- 80 kWp solar carport installation at NEC powers EV fast-charging hub by bp pulse Gigahub™
- UK's largest and one of Europe’s largest EV charging hubs which can charge 180 electric cars simultaneously
- An Alliance of energy solutions expert Ineco Energy and solar tech giants LONGi Solar, SolarEdge and Bluetop Solar Parking supported the installation
The UK’s largest charging hub for electric vehicles, the bp pulse Gigahub™ which has been in operation since 7th September 2023, is powered by an 80 KW solar installation enough to supply up to 180 electric vehicles simultaneously with energy. The huge solar carport was built by EV Network at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham and has become another crucial leap towards developing a reliable electric charging infrastructure in Birmingham and beyond. The 80 kWp photovoltaic installation was accomplished by sustainable energy solutions expert Ineco Energy using bi-facial PV modules from LONGi Solar, the world-largest manufacturer of PV modules and solar wafers. Furthermore, SolarEdge provided the smart energy solutions and Bluetop Solar Parking the solar carport installations for the charging hub.
Solar energy supports the transition to electric vehicles
The transition to electric vehicles has to date been slow. A main reason is the lack of EV charging infrastructure which needs to scale up fast in order to meet the future demand. At the same time, the industry is looking for solutions that support the idea of providing green energy with green energy to drive European decarbonization efforts. With solar energy being the fastest growing and most economic renewable energy source, it will play a key role in the entire EV transition going forward.
“With transport accounting for over 24% of total UK emissions, EV Infrastructure is an essential part of the UK's transition towards Net Zero. The NEC Gigahub is a flagship site that will showcase some of its 7m annual visitors and 60m traffic count what the forecourt of the future looks like, today. Powered by renewables including from the on-site solar canopy in the day and light up by LEDs at night, the charging hub provides clean and convenient EV charging infrastructure. LONGi Solar has been a reliable partner for us providing highly reliable and efficient modules. For the installation, we decided to use bi-facial solar panels for maximum output given the application,” said Angus Rose, Director of Ineco Energy who have installed solar system delivering over 13.5 GWH of cleaner cheaper electricity and or the equivalent of powering nearly 4000 UK homes.
“We are proud to support a project like this new Gigahub at the heart of the UK motorway grid at the NEC in Birmingham. At LONGi we follow the concept of “solar for solar”, meaning to produce clean energy with clean energy. Charging electric vehicles with solar energy thus corresponds to our DNA at LONGi", said Sean McSorley, Sales Manager UK at LONGi.
“Our choice or suppliers and contractors in the creation of this site were key, as a flagship site, we required the best-in-class service on very tight project timelines. Working with Ineco has been exemplary, their understanding of not just the operational project, but the significance of the site has been important. With so many moving parts, flexibility, expertise and efficiency is in high demand. Working with Angus and the team at Ineco has been perfect, the project delivered brilliantly enabling us to deliver this incredible site,” said Reza Shaybani, CEO and Co-Founder of The EV Network.
From 2012 to 2022, LONGi produced 290 GW of photovoltaic products, resulting in a cumulative clean energy output of over 1.15 million GWh. Based on the average emission factor of the global power grid, estimated by the IEA (International Energy Agency), this is equivalent to avoiding 536 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. That accounts for 1.46% of the total global energy-related carbon emissions in 2022.
LONGi proposed the concept of "Solar for solar" as far back as the 24th United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2018. Behind this concept lies the ambition of producing clean energy from clean energy. In 2020, LONGi joined the RE100, EP100, EV100 initiatives in succession and participated in the SBTi, becoming the first Chinese company to join all four global initiatives. This year, LONGi’s near-term target has been approved by the SBTi, aligning with the 1.5℃ target in the Paris Agreement.
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Nadine Bütow
Head of European Communications (DG)
Timo Helmke
PR Manager Europe (DG)
About Bluetop Solar Parking
Bluetop Solar Parking designs and produces solar carport solutions for the B2B-market. The company was established in Denmark in 2014 and has since then delivered to over 80 solar parking projects in 16 countries. An innovative and deep product range forms the concept that is unique on the international market. For end customers, the solar carports provide sustainable electricity production as well as shelter and shade. Quality in materials, manufacturing and processes ensure secure investments. www.bluetopsolar.com