Hauliers can now get paid to use less electricity

Commercial Motor
April 24, 2024

Hauliers can make money by installing EV chargers and battery storage systems, that's according to energy supplier Connected Energy.

The company suggests taking advantage of the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS) from the National Grid. The scheme pays businesses for reducing their energy demand from the grid during peak periods. 

Just switching everything off during peak periods is not a realistic solution to get paid out so operators can install battery storage to draw from instead. This means vehicle charging would be uninterrupted but the business would make money from not charging directly from the grid. 

Nigel Dent, head of sales at the battery energy storage system (BESS) provider Connected Energy said: “This could be a real game-changer for fleets. The modelling we’ve already seen for truck depots and HGV service centres indicates that companies could earn up to £15,000 a year by using a BESS to participate in DFS and other schemes.”

The DFS scheme is operational from November to March when the National Grid will ask participating businesses to stop using energy from the grid at least 12 times during the winter in what it calls ‘events’. The initiative is designed to prevent blackouts so peak demand is generally between 4pm to 7pm. Events can last up to four hours and the minimum commitment from participants is 30 minutes. Companies are paid based on the length of time they participate for and by how much their energy consumption is reduced in this period. Per megawatt-hour (MWH), National Grid has quoted £3,000. 

Dent said: “Commercial fleet operators and truck dealerships are going to have to install high-capacity charging stations to support the transition to electric vans and HGVs. By pairing them with a BESS and taking part in these flexibility initiatives, they can transform this from a necessary expense into a return on investment.”

Connected Energy uses end-of-life batteries from EVs and repurposes them into its energy storage solution E-STOR. The 300kW system can store energy from the grid to be used at peak times to charge EVs on site. 

Dent said: “A fleet depot or truck dealership is an ideal participant in reducing load as they’re more likely to be charging at set times, often overnight. Trucks need high-capacity chargers, typically 150kW or 350kW. By using a BESS you offset your energy use without actually having to turn off the charger. You can continue to charge the vehicle for that hour without drawing from the grid, meaning you can claim under DFS without impacting your operations.”

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