Electric utility BC Hydro has selected Greenlots’ SKY network management solution to manage a provincial network of DC fast chargers.

The DC fast charger project was funded by the British Columbia provincial government under the Clean Energy Vehicle Program. The initial rollout will include 13 charging stations supplied by ABB and Eaton.

Based on the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), SKY provides services for charging site hosts such as access control and pricing. It allows site hosts to mix and match hardware and software vendors, while providing the ability to monitor charging station activity. It requires no subscription for users, and offers multiple credit card payment options via mobile apps, RFID cards, pay-by-phone or card swipe.

“The installation of more charging locations with faster charging rates will allow greater freedom for EV owners and enable inter-urban travel,” said Kip Morison, Chief Technology Officer with BC Hydro. “The network is also running on an open standards platform that ensures flexibility for future growth and for changes in technology.”

“British Columbia experiences the highest discrepancy between gasoline and electricity prices in North America, which provides a favorable environment for high EV adoption rates,” says Brett Hauser, President of Greenlots. “Having seen the inherent risks associated with deploying proprietary communication protocols in other countries, BC Hydro has selected SKY because of the robust functionality and open standards architecture. BCH can provide best-in-class services to site hosts and EV drivers today, while ensuring that the provincial charger network will scale well into the future.”

Photo: Todd Smith/Flickr
Source: Greenlots