Project summary
Scotland’s first pop-up solar car park and electric vehicle charging hub, capable of charging up to 12 electric vehicles (EVs) at once, without the need of a new grid connection.
Background
The Papilio3 solar EV charging hub used for this project was created by 3ti, the UK’s leading funder, installer and operator of solar car parks. 3ti approached the NHS Highland board with their solution.
While initially unsure about the financial viability of the proposed project, Raigmore were able to go ahead thanks to the availability of endowment funds. These are donations to the health board for improving conditions for staff, patients and the environment. Raigmore’s application for this funding highlighted that having a Papilio3 solar EV charging hub at this location would benefit the wider community as well as help the hospital achieve its net zero ambitions.
Rationale
In addition to housing a fleet of EVs that are already in operation, Raigmore Hospital is visited each day by EV driving staff, patients and visitors, meaning there is already a demand for onsite charging. The Papilio3 solar EV charging hub was seen as a quick way for Raigmore to boost its EV charging infrastructure, supporting workplace EV charging and offering patients the ability to top up their charge during appointments.
This project was also expected to help address a growing demand for charging infrastructure in Inverness. The NHS Highland board wanted the Papilio3 to encourage EV adoption among staff and the wider community.
Project overview
The Papilio3 solar EV charging hub is built around a recycled shipping container. At approximately 12-metres in length and four metres in height, it occupies 14 standard parking spaces. Raigmore’s unit has two disabled bays, but the parking bay configuration can be varied to accommodate more. The chargepoints are positioned so the screens are at an accessible height for people in wheelchairs.
The Papilio3’s flexible design allowed an installation close to Raigmore’s main entrance that fit the existing car park layout, making it conveniently accessible for people going into the hospital.
The components of the installation are:
- A 42 panel, 19.32kW photovoltaic solar canopy integrated with existing on-site electricity.
- 12 22kW AC chargepoint sockets, capable of charging up to 12 EVs simultaneously.
- CCTV.
- Motion sensor lighting.
The Papilio3 comes with an optional upgrade of up to 250kWh integrated battery storage, but space constraints meant Raigmore didn’t include this. The Papilio3 generates 18MWh of electricity annually, enough to provide over 63,000 miles of EV range.
The Papilio3 connected to Raigmore’s existing onsite electricity supply. This avoided the costly and disruptive new grid connection it would normally take to connect this many chargepoints.. Having a mains connection guarantees energy to the chargepoints when there’s no sun. However, this connection is too small to provide the rated 22kW to all connectors simultaneously without solar support. In this scenario, the system’s load management capabilities limit the chargepoints’ output to avoid exceeding the site’s capacity. The Papilio3 can also deliver solar generated electricity back to the hospital when charging demand is low.
The system comes with a built-in back-office billing system and 3ti provides monthly reports tracking metrics including chargepoint usage, solar generation and mains electricity contribution to charging consumption.
Raigmore matched their tariff prices with Highland Council. They wanted to encourage staff to use the infrastructure but were concerned a tariff below the council’s would lead to public use outcompeting staff use. They also wanted a tariff high enough to cover operational costs. There are multiple payment options available including via contactless, chargepoint payment apps and RFID cards. They also have a QR code option, but this is less used as not all people trust the security of QR codes.
Progress so far
The installation took place over a single weekend in early 2024. An additional two days were spent commissioning, checking the communications, and ensuring everything worked before it became operational.
Raigmore have been very happy with the project and usage has grown continuously since installation. The Papilio3 generated approximately 15MWh of solar electricity in its first year of operation. July had the most (2,268 kWh) and December the least (164 kWh). Raigmore have saved money on electricity by using the excess solar energy generated by the unit.
Currently, the hospital is looking into options to expand charging infrastructure for NHS fleet vehicles. A potential additional unit has been proposed for this purpose on the site.
Ambition
Raigmore opted for a multi-year rental agreement over outright purchase and currently expect to renew the contract before it expires. Other Scottish NHS trusts are interested in the system, with Belford Hospital in Fort William in the process of adopting a similar solution. This is part of an effort to reduce reliance on the national grid.
The technology’s flexible rental agreements, and quick and low-cost deployment, make it a good fit for regions that experience seasonal chargepoint demand. The system could effectively bolster public charging infrastructure in an area during peak seasons, without the site operator having to financially commit to installing permanent chargepoints.
Challenges faced
Inverness’s distance from the Papilio3’s engineers was a logistical obstacle. 3ti had to remotely manage local third-party contractors from their base in Sheffield during installation.
Vehicles blocking charging bays has impacted usage. ICE drivers have been parking their vehicles in these spaces to avoid using overspill parking. While EV drivers have been plugging in their cars when they do not need to charge so that they can park in the centrally located spaces. NHS Highland can’t issue fines in their car parks, so officials have resorted to placing hard-to-remove yellow stickers on the rear windows of offending vehicles to discourage this.
Key lessons learned
Raigmore’s Papilio3 has helped the hospital meet its internal EV charging demand and support EV uptake in the wider Inverness area.
The site’s popularity has been enough to cover the infrastructure’s energy usage and operational costs. The current revenue generated is not enough to also recoup the cost of renting the system. However, Raigmore are reluctant to raise the tariff to cover rental costs, as they believe this would penalise EV driving NHS staff reliant on their Papilio3. They are prioritising keeping access to their charging infrastructure fair.
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