Promoting the uptake of electric vehicles in Falkirk

WSP’s team in Scotland worked closely with Falkirk Council at the start of the new Electric A9 route, which seeks to provide a regular series of charge points along the main northern corridor of Scotland.

Location

Scotland - UK

Client

Falkirk Council

Project Value

1.4 million

Project Status

Complete

Scotland’s second largest electric vehicle (EV) charging hub aims to create a 24/7/365 accessible EV facility in one of the country’s most important economic areas.

The Charging facility opened to the public at 10 am on 31st March 2020. The figures below were taken on 31st March 2021:

energy generated by the solar canopy

240,000 kWh 240,000 kWh

energy used by customers

205,949 kWh 205,949 kWh

customer visits

11,209 11,209

Supporting Scotland’s aims for a greener future

In addition to developing the EV charging hub, a key element of the project was to invest in low carbon transport and connectivity, which has been delivered alongside other active travel methods, including electric bikes and improved cycling facilities. The Scottish government aims for a 42 per cent reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2045.

The EV station will generate over 30 per cent of the required electricity through its solar canopy. This renewable energy is stored in batteries which will be used to charge vehicles and, if needed, support the energy network.

Overcoming challenges in the built environment

The stadium remained fully functional throughout construction. Due to increased footfall during match days, no work took place, which required prior planning around events. During construction, WSP had to devise an alternative to mobile cranes being used because of a high voltage power line which passed over the site. A telehandler and MEWP’s were used as an alternative to lift the canopies into place.

The site boundary was the existing car park which was to be reconstructed. As a result, there was little storage room on site. The team had to carefully plan when and where the materials would arrive to maximise space and productivity. Strong winds during construction had an impact on safety when installing the canopy roof, solar panels and steel columns which in turn delayed the contractor.

"The location of these 26 charging bays will provide much needed facilities for locals, stadium users, tourists visiting the world-famous Kelpies, Helix Park or Falkirk Wheel and drivers from the M9. Including stadium users. It is a pleasure to deliver the first of many A9 Electric projects along the A9 corridor (also know as the spine of Scotland) and supporting the governments ambition to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032."

Julia Gilles
_{Regional Director Scotland & Ireland}

rapid (50kW) charging bays

10 10

fast (22kW) charging bays

16 16

designated bays for disabled users

3 3

Building resilience through a Future Ready approach

Working in partnership with Falkirk Council, we applied our Future Ready approach to ensure we delivered a resilient facility for future generations. Assessing trends, we forecast the adoption of electric vehicles in the coming years and increased rainfall in our design as a side effect of climate change.

We anticipated using solar-generated energy from photovoltaic (PV) canopies to power a significant proportion of vehicles to reduce the demand on the already stressed national grid. A digital display on the battery store exterior allows the public to see how much CO₂ has been saved and the amount of energy generated. We hope the creation of an extensive charging hub will accelerate the electric uptake of electric vehicles and improve air quality.

"The EA9 (Electric A9) expands and builds further resilience into our existing ChargePlace Scotland infrastructure. From this site all the way to Scrabster, visitors and local communities will be able to benefit from charging hubs across the longest road in Scotland."

Michael Matheson
_{Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity}

Considering the future increase in rainfall due to climate change, the drainage was designed to allow water to percolate through porous paving in the car park, which filled up large gravel-filled, lined ‘tanks’ which then percolated into perforated drains below. This water, including runoff from the canopies, was connected to the existing car park drainage and is discharged into an existing detention basin within the stadium grounds.

TrinaSolar panels

1,272 1,272

energy stored in the three storage systems

201 kWh 201 kWh

carbon savings every year

75 tonnes 75 tonnes