Smart EV charging station project crowned 'Research of the Year'
Research project from the Centre of Expertise Urban Technology named AUAS Research of the Year 2021
9 Feb 2021 16:30 | CommunicationMark van Wees and Jos Warmerdam of the Faculty of Technology and the Centre of Expertise Urban Technology are the big winners of the 'AUAS Research of the Year' 2021 award. During the first AUAS Knowledge Parade, their research on smart electric car charging took home both the jury prize and the people’s choice award.
"It is a very topical problem and one that’s also very challenging," said jury chairman and AUAS Rector Geleyn Meijer concerning the issue of sustainable energy provisions. He praised Van Wees and Warmerdam for paying attention to both the city and education at the AUAS in their research.
RESEARCH INTO TEMPORARY STORAGE OF SOLAR ENERGY
The majority of the public votes, which closed on 1 February, also went to the international research project SEEV4-City by Van Wees and Warmerdam. In cooperation with the Amsterdam Johan Cruijff ArenA, they investigated how solar energy can be stored temporarily to be used later to charge electric cars.
The electricity network is at its peak in the evening hours because most electric cars are at charging stations during that time. By storing solar energy during the day (for example in old batteries), this energy can be supplied to the charging stations, preventing a 'peak hour' demand on the electricity network. This saves money and results in more sustainable car usage.
Van Wees and Warmerdam took first prize, ahead of second-place winner Marloes van Verseveld. Her research focuses on methods to help tackle bullying in primary education. Raôul Oudejans and Jolan Kegelaers were awarded third prize by the jury for their research into effective training methods in top-tier sport and dance.
AUAS’S FIRST KNOWLEDGE PARADE
The researchers received their awards from Geleyn Meijer at the DeLaMar Theatre in Amsterdam, during the inaugural AUAS Knowledge Parade. This new annual event is a fusion of two prior events held yearly at AUAS - the Education Conference and Research Day. During the Knowledge Parade, students and staff come together virtually to share knowledge on education and research at our university of applied sciences.