Charging Stations 2023

The STG generator for electric vehicle charging stations and grid stabilization addresses the electricity supply problem.

The political will to transition current private traffic to electric vehicles poses an electricity supply challenge. Former Swiss Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, in reference to the CO2 law, announced the allocation of substantial funds for electric charging stations, electric buses, and more. The Swiss Confederation has expressed concerns about the risk of electricity shortages during the winter, as indicated in a report published in October 2021 and released by the CDT on November 6, 2021, titled “Too Much Electricity Comes from Abroad.” The Federal Council has thus tasked Elcom with developing a project for new gas power plants to generate electricity and cover peak loads. [Article attached upon request.]

Powerloop, an organization in the energy sector, is considering a project to prevent energy shortages, which involves creating a network of approximately two thousand small gas power plants throughout Switzerland. The project requires an investment of 3.4 billion Swiss Francs, while a blackout could cost 3 to 4 billion Swiss Francs per day. [Source: tio.ch, October 17, 2021, by Patrick Stopper]

In this context, an article published by Tito Tettamanti on November 5, 2021, in the CDT, titled “Energy Shortages and Mistakes in the Law,” is particularly interesting. [Article available upon request.]

If an average household consumes 6 kWh per day, an electric vehicle consumes an average of 15 to 20 kWh per 100 km, equivalent to a little over 3 average households. Moreover, rapid charging of an electric vehicle requires an instantaneous demand for electricity supply from the grid. This necessitates an upgrade of the electrical grid to meet these new demands.

Our innovative technological idea is to implement distributed electricity production and storage stations across the territory. This concept allows us to meet the energy demand peaks for each electric vehicle charge and act as an equalizer for the entire electrical grid.

STG Concept

The STG charging station consists of:

Independent Electrical Grid Charging Station

It is an electric vehicle charging station installed in a container with a canopy for weather protection. It is equipped with photovoltaic panels for auxiliary power and a remote heating or cooling management system.

Grid Stabilization Charging Station

Connection to the electrical grid allows for grid stabilization during peak demand periods. The charging station must have substantial modular energy storage systems to store excess energy generated by STG generators. These systems will be capable of rapidly recharging electric vehicles (cars, buses, vans, etc.) and providing power to the grid during peak demand.

The green energy produced is valuable and can also be used for hydrogen production.

Currently, Switzerland has around 3,500 gasoline stations, which, as per political intentions, are expected to disappear over the next 15 years to be replaced by charging stations for electric and hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

STG charging stations, powered by biogas produced in a circular economy, enable the supply of green electricity for electric vehicle charging and provide electricity to the grid without the need to import methane from hydrocarbons, as is currently the case.

The Concept

An easy-to-install container is composed of:

• 4/6 electric vehicle charging stations connected to a set of batteries capable of handling multiple power charges.
• Appropriate storage tanks for biogas, if no gas grid is available.
• Multiple solar panels and heat pumps for recovering the heat generated by the system, to be integrated into a local thermal network.

The core of the concept is the STG generator powered by biogas, which, with its high efficiency exceeding 50%, significantly reduces the cost per kWh delivered and production costs. The electricity produced can also be used to produce hydrogen, which, in turn, can power vehicles with dedicated charging stations.

Technical Choices

Power Generator: This is the heart of the station and consists of multiple STG generators. This solution allows the generators to operate at their maximum efficiency at a constant speed. STG generators have a volume of about 0.20 cubic meters compared to the 2-3 cubic meters of others. The ability to install multiple generators ensures continued production in case of breakdowns and allows meeting high demand for electric charging.

The generators are powered by biogas to be as environmentally friendly as possible and have zero environmental impact. The use of accumulators, preferably with salt, but not limited to it, to be less polluting and more easily recyclable, provides the necessary charging power. The generators are used to recharge the accumulators, which in turn provide the charging for electric vehicles.

Charging for electric vehicles is provided by charging stations (6 or more per station), each equipped with two connection cables, one for high-power and the other for low-power charging. In the future, thanks to the STG generator’s electricity production, hydrogen charging stations will be implemented for vehicles with hydrogen-powered engines.

The roofs of the charging stations are covered with photovoltaic panels primarily for the station’s own electricity supply.