LGH1486C - LYIT - Supply, Delivery, Installation and Support of a Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Point Pilot Project

Descriptions

The overview of the project is the supply and installation of a ground mounted PV array, battery storage and EV chargers. The aim is that the PV array will contribute towards the charging of electric vehicles on campus, reducing the amount of electricity consumed from the grid and replacing it with locally produced renewable electricity, thus lowering the carbon footprint of Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT). This project will also be used to promote the use of green renewable energy and as a testbed for future research within LYIT.The PV array will be ground mounted and located adjacent to a carpark located directly opposite the main LYIT campus (see Appendix 1A – Plan for EV Charging Point Pilot). The overall system will also include battery storage, as during periods when no EV is charging, surplus energy will be available.The integration of a string of bifacial PV panels will also be required, the aim to facilitate research and to test bifacial panels in a real-world deployment. The monitoring of individual PV panels is also a requirement. Any innovation technologies or processes in the area of PV, battery storage or EV charging will be of particular interest.As this pilot project is part of a larger European project (SMARTrenew), research and the dissemination of results will be an important aspect of the project. Realtime monitoring of parameters such as Generation, Usage, Export, Battery Charge/Discharge and EV charge data will be required.Storage of all data from the system is a key requirement and a real time visual display in the main campus building is desirable, the aim of this visual display being to promote and raise awareness of the project and the potential of renewable energy to the wider institute.