Smart Charging for the Opel Campus
- Development and operation of a fleet-optimized charging infrastructure for Opel
- Cloud-based load management for efficient energy distribution, also capable of offline operation
- Multi-level charging management across multiple charging farms and charging clusters
- Second-life battery storage made from 16 Opel Ampera batteries
- Integration of smart metering for precise consumption control
With Gridware, we have created a cost-effective solution for the development and operation of our charging infrastructure, including fleet management and cloud-based load management, at two large industrial sites. The project with Grid & Co. was a lot of fun to work on and brought good ideas and new insights on both sides.
How can a large fleet of electric vehicles be charged efficiently without overloading the power grid? The E-Mobility-LAB Hessen provided answers to this question. In the EU-funded project, an intelligent charging infrastructure with over 120 charging points was implemented on the Opel campus in Dudenhofen. The goal was to test grid stability, charging prioritization, and efficient energy distribution in a practical environment.
Grid & Co. played a central role in this: with Gridware, we developed the central load and charging management system that dynamically controls vehicle charging. Depending on the vehicle type and usage, the charging power was adjusted – from fast charging cycles for development vehicles to optimized overnight charging for company cars. A modular battery storage system made from used vehicle batteries additionally ensured grid stability.
To this day, the infrastructure remains in operation and has since grown to 500 charging points.
What makes it special: for the first time, a cloud-based, standards-compliant load management system was implemented on this scale. With our adaptive system, different hardware manufacturers could be seamlessly integrated, and algorithms for load distribution were implemented. The insights gained serve as a blueprint for future large-scale charging infrastructures and make a significant contribution to the successful implementation of the energy transition.
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