Project summary
A community owned charger, supported by on-site renewables, facilitating the operation of an electric community transport service, while remaining available to electric vehicle (EV) driving members of the public.
Background
The Madoch Centre, located in St. Madoes, Perthshire, is a community hub run by the Church of Scotland. It is open to the entire community, hosting support groups, social groups, an inclusive sports programme, and food share projects. The centre offers a community transport service, which, amongst other services, provides those without access to vehicles travel to medical appointments.
Rationale
Madoch Centre purchased an electric vehicle to improve the sustainability of its transport service. However, they found that public electric vehicle charging options in their village needed to be improved as well. The centre sought to install a rapid charger to support their vehicle but did not have the funds to acquire it.
Project overview
Infrastructure components of the first phase of the installation:
- A 50kW DC rapid chargepoint.
Infrastructure components of the second phase of the installation:
- A 34.56kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system made up of 92 panels.
- Two 13.5kWh Tesla Powerwall batteries (27kWh total).
- A 7kW AC chargepoint.
Vehicles taken on:
- A Nissan Leaf.
- An eight-seater electric van (pending).
- A seven-seater electric MPV (pending).
Ambition
Madoch Centre wanted charging infrastructure on site to support the electrification of their transport service. This would give them greater confidence in the resilience of this service and improving the convenience of their vehicle operations. It would also provide a useful public charging location for EV driving members of the public. The centre reached out to Perth and Kinross Council about funding. They made the case that installing a rapid charger in their car park would benefit the wider community, as local villagers frequently visit the centre. The centre’s location on the A90 between Perth and Dundee would make a rapid charger a key strategic site in the broader infrastructure network and it would be likely to see high usage levels.
Progress so far
The council agreed and funded the installation of a 50kW chargepoint. As the land the chargepoint is located on is owned by the Madoch Centre, a formal agreement was made between the two parties recognising Perth and Kinross Council’s control of the asset. This agreement includes the council’s right to change the location of the chargepoint if desired and the requirement that the chargepoint is available for public use. The chargepoint was installed in 2020 and commissioned in early 2022. During October 2023, ChargePlace Scotland recorded 129 charging sessions at the site.
In January 2021, the Madoch Centre received funding from Energy Saving Trust to purchase a Nissan Leaf. The vehicle assisted the community transport service during the pandemic by facilitating the delivery of medicine and other supplies to vulnerable community members and providing benefits to the many support groups housed in the facility. Between January 2023 and October 2023, this vehicle made 646 journeys.
In May 2022, the Madoch Centre expanded the initial project, installing a solar PV system on the building roof and two Tesla Powerwalls, with the latter storing electricity generated by solar PV. The centre later broke ground on a chargepoint of their own, run on its solar power during the summer months. This chargepoint became operational in February 2023.
The Madoch Centre will fully decarbonise its community transport project in the new year by adding an electric eight-seater van, purchased with support from the Plugged in Communities grant fund. This will replace their current diesel van. Moreover, the programme will be expanded thanks to SSE funding, with a seven-seater MPV joining the fleet.
Challenges faced
The main challenge they had to face was the amount of time it took to obtain DNO sign-off to activate the charger. This significantly extended the time during which they were wholly reliant on the public charging network to continue to provide their electrified transport service.
Key lessons learned
The rapid charger has proven an effective asset for the centre’s community transport system. Additionally, it has benefitted local electric vehicle drivers and those travelling longer distances who can include the charger in their route plan.
The Madoch Centre chargepoint demonstrates that community-owned locations offer useful partnership sites for infrastructure. They can provide a potential income stream for community groups and critical infrastructure for drivers – both local and from further afield.
Opportunities remain for other community organisations to partner with the local authorities, particularly in areas with limited remaining council-owned sites.
Further information
To find out more about the Madoch Centre, visit their website.
Contact information
