Suzhou Electric Power unveils smart site selection service for charging stations

The State Grid's Suzhou Electric Power Company has recently introduced an intelligent site selection service for electric vehicle charging stations, which takes into account both the social demand for charging and the grid's capacity.

The service helps operators to make precise and scientific decisions about where to place new stations, thus improving overall economic efficiency, according to the company.

At present, the electric vehicle charging market is competitive, with numerous operators involved, and the construction of charging facilities is primarily market-driven.

"Operators often focus on charging demand without understanding the surrounding power grid conditions," said Zhu Chaoqun, a specialist in the marketing department of the State Grid's Suzhou company. "After determining a site, operators apply for grid connection, but if the local grid lacks sufficient capacity, upgrades are necessary, potentially leading to a mismatch between demand and supply."

To address this issue, the Suzhou Electric Power Company has developed and launched an intelligent site selection platform for electric vehicle charging stations, starting with a pilot in city of Kunshan.

This platform integrates big data from the power grid with map and vehicle data from the transportation network, achieving a fusion of information from both the power and transportation grids. It assesses the feasibility of proposed sites and automatically generates optimal site selection plans, assisting operators in choosing the best locations for new charging stations.

"In addition to traffic data such as vehicle flow, the platform also considers factors such as grid capacity and stability," Zhu added. "This maximizes the utilization of grid resources and promotes harmonious development between charging stations and the power grid."

For residential communities where private charging stations cannot be installed, the State Grid's Suzhou Electric Power Company also incorporates residential charging demand data into the platform. This comprehensive analysis guides operators to build public charging stations in residential areas, fundamentally solving the issue of charging difficulties for residents.

Currently, the platform has identified seven residential communities with high charging demand. Based on the platform's analysis, a third-party operator has decided to construct a charging station in a community located in Suzhou's Kunshan High-tech Zone to meet the residents' needs.