EnBW opens fast-charging site with photovoltaic park

EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG is connecting a fast-charging park to the grid in Klipphausen near Dresden. The covered station is located close to the Autobahn 4 and is connected to an adjacent 12,000 square meter solar park, which will feed green electricity directly into the charging park from the coming weeks, EnBW announced. The solar park itself will remain almost invisible to passers-by as it is spread across the roofs of five industrial factory buildings.

Charge in 15 minutes for a range of up to 400 kilometers

According to the energy company, the charging station has 20 charging points of the highest power class up to 400 kilowatts. E-cars can be charged there within 15 minutes for a range of up to 400 kilometers. The station could later be expanded to up to 40 landing points. Sanitary facilities would be available to customers during the charging stop, and a restaurant at an adjacent rest area is still to be connected.

The photovoltaic park has a capacity of more than 1.7 megawatts and will supply electricity directly to the charging park in future. At peak times, for example, eight vehicles with 200 kilowatts each or four vehicles with 400 kilowatts each could be charged simultaneously with local green electricity.

"The Klipphausen charging park not only strengthens the fast-charging network in the eastern German states, but also impressively demonstrates how the various components of the energy and mobility transition are interlinked," says Volker Rimpler, Head of Technology at EnBW Mobility. The investment sum was not disclosed.

Excess electricity goes into the grid

If the photovoltaic system produces more electricity than is required for charging electric vehicles at that moment, the energy is fed directly into the grid, explains EnBW. Provision is also made in the event that more electricity is required for charging processes than the solar park can supply. Thanks to the connection to the electricity grid, the energy supply is guaranteed even if the photovoltaic system does not generate enough electricity at certain times of the day or year - with green electricity.

EnBW says it is planning to connect further charging parks to photovoltaic systems and other sustainable power generation plants in the future. With over 7,000 charging points, it operates the largest fast-charging network in Germany and plans to expand this to over 20,000 charging points by 2030.