Greener Charge is a web application that helps electric vehicle owners make smarter decisions about when to charge their vehicles by comparing carbon intensity forecasts for the UK electricity grid. This simple but effective tool enables EV owners to reduce their carbon footprint by up to 25% through optimised charging schedules.
As part of our growing focus on clean tech and sustainability sectors, we wanted to create a practical tool that would demonstrate how small behavioural changes could contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions. While electric vehicle owners have already made a substantial contribution to reducing the impact of climate change by choosing EVs, we identified that with minor tweaks to their charging habits, they could make an even bigger impact.
We used the National Energy System Operator’s Carbon Intensity API to develop a solution that compares the carbon intensity of the grid for the current night versus the following night, presenting this information in a clear, actionable format. This project also gave us the opportunity to explore technical R&D around carbon intensity APIs and how they could be integrated into consumer-facing applications.
Our research showed that the carbon intensity of the UK grid varies significantly day to day, primarily due to fluctuating wind conditions. By creating an application that monitors these variations, we could provide EV owners with a simple decision-making tool: charge tonight or wait until tomorrow.
We developed a clean, focused user interface that clearly communicates whether tonight is “greener” than tomorrow for charging. The application is updated hourly with the latest forecast data, ensuring users have current information when making their charging decisions.
To validate our approach, we ran simulations comparing daily charging versus our selective charging strategy for the entire year of 2024. The results showed that users following the Greener Charge recommendations could reduce their charging-related carbon emissions by approximately 25% over the year, a significant improvement with minimal effort required from users.
Greener Charge provides a valuable service to environmentally conscious EV owners who want to maximise the positive impact of their sustainable transport choices. By offering clear, timely information about grid carbon intensity, we’ve created a tool that empowers users to make small but meaningful changes to their habits.
The project represents an important step in our agency’s commitment to sustainability and demonstrates how digital tools can support more sustainable behaviours. We already have several projects underway in the clean tech and sustainability space, but we’re eager to expand our work in this vital sector.
If you’re working on sustainability initiatives or clean tech solutions and would like to explore how digital innovation could support your goals, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help turn your sustainability ambitions into reality.
If you’d like to discuss your next project, please get in touch and see how we can help.
If you’d like to discuss your next project, please get in touch and see how we can help.
