Village Homes RealtyResearchers from Curtin University and the University of Technology Sydney are leading a team from across the country to investigate stand out examples of strategic electric vehicle integration (SEVI) as part of the RACE for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). The project has selected the Witchcliffe Ecovillage as a world leading demonstration of how residential developments can approach electric vehicles, in full agreement with the assertion by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) that it is “one of the most sustainable urban developments in the world”.
SEVI team launch project in 2023
The intention of the research is to collaborate with the ecovillage to create real value, while further demonstrating that it is an exemplar with multiple benefits to residents, developers and both energy and transport network managers.
“Standing in the community garden it is clear that this is a special place, I could easily see my family thriving in a place like this. The bold leadership from Mike and Michelle, their team and the residents will set the standard globally for how we can live as communities who are truly and respectfully embedded in nature”. Ass. Prof. Charlie Hargroves, SEVI Project Co-Leader, Curtin University.
The CRC project has provided a unique opportunity to undertake a deep dive into the energy system in the established clusters to investigate the technical, financial, and social aspects. The project explores ways to increase the benefit to residents from harnessing the provided energy technology, including public fast chargers and community batteries. The researchers will crunch the numbers to explore costs and benefits, drawing out specific lessons for the wider development and energy sectors. The team will explore a range of scenarios that stand to benefit residents, such as investigating implications from differing conditions for electricity export by the cluster, use of the public chargers, and ways to optimise energy storage.
In early December the research team from Curtin spent time with the energy reps from Cluster 1A, 1B and 1C to discuss some of the initial findings from the public chargers. The early data suggests that the majority of people using the charger come from Perth and very few from Margaret River.
SEVI team with Ecovillage residents
The data suggests that on average drivers charge for around 35 minutes and get enough of a charge to drive round 190km. Just over half of the charging events happen between 9am to 3pm when the energy most likely comes from solar energy from the cluster.
The research team launched a public survey to investigate factors that stand to influence people’s choice to use the ecovillage chargers in order to inform efforts to increase utilisation and the financial benefit to the residents. The survey will run for a period of 12 months and provide valuable information to the research team on appropriate business models and approaches for both the ecovillage and the wider development sector.
The research project will be completed in early 2026 and will include the development of a project video hosted by Josh Byrne, the WA presenter on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia, along with a set of education materials and supporting reports.
www.racefor2030.com.au/project/strategic-electric-vehicle-integration/
