EO Charging and Viridian Solar announced a distribution partnership on 30 August 2022 under which EO will provide Viridian with its latest generation of domestic chargers, the EO Mini Pro 3, to help housebuilders meet new regulations1. The agreement covers a co-branded version of the Mini Pro 3 made available to Viridian Solar's customers, alongside EO's new smartphone app1.
The Mini Pro 3 has a charging capacity of 7kW ranging up to 22kW, allowing both overnight and high-speed charging, and is described as no bigger than an A5 notepad1. The Viridian Solar model will have solar power tracking as standard, enabling customers with solar panels to charge their vehicle with electricity generated purely from the sun, with control over energy usage and access to the charger handled through EO's iOS and Android smartphone app1.
The charger is the domestic unit from EO's latest generation of home and commercial chargers, the EO Mini Pro 3 and the EO Genius 2, revealed in June 20221. EO was founded in 2014 and now distributes to over 35 countries1. Viridian Solar is a Cambridge-based designer and manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products, best known for its roof-integrated Clearline fusion range, and counts all major UK housebuilders among its customers1. It was acquired by pitched roofing systems manufacturer Marley in April 2021 and is now part of Marshalls Plc1.
The collaboration follows the Government's update to Building Regulations requiring new homes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30%, with housebuilders needing to meet rules that require both solar and EV charging on new homes built across the UK1.
"Housebuilders need to meet new Building Regulations that require both solar and EV charging on new homes built across the UK. Clearline fusion is the market leading solar product for new build applications, and we are delighted to be working with such a well-respected name from the EV charging industry to bring these complementary products together."
Tom Pollard, Head of Distribution Sales at EO Charging, said the companies anticipate the collaboration will lead to products that better integrate solar generation and EV charging, and that as vehicle-to-grid charging becomes a reality they hope it will enable homeowners and landlords to sell excess energy generated from solar panels, or from fully charged EVs, back to the grid at times of peak demand1.
Why it matters for households
For a household with solar panels, a charger with solar power tracking as standard changes what the panels are for. Generation that would otherwise be exported can be directed into the car, so a home's energy independence rests on both the array and the equipment that decides where the electricity goes. The co-branded unit is aimed at new-build homes rather than the retrofit market, so its immediate effect is on homes not yet occupied. Buyers of those homes get solar and charging fitted as part of meeting the regulations, rather than as separate purchases. The vehicle-to-grid ambitions described by EO are stated as a future possibility, not a current feature of the Mini Pro 3, and no date or specification for it has been reported. EO's home charger range is where the Mini Pro 3 sits.
What happens next
The distribution agreement will see the co-branded Mini Pro 3 made available to Viridian Solar's customers alongside EO's new app1. No date for that availability has been reported, and no pricing for the co-branded unit has been reported.
Sources1 cited
- EO Charging | Commercial Fleet & Vehicle Charging, eocharging.com