American-Irish power management firm Eaton is working to help companies and fleets maximise the number of EV chargers they can have onsite following its buyout of Swiss charging specialist Green Motion SA.

The ‘Buildings as a Grid’ approach comprises three areas: EV charging, energy management and power distribution

The two firms have worked together over the last 15 months to offer customers a combined smart charging and energy storage solution for electric vehicles.

Eaton is now ramping up its work to further accelerate the global energy transition, following the completion this month of its acquisition of Green Motion, now a subsidiary of Eaton and providing a range of EV charging solutions.

Supported by the acquisition, Eaton has adopted an ‘Everything as a Grid’ approach to the energy transition to help customers accelerate decarbonisation, boost resilience, reduce energy costs and create new revenue streams.

The approach is aimed at building owners and operators, including businesses running fleets, and comprises three systems: EV charging, energy management and power distribution.

Rather than taking an ad hoc approach and bolting on EV chargers to existing infrastructure – which can risk power management difficulties and potential grid upgrade costs – the Buildings as a Grid transforms facilities into energy hubs that better manage existing electrical infrastructure and plan for future energy needs.

The EV charging system is focused on using grid-connected EV charging hardware and software that provides a high level of service for EV charging users, as well as supporting dynamic charging and pricing, supported by an energy management system that provides demand-side flexibility and a power distribution system that manages electrical power distribution and protection.

Eaton said the combined energy storage and energy management software brings multiple benefits; including avoiding the costly civil engineering works often associated with grid upgrades and allowing users to store off-peak energy and any self-generated renewable power they can make available from sources such as solar panels. The stored low-cost power can be used at times of expensive peak demand, saving money and benefiting the environment by enabling ‘peak shaving’ – reducing the load on the grid to prevent it being switched to carbon-intensive fossil fuel power which may be all that is available when demand is at its heaviest.

Francois Randin, founder and CEO, Green Motion said: “Eaton and Green Motion form an ideal partnership capable of meeting the challenges presented by the rapid adoption of EVs. Green Motion has proven industry leading EV charging points and operating software. Together with Eaton, building owners can now be assured that they can meet the challenge presented by electric vehicle adoption in a pragmatic and flexible way.”