Solar car parks to pop up across Scotland in pilot project 

This looks like a ‘build it and they will come’ strategy. But the problems of EVs such as high cost, range anxiety and heavy depreciation mainly due to uncertain battery life, are not going away – as shown by the very low numbers of adopters compared to fuel-burners. Using EVs to help charge the grid, as proposed here, could adversely affect their battery life.

A consortium is preparing to start building solar-powered car parks across Scotland as part of a trial project for so-called Smart Hubs that will feature both EV charging points and battery storage, reports OilPrice.com.

The six trial sites will also include vehicle-to-grid facilities (V2G) so EVs can feed energy back into the grid when necessary.

The Scotsman reports that the consortium behind the project involves several energy companies, among them Flexitricity, Turbo Power Systems, Flexisolar, and Smart Power Systems, which are hoping to have the pilot car parks ready later this year.

The aim of the project, however, is not just a way of spurring greater EV adoption. The solar-powered car parks will also alleviate the potential pressure of EV charging on the grid, which, the daily notes, is already strained. If successful, the project will be expanded into other parts of the UK.

The UK has pledged to phase out gasoline and diesel cars by 2040, but the Scottish government is even more ambitious: it eyes 2032 as the year when there will be only EVs on its roads. The goal is truly ambitious, especially in light of estimates that say by 2030 there will be some nine million EVs on UK roads.

While that’s not enough to replace the current ICE fleet, it is a substantial number, and having solar-powered charging sites would help the grid cope with the increased demand.

Full report here.