Princes Street
Previously a petrol station, the site has been redeveloped into one of the most advanced EV charging hubs in the country - Princes Street hub boasts the UK's first electric vehicle charging infrastructure to include solar canopies and battery/energy storage.
The official opening was carried out by the Minister for Public Health and Sport and Wellbeing - Joe FitzPatrick MSP in the summer of 2018. The hub consists of 7 x 50kW and 2 x 22kW charging units. The 50kW units can now take contactless payments. All charging units can charge two vehicles simultaneously, which means 18 EVs can visit Princes Street at any one time and get a charge! It was described at a European EV forum as “a globally significant development in electric vehicle charging”.
With it being the first of its kind in the UK, the charging hub involves renewable energy optimisation. This process ensures the best use of the on-site photovoltaic (PV) which provides 36kw of power with the battery-renewable solution allowing 90kWh storage capacity. The system allows the EV hub to reduce demand from the national grid at peak times and be in the position to take advantage of off-peak charging tariffs. The site has also been future-proofed to allow increased battery storage capacity and more powerful chargers.
Fun Fact - Princes Street hub was the first integrated hub with PV, energy storage and rapid chargers. The hub delivered 24,000 charging sessions in its first year of opening!