A charging station in Hangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: hzchbao]

In early April, the Rainbow Charging Station in Binjiang district became one of Zhejiang's first 18 green charging stations to sell green energy, sourced from abandoned solar energy in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The State Grid's Hangzhou branch, in collaboration with local authorities, facilitated inter-provincial green energy transactions, powering 284 charging stations across the city.

The initial 284 stations are located in areas such as transportation hubs and commercial buildings and complexes across districts like Shangcheng, Gongshu, Xihu, Binjiang, and Qiantang, and many offer fast-charging.

Abandoned wind and solar energy pose challenges to the development of renewable energy. Due to grid capacity constraints, fluctuating renewable energy production often exceeds grid integration capabilities, leading to wastage.

As one of China's first net zero pilot cities, Hangzhou prioritizes supplying new energy vehicles with green energy, procuring green energy from Ningxia through inter-provincial transactions to mitigate wastage.

Explaining the choice of NEVs as the primary consumers of this green energy, Gong Chengyao, deputy general manager of Hangzhou New Energy Vehicle Service Co, emphasized the industry's rapid growth and substantial electricity consumption. By the end of 2023, Hangzhou had about 720,000 NEVs, accounting for 1.79 percent of the city's total electricity consumption, which amounted to 1.67 billion kilowatt hours in 2023.

Maintaining a balance between green energy production and consumption is crucial for grid stability. Encouraging vehicle owners to charge during periods of surplus green energy and lower societal electricity demand helps achieve this balance.

To incentivize green energy usage, the stations offer discounts during specific hours. The period from 3 to 5 pm has become popular a popular time to charge their vehicles among NEV owners, not only for its environmental benefits but also for its cost-effectiveness, with discounted electricity rates.

Green energy generated in remote areas in China. [Photo/WeChat account: stategridnews]