Drax deploys Solace to power up UK’s EV drive
Real-time data enabler Solace has announced that energy leader Drax will deploy its technology to help power up the UK’s mission for better electric vehicle efficiency with renewable energy.
Drax Group has deployed Solace event streaming and management technology to underpin its industry-leading EV solutions, powered by renewable energy. With 400,000 EVs in the UK, this will affect a large proportion of EV drivers and help the UK reach its goal of becoming net-zero by 2050.
Supply chain disruptions are bringing to the fore the importance of balancing power, demand and supply, especially in the wake of wild energy price fluctuations. To maximise energy efficiency, providers and consumers both demand real-time updates of commodity prices, which ultimately influence purchasing decisions.
Event-driven architecture is the basis of Ofgem’s mandate to enable half-hour energy settlements for businesses and consumers (MHHS), and Elexon, who set the Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC) in Great Britain. To generate and deliver renewable power in the most efficient way and remain compliant with the programme, energy providers need real-time, event-driven data. Drax has chosen Solace, as the market-leading enabler of EDA in the UK energy sector, to orchestrate real-time information sharing with the MHHS Data Integration Platform.
This means the use of EDA will benefit EV users and producers by effectively turning electric vehicles into de facto storage batteries, ready to be used at home in lieu of peak energy price consumption levels, or even sold back to the grid.
Solace PubSub+ Platform is the first purpose-built EDA platform available today that can support the real-time movement of data between vehicles, charging points, energy sources and energy suppliers. The interoperability of the platform allows multiple technologies and systems to access data in real time, empowering users to make energy usage more efficient and agile.
“Getting more electric vehicles on the road is key to decarbonising the UK. At Drax, our EV experts can help fleet managers by doing the hard work for them when it comes to looking at the data to understand which EV solutions would benefit their business,” said Adam Hall, Energy Services Director, Drax. “Event-driven architecture is the key to making energy production and consumption resource-effective and therefore limit waste and make life easier for UK homes and businesses.’’
The real-time nature of EDA allows for the most cost-effective energy source to be consumed at a specific point in time, which will, in turn, encourage new and disruptive services.
“The efforts to make the energy supply chain more efficient are commendable, not only for the environmental benefits but for the energy savings they bring to consumers and producers alike,” said David Mitchell, Regional VP, United Kingdom & Ireland, Solace. “The UK in particular is leading the effort to ensure energy efficiency, as the Ofgem’s MHHS programme confirms. Drax again proves itself to be a trusted provider with this initiative, as it will allow EV owners to make the best use of electricity.”
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