Taiwan Cement Corporation’s energy storage subsidiary NOHA.TCC launched a campaign called “Off-Peak Charging for a Better Planet” at its charging stations, where drivers who charge their electric cars during off-peak hours (10 p.m.–10 a.m.) can get an extra 1-kWh charge for free for every 1-kWh of electricity they use. The campaign aims to mitigate the burden on power grids in Taiwan and help save 10 tons of carbon emissions for Earth.
By emitting less carbon, EVs are more environmentally friendly that gasoline cars. To further protect the environment, EV owners are recommended to adjust their habits by charging their cars during off-peak hours. In this way, they will help reduce the load on urban power grids. Moreover, every one kWh of electricity they consume for off-peak charging helps reduce 0.5 kg of CO2 emissions on the planet.
Chin-chung Wu, spokesperson of Taipower Company, said that a demand shift towards off-peak hours enables suppress peak-hour power consumption by 1.5GW, an equivalent of electricity produced by three generators in the Taichung Power Plant in Taiwan. This means that if there are more EV owners willing to charge their cars during off-peak hours, the peak demand can be reduced, thereby preventing Taipower from turning on generators with high costs and carbon emissions.
A NHOA.TCC study revealed that 80% of its charging station users charge their vehicles between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Noontime (12 p.m. and 1 p.m.) and off-work rush hour (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.) have been peak hours of EV charging. To reduce anxiety among EV owners during peak hours, NHOA.TCC has continually introduced the first-ever charger reservation service and rule of extra-time parking penalties in Taiwan.
Entering 2023, NHOA.TCC plans to further expand the “Off-Peak Charging for a Better Planet” campaign, whereby its 300 EV owner customers can jointly charge their cars during off-peak hours and reduce 10 tons of carbon emissions—an equivalent of CO2 absorbed by 833 trees—with a “buy 1 kWh of electricity and get 1kWh of charging capacity for free” reward.
Nelson An-ping Chang, TCC chairperson, emphasized that we should smartly plan how we consume power between peak and off-peak hours to achieve energy conservation. As a TCC’s subsidiary specializing in energy storage, NHOA.TCC incorporates its advanced Li-ion batteries, renewable energy technologies, and the concept of energy conservation into the charging service available at several charging stations it built. Establishing EV charging stations is also an actual action taken by TCC for renewable energy development.
(Image credit: Taiwan Cement Corporation)