PRODUCTS
EcoFlow | April 19, 2022
On April 18, CATL officially launched its EVOGO battery swap services in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, making it the world's first EVOGO city.
The first four fast battery swap stations that have started operation are located in Siming District, Huli District and Haicang District of Xiamen. The number of fast battery swap stations in Xiamen is expected to increase to 30 by the end of this year, when drivers at any place on Xiamen Island can find one such station within a radius of 3 kilometers. The EVOGO battery swap solution will enable EV consumers to bid farewell to the inconvenience of refueling, and allows consumers with no charging parking spaces to enjoy the fun of EV driving as well.
At present, the special offer for renting one Choco-SEB block is RMB 399 per month, which will be dynamically adjusted according to different level of power consumption by users. For each battery swap service at the swap station, the charge is almost the same as that of the fast charging service, and it is subject to dynamic adjustment according to different station locations and time slots. CATL's EVOGO battery swap solution will provide more EV users with access to a convenient refueling experience.
Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (CAES), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL, has achieved comprehensive win-win cooperation with multiple partners by implementing its city partner plan. All parties involved have joined forces to cooperate in technology, resources and services to facilitate the construction of battery swap network and promote EVOGO vehicle models in Xiamen.
In the future, CATL will join hands with more partners to release more EVOGO vehicle models and deliver EVOGO services in more cities. Let's go with EVOGO.
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STRATEGY AND BEST PRACTICES
Electreon | May 17, 2022
Electreon (TASE: ELWS.TA), the leading provider of wireless and in-road electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, has signed an agreement of cooperation with the public transportation company Electra Afikim. As part of the agreement, Electreon will provide Electra Afikim with wireless charging infrastructure that will enable simultaneous charging of 30 buses, 24 hours a day. The deal is a result of a call for proposals issued by Israel’s National Public Transportation Authority in the Ministry of Transportation to public transport operators, to procure and establish infrastructure to electrify buses. The ministry was a partner in arranging the parking lot for electric charging with the Rosh HaAyin municipality, and invested about $2.9 million in the project.
As part of the agreement Electreon will provide maintenance, support and operation services for the next 12 years. The cost of the deal is $1.9 million; it will cover the fleet's activity, and includes 30 buses. In addition, Electra Afikim will bear the cost of the electricity. Electra Afikim is the fourth largest bus operator in Israel with roughly 1,400 buses. The municipality of Rosh Hain played a key role in the agreement as part of it policy to promote clean electric transportation in the rapidly growing city
This is the second commercial deal signed by Electreon in Israel. The previous, with Dan bus company in October 2021, and includes the sale of wireless charging services for 200 buses. The company estimates that the Electra Afikim agreement has potential for future expansion, including a significant chance of replication with other operators from Israel and abroad. The deal was done in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation's decision to change the face of public transportation in Israel, as part of its ban on the introduction of polluting buses from 2025.
The support of the Ministry of Transportation is important especially since the ministry is the entity that finances the public transportation activity in Israel, and the entity that approved the use of Electreon’s wireless charging. The approval given will allow Israeli public transportation operators to duplicate the project and quickly promote green transportation in Israel.
“As a leading public transportation company, we are turning towards green energy, Since the transition to electrification depends on the allocation of infrastructure, powerful grid connections and prolonged bureaucracy, we were happy to partner with Electreon, which offers a more cost-effective and accessible alternative to charging electric buses. Electra Afikim already operates 25 electric buses on unique BRT lines in the city of Ashdod as part of a sustainable city project and strives to expand the use of green energy buses. This strategy is in line with Electra Group's sustainable activities on various levels over the past years. We thank the National Public Transport Authority for promoting the agreement as part of its e policy to electrify public transportation."
-Oded Cohen, CEO of Electra Afikim.
Electreon's activity in Israel is in line with the company's business model, as part of its process to promote public transport operators and other commercial fleet operators in the US, Europe, Germany and France with Electreon's strategic partner, the infrastructure company, Vinci.
Over the past weeks Electreon has announced several international deals including: Development agreement for commercial wireless charging projects with Destia, Finland's leading infrastructure services company. As part of the agreement the parties will promote commercial public charging projects in Finland, with trucks and wireless distribution vehicles.
USA - The company announced collaboration with the leading wireless charging research center ASPIRE in Utah. As part of the project, which will be launched this summer, ASPIRE will set up a demonstration of a wireless electric road in their test track. The project will demonstrate the company's system for the U.S. Department of Transportation, additional U.S. authorities and potential customers and partners from across the United States. Jacobs, Electreon’s strategic partner, is engaged in promoting commercial transactions with its various customers to operate bus and truck transportation throughout the U.S. In addition, Jacobs partnered with Ford in the U.S. first electric road project, in which the City of Detroit announced its plans to invest heavily and become a leader in infrastructure for charging electric vehicles while driving.
Sweden - The company recently updated that the Swedish Ministry of Transportation has added a budget of €2 million ($2.17 million) to extend its project in Gotland - the world’s first wireless electric road for trucks and buses. Which will strengthen its position ahead of the tender for the construction of the first 42 km long electric road in Sweden.
“2022 is Electreon’s year of transition from planning, development and construction of supply chains towards large-scale production and sales, The wireless static charging project signed with Electra Afikim is a model that the company intends to replicate in many cities around the world, along with dynamic wireless charging. Electreon continues to significantly increase its production capacity in order to be ready for the rapid construction of projects in the pipeline and future projects.”
-Oren Ezer, CEO of Electreon.
