Fast-growing EV charging platform Fuuse has acquired energy monitoring and management consultancy Envisij to provide commercial customers with deeper insights and solutions for their EV charging infrastructure.
Envisij’s energy management technology will combine with Fuuse’s EV charge point management software to help clients better understand their site energy usage; plan and optimise their EV charging strategy; and drive down the costs and impact EV charging can have on their overall power infrastructure and costs.
The two companies have worked closely together since the early stages of Fuuse’s development, collaborating on two Innovate UK and OZEV funded projects. In 2019 the two came together to develop a feasibility study into connected smart charging, exploring the relationship between building energy supply and EV charging need, and producing charge plans to minimise cost and carbon impact.
A second grant, Fleet Connected Smart Charging, extended the solution to encompass entire fleets and the wider grid in 2021. The project tested concepts developed during the preliminary study in real world environments and expanded to include demand response capability that provides clients the ability to participate in the National Grid Wider Access Balancing Mechanism.
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The team are now investigating how their combined solution scales across multiple use cases. Working with online retailer Ocado, white goods manufacturer Whirlpool, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the Road Haulage Association and business park Here + Now, the project is seeing positive results with better utilisation of existing infrastructure across all use cases.
As a result, companies have avoided the need for costly energy infrastructure upgrades, reduced their charging costs and the impact on the grid.
“Working together our products have proven to be a natural fit and so we’re delighted to have the Envisij team now join Fuuse permanently,” said Fuuse co-founder and chief innovation officer Will Maden.
“As facilitators of EV transition and optimising charging infrastructure, this acquisition brings one of our closest partnerships into our core offering, allowing us to work with customers to not only optimise the charging of entire fleets, but balance that usage with their site power capacity and that of the grid.”
Envisij’s energy management solution is set to integrate with new features in development on the Fuuse platform to become Fuuse Energy – a suite of tools that go beyond smart charging to offer a more intelligent enterprise solution for fleets and workplaces. Fuuse Energy is currently in early trials, with full commercial availability due later this year.
Gary Highton, MD of Envisij, said: “Our relationship with Fuuse has been a real meeting of minds. Since our first meeting, we’ve always seen a natural interconnection between our solutions.
“EV charging can have a detrimental impact on a building and the DNO if left unregulated and unmanaged. Our combined solution aims to make it as easy as possible to protect buildings and power supply as EV transition accelerates.
“We’re thrilled to be working together and realise the impact of our shared vision.”