The first service station powered by solar energy is born

The United Kingdom wants to be at the forefront of electric mobility and has just inaugurated the first service station that will be fueled exclusively by 100% solar energy. That is, the 36 charging points that make up this electric car service station are powered by the electricity produced by the solar panels installed on the upper roofs.

This electric forecourt is called Electric Forecourt and is the first of a network of around 100 similar stations that will be spread across the United Kingdom. These facilities will not only have solar panels on the station’s canopies, but will also have solar installations in outdoor car parks that will also produce energy to power electric car batteries.

Solar panels and a 6 MWh battery

The electricity is produced thanks to a complex installation of solar panels, but it is also stored in a 6 MWh battery that stores the energy not used at the time, so it can provide service during the night or on cloudy days when energy production falls due to lack of sun.

With this system, the user can be sure that all the energy that reaches the electric car battery is completely green and produces no carbon footprint on the environment. This is important, and it does not mean that the charge is of lower quality or that it costs more to reach the maximum charge. The price is not excessive either, since the company indicates that charging from 20 to 80% of the battery capacity will cost 10 euros.

For comparison, a full tank for an average car with a combustion engine would cost around 70 euros. An interesting advantage that makes it much cheaper to get around with this type of vehicle. And, of course, it is a service station with all the amenities that these facilities usually have: a café, a shop, car washing and other services so that the user feels comfortable while charging their vehicle.