Network

Network November 2018

Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1045844

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 26 of 39

NETWORK / 27 / NOVEMBER 2018 in air quality, and then working towards market models that realise and value those benefits in an equitable way. The international experience is that the relationship between the availability and maturity of charging infrastructure and the penetration of the EV market is complex; numbers of EV charge points per capita do not dictate the levels of EV ownership, or vice versa. For an efficient roll - out of infrastructure and effec- tive support for the EV market, manufacturers, service provid- ers and policy makers will need a sophisticated understanding of consumer and network needs. BEAMA launched Electrify - ing Road Transport at the EEF's Broadway House in London on 7 June with a symposium in collaboration with Innovate UK. In workshops and round- tables we discussed how to finance and support the supply chain's routes to market, how to access and use smart energy data at scale, and how to use a whole-of-system approach at city, regional and national levels to meet the infrastructure challenges of electrification. One theme that emerged was the importance of central plan - ning and policy cohesion. It was widely recognised that greater market and consumer certainty will lead to a more efficient supply chain, more targeted innovation, and better and more appropriate products and services in the market. It is therefore timely that BEAMA has recently been invited to join two important policy initiatives, one a national taskforce and the other at city level. The Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce (EVET) was launched in June by Richard Harrington and Jesse Norman, ministers from the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Transport, to make proposals to Government and industry on policies and technological op - tions to ensure Great Britain is ready for and able to exploit the mass take up of EVs. June also saw the launch of the Mayor of London's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Taskforce. Accelerating the take up of elec- tric vehicles is critical to improv- ing London's air quality and transitioning to a zero-emission future, and the taskforce will build on the Mayor's transport and environment strategies for London by developing an action plan for a major expansion in charging infrastructure by 2025. An opportunity to influence The next few months will be a busy time for policy develop- ment. BEAMA is the only organi- sation representing the infra- structure supply chain to have been invited to join both these important groups. Our members will have an unprecedented opportunity to influence the policy and market development around charging infrastructure. The focus of the BEAMA EV Infrastructure Group is set by members, so we direct our activities towards what will be of most benefit to our members' businesses and the market as a whole. The symposium helped to identify some of the most important considerations for the coming year, including: Links to the advances in data management, consumer services and product development that are enabled by the revolution in smart buildings and networks. There is a clear need to build and support markets in the wider energy services sector and to help the supply chain under - stand and realise the potential for real time data. Policy considerations both in the UK and abroad. The Govern - ment's 2040 policy may seem unambitious compared to the plans of many market players, but the EV revolution will still need careful policy focus. In a dynamic policy and financial environment, a balance will need to be struck between infra- structure planning and invest- ment at centralised, regional and local levels. Understanding the relevant technical standards, protocols and codes of practice. This will be essential for infrastructure companies looking to give their customers confidence in safety, cyber security and interoperability and to reap the full rewards of the connec- tions with energy storage, smart infrastructure, communications and more. These standards are by no means specific to the UK, but are oŸen linked to the work of European and other international bodies. BEAMA is providing UK industry with a direct line into this work so that businesses can understand and influence these developments. The EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is being recast and will likely become UK law in early 2020, and it is critical that the supply chain's voice be heard loudly and clearly during this process. BEAMA is also represented on the steering group of the BEIS/OLEV/BSI Smart Appli - ances and Standards project, which in July held a workshop on smart appliances and EV charging to support the uptake and the secure, interoperable, functional use of smart ap - pliances, including smart EV charge points, for the active con- trol of electricity demand on the GB electricity power network. This is an exciting but chal- lenging time for the industry. The availability of smart energy data and other developments will disrupt established and emerging markets and enable new ones, many of them featur - ing new models for providing energy services to consum- ers. The environmental and climate change justifications for electrification are clear, but there is also a level of con - sumer interest, excitement and enthusiasm for EVs that I have never seen before for any similar innovation. Put simply, EVs are an idea whose time has come. Given advice from National Grid and UKPN that they expect to be able to support ambitious plans for road transport electrifica- tion, we must work together to ensure that the supply chain is similarly ready to enable the electric vehicle revolution. UK emissions by sector - 2015 2% Public Sector 13% Homes 15% Natural Resources 21% Power 24% Transport 25% Business and Industry Source: BEIS. 100% = 496 Mt

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Network - Network November 2018