Dawsongroup has unveiled a clean energy fleet electrification facility, complete with a solar carport and 34 22kW electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
The full turnkey solution, from planning and design to power connection, procurement, project management and build of the clean energy microgrid, including solar power, battery storage and the EV chargers has been provided by Vev.
The Dawson Road site in Milton Keynes is the largest hub for Dawsongroup vans’ vehicles and fleet maintenance operations.
The microgrid features a powerful 262kWp solar energy system with two double cantilever carports.
The 300kWh battery units store energy generated from the solar panels and then charge vehicles, reducing demand on the national grid.
As part of the five-year full-service package, the microgrid and charging system is managed through Vev’s proprietary data platform, Vev-IQ.
The integrated charger and energy management system operates the charging infrastructure and uses intelligent load balancing to optimise energy usage across all sources – the grid, solar power and battery storage.
Vev explained that it provides invaluable insights to the fleet manager to maximise operational and cost efficiency.
Mike Nakrani, CEO of Vev, said: “We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with the team there as our experts in energy and operations leverage Vev-IQ to optimise the clean energy ecosystem and deliver cost-efficiencies for Dawsongroup vans.”
With a nationwide fleet of 13,000 vehicles and a fast-growing EV estate, Dawsongroup vans is forecasting carbon emissions savings from the project of 65 tonnes per year.
Stephen Miller, CEO of Dawsongroup said: “As a leading player in the UK’s commercial vehicle hire sector, Dawsongroup has a desire to help lead the way in decarbonising fleets.
“We chose to leverage Vev’s expertise in delivering end-to-end electrification solutions for our vans business and can now show our customers how they can thrive in the electric age and meet emissions-reduction obligations.
“We’re delighted with our new clean energy microgrid at Dawson Road and are exploring how to bring electrification further into our business.”
Read more from Fleet News - Four ways to optimise workplace electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
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Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s. Prior to joining Fleet News in 2008, he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News.
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