CAN EV CHARGERS MAKE MONEY WHILE PARKED? ELECTRIC MILES AND CHARGE-M8 TURN TO GRID TRADING

Electric Miles and Charge-M8 have integrated their technologies in an attempt to solve two problems facing commercial EV charging sites at once: how to charge more vehicles without automatically paying for a costly grid upgrade — and how to turn spare charging flexibility into a potential source of recurring revenue.

For businesses installing multiple electric vehicle chargers, buying the chargers can be only part of the problem.

There is also the question of whether the building has enough electrical capacity to run them.

Electric Miles and Charge-M8 believe smarter management of the power already available could provide an alternative for some commercial sites.

The two UK companies have integrated Charge-M8’s Libra dynamic load-balancing device with Electric Miles’ emPACT charge point management system, with the integration now available to emPACT customers.

The system monitors how much electricity a building is using and automatically adjusts EV charging to fit within the remaining capacity.

But the more commercially interesting element comes next.

Electric Miles says eligible sites can potentially sell some of that charging flexibility into electricity markets, turning infrastructure that normally represents a cost into an asset capable of generating recurring revenue.

THE GRID CAPACITY PROBLEM

Commercial buildings rarely consume the same amount of electricity throughout the day.

Demand from equipment, heating, cooling and other systems fluctuates, meaning the amount of power available for vehicle charging changes with it.

Without live information, a site can impose a conservative fixed limit on its chargers, potentially leaving usable capacity untapped. Alternatively, exceeding agreed supply capacity can expose operators to additional charges.

For sites requiring significantly more power, a grid connection upgrade may be considered — potentially adding cost and time to an EV infrastructure project.

The Electric Miles-Charge-M8 integration is designed to make better use of existing capacity before that step becomes necessary.

CHARGERS THAT RESPOND TO THE BUILDING

Charge-M8’s Libra measures a building’s electricity demand in real time and passes that information to emPACT using the OCPP open communications standard.

emPACT then calculates the capacity available for charging and continuously adjusts connected chargers.

The amount delivered to an individual vehicle depends on factors including available power and how long the vehicle remains connected.

Operators can also group chargers into sub-zones — such as individual car parks, feeders or fleets — establish priorities and automatically manage demand across a site.

In effect, rather than treating EV chargers as a fixed additional electrical load, the system allows them to respond to what is happening elsewhere in the building.

FROM LOAD MANAGEMENT TO GRID TRADING

That flexibility potentially has another value.

Electric Miles’ SmartFlex platform is designed to shift or reduce EV charging when electricity networks require flexibility and compensate participating sites for providing it.

The company says SmartFlex is integrated with all six UK Distribution System Operators and the National Energy System Operator, participates in wholesale markets and has delivered more than 40,000 grid flexibility events.

Because Libra provides live information about available capacity, Electric Miles says SmartFlex can determine how much flexibility a site can provide without exceeding its own supply limits.

For eligible sites, revenue is offered on a revenue-share basis without an upfront participation cost, according to the companies.

Actual earning potential will inevitably depend on factors including a site’s charging profile, available flexibility and participation opportunities. But the proposition points towards a potentially significant change in how businesses think about EV infrastructure.

A charger need not simply consume electricity. Its ability to change when it consumes electricity can itself have value.

‘USE THE CAPACITY THEY ALREADY HAVE’

“Grid capacity is now one of the biggest limits on commercial charging,” said Arun Anand, Founder and CEO of Electric Miles.

“Too many sites are told the only way to add chargers is an expensive upgrade. Pairing Libra’s live site data with emPACT’s load management lets operators use the capacity they already have, safely and automatically.”

He added: “Then, through SmartFlex, that same flexibility can be traded with the grid, so charging becomes a recurring revenue stream, not just a cost.”

Anand said Electric Miles assessed several load-management products before selecting Libra.

“We assessed several load management devices and listened closely to installer feedback,” he said. “Libra stood out for its direct OCPP integration, resilient connectivity, metering accuracy and ease of commissioning. I’m proud of the Electric Miles team for delivering this.”

MAKING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE WORK HARDER

Libra connects directly using OCPP 1.6 and supports Wi-Fi, Ethernet and 4G with triple fail-over.

For Charge-M8, the integration is about allowing sites to expand charging while remaining within their electrical constraints.

“As EV adoption grows, sites need to charge more vehicles within the power available to them,” said Julian Smith, Founder and Managing Director of Charge-M8.

“Integrating Libra with emPACT gives operators live site load data alongside software that acts on it, both on site and with the grid.”

He added: “It is a practical way to make better use of existing capacity while protecting the wider electrical installation. Congratulations to the Electric Miles team.”

The significance extends beyond the two companies.

As businesses electrify fleets and install workplace charging, the question is shifting from simply how many chargers can be installed to how intelligently those chargers can interact with buildings and the electricity system.

If commercial EV charging can become a controllable grid resource as well as an electricity consumer, that could change its economics.

The next generation of EV infrastructure may therefore be judged not only by how much power it can deliver — but by how intelligently it knows when to use it.

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

1. Building demand changes
Electricity use elsewhere on a commercial site rises and falls.

2. Libra measures it
Charge-M8’s device monitors building demand in real time.

3. emPACT calculates spare capacity
The CPMS determines how much electricity remains available for EV charging.

4. Chargers automatically adjust
Power is distributed between connected vehicles while keeping the site within its agreed supply limit.

5. SmartFlex can use the flexibility
For eligible sites, charging can be shifted or reduced in response to grid requirements.

6. The site can potentially earn revenue
Electric Miles offers participation on a revenue-share basis, subject to eligibility and available flexibility opportunities.