About Electreon
Electreon is the leading provider of wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles (EVs), providing end-to-end charging infrastructure and services to meet the needs and efficiency demands of shared, public and commercial fleet operators and consumers. The company’s proprietary inductive technology dynamically (while in motion) and statically (while stopped) charges EVs quickly and safely, eliminating range anxiety, lowering total costs of EV ownership, and reducing battery capacity needs—making it one of the most environmentally sustainable, scalable, and compelling charging solutions available today. Electreon works with cities and fleet operators on a charging as a service (CaaS) platform that enables cost-effective electrification of public, commercial, and autonomous fleets for smooth and continuous operation. For more information, visit electreon.com.
About Electra Afikim
\Electra Afikim is the transportation division of the Electra Group, and expresses the vision of the group Electra to establish its position as a leading player in the transportation industry in Israel. Afikim was established in 2008 as part of one of the Ministry of Transportation's reforms that allowed private companies to bid in tenders to operate public transportation clusters. In 2009, the company won the operation of Samaria.cluster, In 2013, it expanded its operations through the acquisition of Veolia Transportation. In 2020. Control of the company was acquired by the Electra Group and about a year later, Electra Afikim acquired Egged Transport Company. Today, the company, which is managed by Oded Cohen, operates about 1,400 buses on about 450 service lines, which operate in five transportation clusters. The company covers about 60 million kilometers and transports more than 60 million passengers a year.
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ENERGY
EcoSmart Solution | February 04, 2022
EcoSmart Solution (EcoSmart), a green energy service provider (Green ESP) designing and delivering innovative geothermal infrastructure for zero-energy capable communities, has proven its flagship Whisper Valley community successfully weathered the February 15, 2021 winter storm that overwhelmed the state’s electricity infrastructure and caused massive power outages across Texas. EcoSmart, an affiliate of Taurus Investment Holdings, and its EcoSmart GeoGrid used 54% less electricity to power Whisper Valley homes when compared to typical Texas homes because, among other reasons, the GeoGrid™ is located underground, where it is naturally winterized and able to avoid the freeze problems that occurred with other energy sources, demonstrating further that it can be an innovative energy solution across all regions and climates.
As the one-year anniversary of the storm approaches, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the State of Texas are working to introduce long term plans to avoid an energy failure like what was experienced last February. Taurus and EcoSmart’s Whisper Valley is a practical solution for delivering affordable and resilient energy no matter the weather.
“Homes in Whisper Valley are designed to consume less energy which naturally reduces the overall energy required and puts less strain on the state’s electric grid,” said Wesley Brinkmeyer, Manager of Energy Services for Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative.
Whisper Valley is a first-of-its-kind eco-community with an innovative EcoSmart GeoGrid, which delivers geothermal heating and cooling to homes, reducing energy consumption by up to 65%. When combined with solar panels that generate electricity, the result is a zero-energy capable home. This sustainable, renewable energy system could greatly reduce energy consumption on a mass scale if implemented in new residential and commercial developments across the state and country, helping to offset the energy requirements needed for future climate-related grid constraints.
During last February’s unprecedented storm, our GeoGrid performed beyond admirably in extreme conditions, which further proves that it is a revolutionary energy solution, that can be applied to various geographical regions. Through EcoSmart’s state-of-the-art efficiency monitoring tools, we knew exactly how the heat pumps were performing at all times during the winter storm and are pleased to report there were no weather-related damages to our customers' homes in Whisper Valley.”
John Towle, CEO of EcoSmart
The GeoGrid is a hybrid loop system that stores thermal energy in the Earth during hot months, and then uses the stored thermal energy in the winter to heat homes much more efficiently than traditional systems. It does this with the use of a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) that takes the place of a conventional HVAC system. The EcoSmart program also includes smart home technology and an energy monitoring system in every home to maximize the energy efficiency of the homes. An already proven home heating and cooling solution, EcoSmart and Taurus are the only developers to offer a GeoGrid solution at the scale of Whisper Valley.
The EcoSmart geothermal equipped home is already less energy intensive than a conventional home. The physics of the geothermal system enable a house to use one unit of energy to deliver approximately four units of temperature conditioning, resulting in far less energy draw than a conventional house. This lowers peak demands on the utility and minimizes the amount of onsite energy production or storage a house needs, lessening dependence on the power grid.
About Taurus Investment Holdings, LLC
Established in 1976, Taurus is a global real estate private equity firm with over 45 years of experience as a general partner, investor, and operator. By empowering and combining the strength of in-house experts in the fields of multifamily, office, logistics, mixed-use, and renewable energy, the firm has created targeted, scalable investments into value-add, core-plus, and development opportunities.
Taurus is focused on using innovative energy efficient technologies to make the extensive infrastructure investments required to decarbonize residential and commercial buildings through its EcoSmart Solution and RENU Communities affiliates.
Throughout North America and Europe, Taurus is consistently recognized as one of the premier owners of both directly managed and joint venture commercial real estate. To date, Taurus has purchased and developed more than 65 million square feet of residential, office, industrial, retail and other commercial real estate assets throughout the world with a total acquisition value of over $9.25 billion.
About EcoSmart Solution
EcoSmart Solution is an affiliate of global real estate investment firm Taurus Investment Holdings (TIH) and a green energy services provider (Green ESP), designing and delivering innovative geothermal infrastructure combined with a comprehensive suite of distributed energy resources; enabling developers and builders of large-scale new construction neighborhoods to create energy efficient communities and homes, providing new homeowners affordable, comfortable, and sustainable living.
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ENERGY
CSA Group | October 27, 2020
CSA Group has a suite of training products to help you understand and apply the standards you use every day. In either self-guided online or instructor-led virtual format, you and your colleagues can still benefit from the expertise of our instructors and the quality training developed by technical committee members. Energy Efficiency Training Online training for the National Research Council of Canada’s National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2017 is now available in English and French on the CSA Store. Furthering knowledge and adoption of the NECB 2017 contributes to the improved energy efficiency of new buildings and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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