One of the UK’s leading universities, Kings College is expanding and updating its electric vehicle (EV) charging network with help from Mer.
EV charging specialist Mer won the contract put out to tender by King’s, to grow and modernise its network of EV chargers across multiple sites. This included replacing older charging points with smart chargers, adding provision in new locations, networking all the chargers and providing a back-office system for monitoring and reporting.
Alexandra Hepple, sustainability officer at King’s College London said: “We have our own growing EV fleet and increasingly our contractors also use electric vehicles, leading to higher demand for charging. Mer has done a fantastic job of creating a charging network that suits our needs today and also enables us to expand in years to come.”
Mer carried out extensive site surveys across the King’s estate to identify utilisation rates of existing chargers. Mer’s team also pinpointed the optimal locations for additional charge points such as the new sports centre at Honour Oak Park in South London. In total Mer installed 15 AC charge points across eight sites – a mixture of 7kW and 22kW fast chargers.
Stevie Jones, associate consultant for fleet and workplace charging at Mer said: “King’s was an early adopter of EV charging, but those older chargers were very limited in terms of the information they could provide.
“We swapped out this older infrastructure for smart chargers that can be networked and easily managed via our Mer Connect platform. This gives the sustainability team full visibility of who is using the chargers and when, as well as providing data on the carbon saved compared to using diesel vehicles.”
The Mer Connect portal enables clients to manage individual or multiple sites, providing real time information on carbon savings, charger status and energy usage. It also allows site managers to set multiple tariffs for different use cases – for example, free charging for fleet vehicles, subsidised charging for employees, and a higher rate for visitors. Drivers can access the charge points via the Mer Connect app.
“Our evidence-based approach enables clients like King’s College London to make informed decisions about when and where to locate EV charge points,” added Stevie. “By taking the time to fully understand each client’s needs, we ensure they get the right infrastructure today and the flexibility to scale up in the future.”
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