LEVI is live!

We’ve heard some great news this past week for the future of public EV Charging Infrastructure and help for local authorities to realise their EV charging ambitions.

About LEVI

LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) funding supports local authorities in England to plan and deliver charge point infrastructure for residents without off-street parking through:

• Capital funding to support charge point delivery
• Capability funding to ensure local authorities have the staff and capability to plan and deliver charge point infrastructure.

Tier 1 local authorities can now apply for 2023/4 and 2024/25 funding by completing their Expression of Interest and emailing it to LEVI@est.org.uk by 11.55pm on 26 May, 2023 – and Joju is here to support you.

EV Insights – April 19, 10am-12noon

We are holding an online event for local authorities on April 19^th where you can hear more from Aaron Berry, Deputy Head, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (energy and infrastructure), Department for Transport, and ask questions.

We will also hear from some local authorities who have made successful applications in the first phase of funding and we’ll share more about how we can help you with the application process. If you have been awarded funds, we can also help you get from award to successful design and implementation.

If you are working in a local authority on EV Charging Infrastructure, you haven’t received an invite and you would like to join our ‘EV Insights’ session, please do let us know by emailing info@joju.co.uk.

We look forward to seeing everyone there on April 19th, and to leading the charge together.

Further information

• For detail on LEVI from OZEV, head here 
• Read more about LEVI funding at the Energy Saving Trust
• Discover more about our public sector work

Solar car ports – time for under-utilised space to shine?

Making use of under-utilised space to reduce carbon emissions in the commercial or public sector is one of the areas we’ve been exploring. More specifically, how installing solar car ports in car parks can demonstrate a link between renewables and electric mobility – and help towards the achievement of sustainability goals.

An increasing demand

At Joju, we’re seeing an increasing demand for integrating EVCP provision with renewables, especially solar. We’ve joined forces with Flexisolar on two recent projects, to help create solar car ports that reduce carbon emissions and that can power EV Charging infrastructure.

A space reborn in Coventry

In 2022, Bourn (previously known as Sherbourne House), was repurposed as a workspace and destination. It’s form and functionality was refreshed, with the core values of this six-storey, 90,330 sq ft building being “to encourage and support behaviours which are good for its people, the place and the planet”.

That was according to Rob Hemus, Asset Director for IM Properties, and the solar car port is certainly part of the “planet” piece. The car port structure houses 36 double bays and is topped with 228 PV modules, giving a total installed capacity of 94.62kWp. The system is connected through the floor, with the inverter housed below the structure, and the predicted CO2 emissions avoided are 37,066 kg/year.

Solar for South Staffordshire Council

South Staffordshire District Council also took the plunge, with a 40m long solar carport installed at their offices, over 10 existing parking spaces. The ‘V’ leg structure features a 32.175kWp PV system including 99 panels, a Solis inverter, and an estimated annual energy generation of 26,963 kWh. The car port compliments the installed EV Charge points by offsetting onsite electricity demand, and we have more car port installations with similar goals happening in 2023.

To top it all off…

Talking of under-utilised space and car parks, a very different approach was taken by our client, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The Council set aside the top deck of one of their little-used multi storey car parks, for solar and EVCPs.

We installed 5 dual Alfens, 87kW solar, and 3 Tesla Powerwalls at Wellgate Multistorey. That’s what we call thinking outside the concrete box..  or should that be on top of it?

Does installing a solar car port stack up?

When it comes to carports, they can be connected to a building supply or have their own independent connection and although both are technically feasible, are they a way to make under-utilised space productive from an economic point of view?

In short, it is still more cost effective to install solar PV on traditional roof spaces. The carport structure has to be built and there are associated civil engineering costs. The support structure is already in place on existing buildings, of course. However, not all roofs are suitable for solar, or a building may already have solar installed, and utilising car parking space can be a great way to boost additional onsite generation.

Also, solar carports are clear flagship projects – a way for solar and your green credentials to be very visible (which isn’t always the always the case on roof installs).

A growing market

In essence, solar carports can demonstrate a real link between renewables and electric mobility, and contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals. A wide range of design strategies are possible, and car ports can be an additional way of generating solar energy.

When it comes to this type of under-utilised space, we’re predicting a growth in solar carport popularity and an opportunity to shine in the right public sector and commercial spaces.

Discover more

Contact us to talk about solar car ports in public sector or commercial spaces

Read more about Rotherham

Discover more about solar PV and EV charging the Public Sector

Discover more about solar PV and EV charging for business 

Awards and shortlists

Ready for some great news? It’s awards season in our industry and we’ve just won ‘Charging Point Resellers and Installers’ of the Year at the E-mobility Awards. The judges said “we were so impressed with Joju”… and we couldn’t be happier with that!

E-mobility Awards award-winners

The E-mobility Awards celebrate ingenuity, innovation and achievement and have incorporated the Electric Vehicle Awards. It’s brilliant to be recognised for our work this past year and to take home the title.

EVIE’s shortlisters

We’re also excited to be shortlisted at the EVIE’s, after winning Contractor of the Year last year and achieving success alongside Hampshire County Council for Infrastructure Project of the Year.

This year, we’re shortlisted for Contractor of the Year. Our project with Dorset Council – a fully-funded EV Infrastructure project, bringing charge points to public car parks across the county, as well as rapid replacement and new install – has also been shortlisted for Infrastructure Project of the Year.

Solar and Storage LIVE Awards

And the shortlist news just keeps on coming as today, we’ve discovered we’re on the Solar and Storage Live Awards 2021 shortlist. We were proud to win Contractor of the Year last year and this year, we’re up for The Alan Clark Award for Local/Community Energy for putting solar PV on the roof of Salisbury Cathedral. We’ve also been shortlisted for EV Infrastructure Project of the Year, for our work with Dorset Council.

Our Technical Director, Dr Chris Jardine, summed it up when he said,

“As a team, we love what we do. We’re definitely here to lead the charge when it comes to EV infrastructure and of course, we’ll always be adding sunshine! it’s fantastic to win at the E-mobility awards and we’re delighted to shortlisted at the EVIE’s and Solar and Storage Live Awards too”.

Hear hear to that!

Discover more

• Read about our work with Dorset Council
• Read about our Salisbury Cathedral solar roof
• Check out our EV Charging approach
• Head to our Solar PV pages