Kerala: Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle Charging Points to Come Up At Malls – EQ Mag Pro
KOCHI: Aiming to tap non-conventional energy to run electric vehicles, Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert) is going to install solar-based electric vehicle charging stations at hotel and mall premises in the state.
The move will thereby reduce the dependency on hydropower for charging vehicles.
The agency received administrative sanction from the government in this regard, and has invited quotes from national level empaneled agencies to set up the charging points. Currently, Anert has five fully operational charging stations and work for another six is underway.
“Anert will give subsidies to malls and hotels to set up solar based charging stations. About 5kw to 50kw of solar panels can be installed for the purpose, and the operator will get 50% subsidy. Electricity consumption is high for charging vehicles, so we have to tap green energy sources to reduce the huge burden on the KSEB,” an Anert official said.
Currently, the state does not have any qualified company capable of setting up these charging stations. To address this, Anert has invited quotations at national level for empaneling agencies to provide technical support and awareness to the interested parties. Anert will empanel eight to 10 agencies and the beneficiary can select the company for setting up the charging station.
“In our existing stations, consumers have to wait 30 minutes to an hour to get their vehicle fully charged. If we set up charging stations at hotels and malls, people can charge their vehicle while they shop or have food. We are looking into places with refreshment facilities and washrooms, where business is high to set up these stations,” he said.
During nights, slow charging is possible and the consumption will be less compared to fast charging. At present EV cars have 200 – 400 km mileage at one charge. Meanwhile, more affordable vehicles with upto 300km mileage is expected to be launched in the market next year.
At present, KSEB has six operational charging stations, and work is on for another 25. According to available data, per month around 1,000 consumers are using these stations. The highest number of consumers is in Kozhikode, where the presence of private charging stations is also rising.
Meanwhile, the registration of electric vehicles is also rising in the state, especially since the Covid pandemic. This year so far 3,313 EVs were registered in Kerala, against 1,324 and 468 in previous years. The highest registration of EVs was recorded in April and July 2021 with 631 and 668 respectively.
Source: TNN
