News

SEST Best Paper Award for Smart Solar Charging research
For their paper The Impact of Transitioning to Shared Electric Vehicles on Grid Congestion and Management Nico Brinkel, Tarek Alskaif en Wilfried van Sark received a Best Paper Award at the international Conference on Smart Energy Systems and Technologies (SEST). In this paper, the scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Utrecht University compare the profiles of shared electric…
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Smart Solar Charging one of five most innovative best practices of European sustainable policy
Smart Solar Charging was selected as one of five most innovative best practices in Europe of sustainable policy according to the Regiostars Awards organized by the European Commission. Starting from the Utrecht Region in The Netherlands, Smart Solar Charging develops and expands this sustainable energy system of tomorrow.
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Smart Solar Charging finalist prestigious European Regiostars Awards
Regiostars Awards is a prize for the most innovative best practices in Europe. Hereby the European Commission aims to inspire others. Of 206 submitted projects divided over five categories, Smart Solar Charging is picked as one of twenty-five finalists. Smart Solar Charging is a bidirectional charging system for electric cars. Car batteries can either charge…
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Project Smart Solar Charging nominated for Pathways to Sustainability Award
One of the three nominees for the Pathways to Sustainability Award is Smart Solar Charging, which accelerates the energy transition by contributing to energy neutral districts, cities and regions. The project is highly interdisciplinary, involves stakeholders intensively in co-creating the agenda and the activities and is expected to have great societal impact. Pathways to Sustainability Award Smart Solar Charging, NATURVATION and…
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Electric vehicles balance out voltage fluctuations in power grid
What is the impact of rapid fluctuations in electricity generation of solar panels induced by passing clouds on the voltage levels in the power grid? What is the potential role of electric vehicles in this system? The paper Impact of rapid PV fluctuations on power quality in the low-voltage grid and mitigation strategies using electric…
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Film: How Smart Solar Charging enables the energy transition
In the film Smart Solar Charging – Sustainable energy available anytime project partners explain how. What sustainable energy system will there be in the future? Smart Solar Charging in the Dutch city of Utrecht is a unique solution for the energy transition through storage of sustainable energy in car batteries. Discover how with project partners…
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PRESS RELEASE – Utrecht Science Park first campus with large bidirectional charging network
Living lab brings together innovative research and entrepreneurship Utrecht – With thirty-two brand new Smart Solar Charging vehicle charging points, the Utrecht Science Park is the world’s first campus that features bidirectional charging according to the new open ISO 15118 standard. This charging system can both charge and discharge electric cars, thus enabling them to…
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PRESS RELEASE – King of the Netherlands inaugurates new bidirectional ecosystem in Utrecht
World premiere for Renault and We Drive Solar UTRECHT – Today His Majesty King Willem-Alexander launched a new durable energy and mobility ecosystem in Utrecht, developed by We Drive Solar, partnered with Renault. The system deploys shared electric Renault ZOE cars and charging stations, enabling the Renault ZOE to both charge and discharge. Battery…
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King Willem-Alexander attends launch of new energy and mobility system
King Willem-Alexander attends the launch of new energy and mobility system in Utrecht on March 21st. The Smart Solar Charging project is involved in this launch, which is a cooperation between We Drive Solar and Renault. > Read the news item from koninklijkhuis.nl (in Dutch) > Read more about Smart Solar Charging
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Workshop on Smart Solar Charging during Green Office Summit
On 25 November the Utrecht scientists Wilfried van Sark and Marte Gerritsma will give a workshop on Smart Solar Charging at the Green Office Utrecht. The workshop is part of the European Green Office Summit…
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