised energy exchange (deX) platform which it says helps “transform electricity grids into marketplaces” to provide a “cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy system for everyone”.

The Wellington project marks GreenSync’s expansion into New Zealand and will show the deX platform’s capability in addressing international issues around the management and integration of renewable and distributed energy resources, GreenSync chief executive officer Phil Blythe says.

Wellington Electricity will investigate how it can use customers’ energy assets, such as using EVs and their batteries in providing power back into the grid (including solar).

Blythe says New Zealand is a world leader in using renewable, clean energy combined with EVs to reduce emissions.

Fleet managers and others are expected to be involved in the Wellington project, providing feedback to fine tune it.

Wellington Electricity chief executive officer Greg Skelton says the project will help understand the technologies involved, benefits and future regulation.

The project will involve companies involved in EV smart charging technology, virtual power plants, connectivity and other related activities such as GoodMeasure which connects distributed energy resources to software platforms.

Meanwhile, the Wellington City Council has installed 30 EV street chargers in areas with limited off-street parking, with plans for 20 more.