A smart energy management solution installed by a trio of charging-related companies has more than doubled the charging points available at a Microsoft office in the Netherlands.

Thanks to the smart charging technology, The Outlook is now able to operate 40 charging points instead of just 17

Although the power grid for the Outlook building in the Schiphol Central Business District only had capacity for 17 charging points, the work by technical service provider and energy company ENGIE, charging station manufacturer EVBox and smart charging enabler Smappee has increased this to 40 without having to change the current infrastructure.

The project (see video here) shows how latest energy management technology can be used to overcome EV charging challenges, including for owners and operators of large retail and commercial buildings or major transport hubs.

The installation of EV charging stations with dynamic load balancing maximises the number of stations without overloading the building’s electrical capacity. The 40 electric vehicle charging points at The Outlook are divided into two 20-unit strings. Each string has a smart charger equipped with Smappee Infinity technology, which tells the EVBox charging stations how much power to use, logically sequences charging and reduces the power output when needed. In this way, the installation avoids overloads or exceeding peak capacity limits, while simultaneously ensuring that every vehicle is optimally charged.

The initiative – which Schiphol Real Estate is looking to replicate in other locations – also enables bidirectional charging, providing vehicle-to-grid opportunities.

Jan Willem Weissink, managing director of Schiphol Real Estate at Royal Schiphol Group, said: “Whether it is bidirectional EV charging, smart office buildings or the rollout of our sustainability objectives, partnering with leading firms like EVBox, ENGIE and Smappee is helping us to meet our sustainability goals and future-proofing our business.”