EV Charging Post from APT Techtnologies gives green power to Uxbridge College

A further education college in the London borough of Hillingdon is leading the charge for environmentally responsible travel after becoming one of the first educational providers to install an electric vehicle charging post from APT Technologies, supplier of the Evolt range of futureproof electric vehicle charging solutions.

Under its ‘ecollegey' scheme, Uxbridge College promotes the implementation of sustainable solutions across both of its campuses in Uxbridge and Hayes. As part of a £5million project to build an energy-efficient IT & Media Centre, it felt that an essential step in its campaign for ‘green' facilities was to install an electric vehicle charging post for staff and students to use on-site in Uxbridge.

Having decided to invest in a charging post the college asked construction group Kier to specify a suitable model, says Iain Burnett, Construction Manager at Kier: “We investigated the available solutions and came to the conclusion that the Evolt Street would best fit the bill. A technical representative from APT came and explained the product to us, and both the level of information supplied and the expertise demonstrated was just what we needed.”

The Evolt Street is a robust yet versatile outdoor charging post that is simple to access and use, and supplies secure payment using contactless RFID proximity cards. The unit features an intelligent tamper-proof opening mechanism, as well as a digital screen that displays information such as user ID, energy consumption and charging times and LED lighting to show charge point status.

Sara Djili, Vice Principal of Finance and Corporate Services at Uxbridge College and the lead on sustainability, says that the charging post forms part of the college's investment in the future: “Sustainability is one of Uxbridge College's top priorities and offering the Evolt Street charging post for electric cars is a valuable part of this work.

“Students, staff and our community are an integral part of our sustainability plan whether they are buying Fairtrade coffee, studying in a building heated by biomass and ground source heat pumps, or travelling to college using green methods such as cycling, car-sharing or a rechargeable vehicle,” she continues.

“At Uxbridge College we are doing everything we can to enable people to engage in sustainable activities, and providing the charging point is an important element of this. We look forward to continuing success in this area.”

Uxbridge College is a general further education college offering GCSEs and A levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships, higher education (HE) qualifications and free adult learning classes.

Under its ecollegey environmental scheme, the college has implemented a number of ‘green' initiatives including automatic sensors to switch off computers and lights in unused rooms; over 90% of the paper used for printing and photocopying is recycled paper; and 17% of its heating and hot water is provided by means of biomass and ground source heat pumps, resulting in lower emissions.