PowerFlex Delivers Large-Scale EV Charging Across University of California San Diego

The University of California San Diego (UCSD) is a leading public research university that is consistently ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States. Renowned for its culture of innovation and collaboration, UCSD is dedicated to advancing knowledge and addressing global challenges through research, education, and community engagement. So, it's not surprising that the school has embraced clean transportation in a big way.

The Challenge

Help Top Public University Meet Ambitious EV Charging Goals While Protecting the Grid

UCSD’s goals include electrifying its vehicle fleet, promoting the usage of zero-emission vehicles, and building the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure of any university worldwide. To make good on this vision, UCSD was looking for a large-scale EV charging solution with advanced load management capabilities that could also benefit the larger power grid.

PowerFlex’s Solution

An Intelligent Charging Network That Affordably and Responsibly Expands With Demand

INSTALLATION TYPE

EV Charging

INSTALLATION SIZE

‍‍461 Level 2 Chargers
6 DC Fast Chargers

LOCATION

‍‍San Diego, CA

INCENTIVES

CALeVIP (California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project) • Communities in Charge

UCSD needed an EV charging provider that could not only satisfy the current demand for charging options on campus but also accommodate future needs while managing costs and not overloading the local grid.

That’s why the university turned to PowerFlex, an industry leader in large-scale EV charging solutions, to grow its EV charging network. PowerFlex began by installing more than 100 Level 2 EV charging stations in parking areas throughout the UCSD campus. The project expanded in 2024 with the addition of 376 charging stations — bringing the total count to over 400 chargers across more than 20 sites around campus.

With PowerFlex’s assistance, the university was able to leverage California’s Communities in Charge incentive, which grants funds to organizations to help defray the cost of installing onsite chargers.

“The expansion of our electric vehicle charging infrastructure complements our operations and research efforts while supporting the university and the state’s efforts to promote clean transportation.”

Gary Matthews

Vice-Chancellor at UCSD

Optimizing Charging With PowerFlex X™

By choosing PowerFlex, UCSD’s electrical infrastructure can support an extensive charging network without the costly upgrades, additional utility fees, and grid strain that accompany a traditional installation.

PowerFlex’s adaptive energy management platform, PowerFlex X™, leverages Adaptive Load Management® (ALM) algorithms to intelligently balance charging demand across stations with regard to driver needs, building load, onsite generation, and other variables. This method allows drivers to get their desired energy while avoiding peaks in electricity draw that can trigger expensive demand charges from utilities and place stress on the power grid.

Thanks to PowerFlex X with ALM, PowerFlex customers like UCSD can install 6-10 times the number of chargers compared to a traditional installation without needing to upgrade their existing electrical infrastructure, which can save businesses up to 60% on implementation costs.

In addition to optimizing EV charging demand, PowerFlex X provides customers with robust data on charger status, utilization rate, revenue, and more via an online dashboard. The platform also allows users to track data related to incentives, a feature that has proven valuable to UCSD for complying with California Energy Commission incentive reporting requirements.