Budget
£15–25k
Duration
8 weeks
Closes
25 Jul 2026
Background
We operate a depot with a fleet we intend to electrify. The naive assessment — every vehicle charging at once, overnight, at full rate — implied a network reinforcement with a cost and a lead time that would have ended the project.
We commissioned a feasibility study to establish what the depot could actually import, what a managed charging schedule could achieve within that limit, and whether the reinforcement could be avoided or deferred.
The study concluded that scheduling could accommodate the first two phases of fleet conversion within the existing connection, and identified the fleet size at which reinforcement becomes unavoidable. This has been adopted and the project is proceeding on that basis.
Scope
- Establish the depot's realistic import capacity from network data and metering.
- Model fleet duty cycles and dwell times from operational schedules.
- Assess managed charging strategies against the connection limit.
- Identify the fleet size at which reinforcement becomes unavoidable.
- Advise on the commercial and queue implications of a reinforcement application.
Constraints
The awkward facts, stated now rather than in week six.
- Operational schedules were fixed and could not be altered to suit charging
- Half-hourly data was available for eighteen months only
- The assessment had to reflect winter conditions rather than annual averages
- No new metering could be installed within the study period
Deliverables
- Import capacity assessment with assumptions documented
- Fleet duty-cycle and dwell-time model
- Managed charging strategy within the existing connection limit
- Threshold analysis identifying the reinforcement trigger point
- A recommendation adopted by the project board
Milestones
- Week 1Data handover and assumptions agreed
- Week 4Import capacity assessment and duty-cycle model delivered
- Week 6Managed charging strategies assessed and reviewed
- Week 8Final report and board recommendation
Who should apply
- Power systems group or consultancy with distribution network experience
- Experience of depot or fleet charging assessments
- Ability to work with operational schedule data
- Independence from any charging equipment supplier
How applications will be judged
In roughly this order.
- Prior depot charging or connection feasibility work
- Treatment of winter conditions rather than annual averages
- Independence from equipment suppliers, declared explicitly
- Clarity on the distinction between technical feasibility and connection queue timing
Terms
- The report belongs to us; the provider may cite it in anonymised form
- Operational schedule data was supplied under confidentiality
- Network data was used under the terms of the operator's data agreement
- This package is complete and is retained here as a worked example
Not accepting applications
This package has been awarded. It is retained as a worked example of scoping.
See what is open