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Recognising Opportunities to Transform Your Site into a ChargeYard

Posted on Tuesday, April 11th, 2023.

Across the United Kingdom, there are thousands of disused pieces of land. But, unfortunately, this forgotten acreage is sitting, gathering weeds, inviting antisocial behaviour, and, more significantly, not making landowners any money. 

RAW Charging is well-versed in helping these locations, spotting opportunities to transform the land into a sustainable, public-serving ChargeYard that attracts visitors, boosts ESG credentials and earns you, the landowner, a steady stream of revenue. 

RAW have highlighted these areas of opportunity below. 

  1. Heavy Traffic Areas

Previously developed, disused land (also known as brownfield land) within areas of high traffic and potential footfall are prime locations for a ChargeYard installation. 

These locations include land near commercial areas and business parks, retail parks, shopping centres, leisure centres, golf clubs, hotels and tourist destinations. 

Such sites are far more likely to see a higher demand for electric vehicle charging (EVC) and therefore have a high propensity to bring in valuable, additional revenue. 

 

  1. Local Demand for EVC

It’s all well and good owning brownfield land, but there’s no sense in installing facilities if there’s no demand for EVC locally. 

For this reason, it’s vital that EV numbers in their area are thoroughly researched. This is a task that RAW Charging takes care of during the charging system installation process, alleviating workload and stress from the site owner. RAW pays close attention to the current number of owners, how quickly EV adoption rates have risen and the projection of how many EVs will be owned locally in the near future. 

 

  1. Existing EVC Infrastructures

Is there an EV infrastructure currently in the area? Are there charging stations nearby to your disused land? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, installing a ChargeYard may not make financial sense. 

Suppose there are no EV charging stations nearby (or existing infrastructures are a reasonable distance away or along different traffic routes). In such cases, this presents a prime opportunity to capitalise on the lack of competition and transform your site. 

 

  1. Infrastructure Amenities

If turning your land into a ChargeYard makes sense from a demand and infrastructure point of view, nearby facilities should also be considered to ascertain the site’s feasibility fully.

Again, this is a process taken care of by RAW Charging. RAW will check any zoning and planning requirements during the ChargeYard project process; it’s best to be aware of this early on if obtaining planning permission for your site will be an obstacle. 

With this said, should you have suitable land, the chances of obtaining planning permission are very likely, and even in cases where your site may have previously failed to get authorisation, RAW may be able to offer its expertise to gain approval.

Other considerations include the location’s proximity to a suitable power supply, the available surface space for charge points and accessibility to the proposed ChargeYard via nearby roads. 

Once again, these are all steps taken care of by RAW during the planning process. 

 

  1. Capitalise on the Need for Different EVC

Once you’re aware of local demand for EVC and are sure there’s a suitable infrastructure around your location, it makes sense to look to the broader EV market to help determine what kind of EV chargers to install and meet the demands and needs of local or passing EV drivers. 

RAW will research the number of EV drivers and their charging habits, pinpointing the number and type of chargers you’ll need. For example, a ChargeYard by the side of a busy motorway will benefit from En Route Charging and DC chargers, able to fast-charge an EV to 80% power in under 30 minutes. 

If the ChargeYard is positioned near a hotel or residential area, AC chargers make more sense. Destination charging allows EV owners the opportunity to charge their vehicles overnight fully. 

Of course, should it make sense regarding your location, RAW Charging can always provide a mix of the two. In addition, the RAW team will provide a report on your site, advising on equipment, pricing and installation costs to achieve the best EV strategy.

Why work alongside RAW Charging to build a ChargeYard?

RAW Charging ensures that building your ChargeYard is simple, stress-free and sustainable. 

RAW’s experts take care of things from start to finish, having successfully implemented ChargeYard projects for the likes of Abrdn, who turned their derelict land into the first town centre-based EVC hub. Well connected to the busy M4 and the centre of Slough, this pioneering redevelopment has transformed the site into a busy location that earns Abrdn additional revenue. 

Not only does partnering with RAW Charging mean you’ll benefit from their expertise and boost ROI, but there are also the positives of adding to your ESG credentials. 

These environmental, social and governance guidelines are integral to a business’s longevity and public image, with an increasing focus on a company’s sustainability and environmental impact. For more information, why not browse RAW’s blog post on ESG Ratings?

 

Are you interested in revamping your disused site? Do you believe that your brownfield land has the potential to become a RAW ChargeYard? Contact the team today for more information and assessment on transforming your location into a future-proof EVC hub.