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  5. Swiss Federal Office of Energy supports HSG project “Rolling Solar Storage”
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Research - 18.12.2024 - 11:00 

Swiss Federal Office of Energy supports HSG project “Rolling Solar Storage”

The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is funding a research project with around 200'000 CHF led by the Institute for Economy and the Environment (IWÖ-HSG) at the University of St.Gallen. The “Rolling Solar Storage” (ROAST) project will support companies and their employees to integrate electric vehicle (EV) adoption with solar energy uptake through smart EV charging strategies.

The project will inform actionable solutions for policymakers and businesses alike, in support of a rapid and smooth energy transition to net-zero.

Switzerland's Challenge: Integrating Renewables and Electromobility

Currently, Switzerland is facing two separate but interconnected challenges with its energy transition. First, the country is determined to accelerate EV adoption, with a goal to reach a +90% market share of new car sales by 2035. By that same year, the country aims to increase the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) to generate an additional 30 TWh of renewable energy annually. These dual goals will create significant demands on the electric grid, with an expected 7.3 TWh surge in energy consumption from EV charging alone.

As it stands, EV charging infrastructure heavily relies on homeplace charging, which poses limitations for most Swiss residents who live in rented, multi-unit buildings. Public charging infrastructure, while expanding, is unlikely to fully resolve the inherent misalignment between solar PV production (peaking during mid-day) and EV charging patterns (typically occurring at night). Workplace charging stands as a third promising solution to support EV-PV convergence: increasing solar energy self-consumption and supporting the grid-friendly integration of renewable energy. 

Aim: Leveraging smart EV charging at work to support the convergence of solar PV and electric mobility

With this in mind, the ’Rolling Solar Storage’ (ROAST) project will explore the potential of workplace-based smart EV charging strategies to synchronize solar energy production with EV charging demands from companies and their employees. The project will be led by Prof. Dr Rolf Wüstenhagen and Postdoctoral Researcher Cristian Pons-Seres de Brauwer from the Institute for Economy and the Environment (IWÖ-HSG) of the University of St.Gallen, and it will count with the support of industry partners AMAG Group and Azienda Elettrica di Massagno (AEM). 

Together, they will investigate the socio-economic, behavioural, market and regulatory factors influencing the adoption of innovative business models built around the idea of “solar EV charging at work”. The objectives of the project include:

  • Lifecycle financial analysis: 
    Evaluating the economic benefits for companies and their employees of integrating solar PV systems with smart and bidirectional EV charging (vehicle-to-grid or V2G) at the workplace.
  • Consumer Acceptance: 
    Understanding the economic motivations and “non-price” barriers for corporate managers to adopt smart EV charging infrastructure, as well as for employees to participate in workplace EV charging schemes.
  • Scalable Business Models: 
    Designing user-centric frameworks that integrate solar energy and e-mobility into attractive value propositions for corporate consumers, charge point operators, and grid operators alike.

Impact for companies, managers and policymakers 

The ROAST project will provide scientifically-rigorous empirical insights, as well as policy tools and managerial strategies, for supporting the joint uptake of solar PV and EVs from corporate energy consumers and their workforce. This will include:

  1. Policy Recommendations: 
    Empirical evidence to support the design of policy strategies and “intervention points” incentivising workplace EV charging as a cornerstone of Switzerland’s EV strategy, complementing homeplace and public charging networks.
     
  2. Corporate Sustainability Strategies: 
    A roadmap and business model innovation for companies to engrain workplace EV charging in their sustainability goals, outlining benefits like reduced electricity costs, increased demand flexibility, greater solar energy self-consumption, and enhanced employer branding by providing solar-powered EV charging to commuting employees.
     
  3. Consumer Insights: 
    Data-driven recommendations to foster employee participation in workplace EV charging schemes, including strategies to incentivize the adoption of EVs and smart charging strategies at work and home alike.

The ROAST project aims to close the gap between technical feasibility and market readiness, addressing Switzerland's “trilemma” of user-centricity, grid-friendliness, and renewable energy integration. 

The outcomes will not only accelerate Switzerland’s progress toward its 2035 energy and mobility goals but also set an example for other countries navigating similar transitions towards a renewables-based electromobility system.


For more information, visit: iwoe.unisg.ch/research-rem/

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