Taiwanese firm Delta has implemented its own electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at its Emea headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands.

The technology, which includes EV chargers, solar PV inverters, and energy storage and energy management systems, demonstrates how Delta’s products can help facility managers in hotels, shopping malls, offices and other commercial buildings satisfy the growing need of EV charging services while easing the subsequent impact on facility energy infrastructure and the electricity grid.

With this, Delta’s 35-year-old Emea HQs green building is expected to benefit from a more diversified energy mix and better managed EV charging peak hours, all reflected in an estimated up to 15% reduction in the building’s annual energy consumption as 16 EV chargers provide service employees.

“This installation at our Emea headquarters showcases an ideal that Delta is able to offer to not only meet EV users’ charging needs, but also to address concerns from property owners relating to the infrastructure while also decreasing any impact to the existing grid and infrastructure,” said Vincent Lin, senior director of smart energy at Delta in Emea. “With sustainability and energy efficiency at the heart of Delta’s DNA and our commitment in RE100 to operate 100% with renewable electricity by 2030, our Emea headquarters demonstrates Delta’s focus on encouraging cleaner and eco-friendly mobility and energy infrastructure.”

The technology ensures the infrastructure runs efficiently and is easy to manage. It provides the necessary power needed without greatly impacting the existing grid, and offers a more economical and flexible option compared with a total upgrade to the grid infrastructure. This ensures energy optimisation and supports the highest peaks in energy and EV charging demand, offering seamless integration to a current power grid.

Delta’s EV charging equipment installed in the Hoofddorp office includes:

• A 50kW rooftop solar PV system to generate approximately 42,300kWh of green electricity each year.
• 16 AC and DC chargers that can simultaneously charge 24 EVs.
• A battery energy storage system with the capability to store up to 293kWh of electricity.
• A power conditioning system with 100kW output power for battery charging and discharging, and peak shaving.
• DeltaGrid EVM for managing EV charging, and optimising solar power and energy storage use.

With over six million EVs already on the roads across the EU, the number is expected to be spurred further by the EU’s Green Deal which has set a goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by at least 55% in a bid to help Europe become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. The expected growth of green and affordable EV transport will impact how people travel and the charging options they expect to find when arriving at their destination. A survey of EV user charging behaviour shows that 80% to 90% of charging events occur in destinations which the car will be parked for a while, resulting in peak demand periods in either the evening after returning home, or in the morning after arriving at work.

To offer EV users the facilities they need to meet their charging needs, some problems need to be addressed. These include determining how to incorporate new charging demands without triggering circuit breaker trips or creating safety issues, how to balance and control the cost of electricity, and how to implement appropriate measures to handle power utility plans.

Aside from the existing infrastructure, organisations also need to be equipped with an appropriate EV charging infrastructure, which not only considers the RoI but also the total cost of ownership.

Delta has made it easy to optimise an EV charging infrastructure with technology that is both future ready and delivers capex, opex and grid optimisation to meet the needs of charging operators and the EV drivers they serve. The installation at Hoofddorp could act as a functioning proof point of the reliability, durability and ease of use of Delta’s EV charging infrastructure.

Delta, founded in 1971, is a specialist in switching power supplies and thermal management products with a portfolio of smart energy-saving systems in the fields of industrial automation, building automation, telecom power, data centre infrastructure, EV charging, renewable energy, energy storage and display. Delta serves customers through its sales offices, R&D centres and manufacturing facilities spread across close to 200 locations on five continents.