Solaris Charging Park: Innovative Facility for All Types of E-Buses

Solaris Charging Park – that is the name of the investment on the premises of Solaris in Bolechowo near Poznan. The charging park, equipped with various charging systems and bidirectional charging technology, will be one of the most modern in Europe. The ability to test different solutions allows Solaris to provide a tailored response to the growing demand of European transport operators for electric buses. The Charging Park will be handed over for use in the first half of 2022. 

In 2021, Solaris delivered several hundred electric buses to almost 30 cities across Europe. The company's priority in sales lies precisely with emission-free vehicles. Their share of the manufacturer's orders is significant and continues to grow year by year. The investment in its own charging park, i.e., a central location for the charging of electric buses, is a natural step in the dynamic development of Solaris' emission-free offerings. 

Insight for Customers

The charging park will have a total area of 5,000 m². In its covered part, there will be four charging stations for vehicles, the main charging station, and a technical room. Photovoltaic cells will be installed on the roof of the structure, enabling local energy generation from renewable energy sources. In addition, charging islands for plug-in charging will be placed. In the new park, all charging and discharging processes will take place, as well as the testing of new technologies and functionalities. The charging park will also serve customers who will be able to gain insight into various innovative solutions there. 

Bidirectional Charging

In the Charging Park, charging systems from three different suppliers will be installed. This way, various battery charging systems will be tested and offers tailored to different market needs will be prepared. The first solution is a charger with eight charging points and a power output ranging from 150 kW to 600 kW, capable of charging three vehicles simultaneously. The system is compatible with all plugs available on the market. Both a conventional bus and a trolleybus can be connected to it. It also supports V2G technology (Vehicle-to-Grid), i.e., the technology of bidirectional energy flow between the vehicle and the grid. The Solaris Charging Park will be the first bidirectional charging park in Poland and one of the first innovative facilities of this kind in all of Europe. Thanks to V2G technology, it will be possible to discharge the buses for testing purposes and use them as mobile energy storage.

Central Management System for Monitoring

A charger with four charging points and a total power output of 300 kW will also be installed in the charging park. It will have two plug-in connections, as well as a conventional and an inverted pantograph. Additionally, there will also be two independent plug-in chargers with an output of 150 kW each – both with V2G functionality. The operation of the Charging Park will be monitored and controlled via a central management system. The construction work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The charging park is expected to reach its full operational capability by mid-2022.