Massun Park: Parking Hall Charging Fast Transmission Project - Intelligent, Compatible and Scalable
Massun Parkki is a parking garage with approximately 330 spaces located in the Tampella area of Tampere, which has both resident parking and paid short-term parking. The garage underwent a major change in charging infrastructure, and charging devices for both public and shareholder use were installed.
In this reference article based on interviews, Mikko Mustranta, and Henri Ranki, Antti Hiekkanen, business director of charging services at charging operator eParking, talk about the progress of the project from their own perspectives.
Massun Park, Puuhiomonkuja entrance
Scope and specific features of the project
Kalevan Sähkö: The project involved the Massu parking garage, which previously had no charging system. The original contract covered the construction of the entire charging infrastructure from scratch and the acquisition of 24 public charging stations by the property. This practically meant building everything related to car charging from scratch, including the partial renewal of the property's main center and power supplies.
The scope of the main hub change made the project atypical. Compared to normal, the main hub infrastructure was renewed significantly more. The project also prepared for the future by building sufficiently robust systems that will enable the charging capacity to be increased well into the future.
eParking: The project was not entirely typical, as it is rare for the same site to have both public and private charging points. In addition, the site was exceptionally large in terms of the number of charging points operated, although we operate sites of all sizes with 1-600 charging points. Another special feature was the lower electricity price for private users. This solution is understandable, as without a price difference, the motivation to purchase your own device could be low.
In operating such a large charging field, it was of primary importance to identify which charging points were public and which were privately owned. This information was necessary because the charging points had to be configured differently in the system due to the difference in electricity prices and public visibility. In the future, the flow of information between eParking and the subscriber will remain critically important.
Project progress
Contractor: The client had a clear project plan that set the framework for the project. The plans were drawn up based on this. There were some minor twists and turns in the project. The most significant surprise was the delay in the construction plans and related consulting, which delayed the implementation of the diamond holes and other structural work by about 1.5 months. As a result, the construction site was at times at a standstill. However, the original deadline was more or less in place, although the delay postponed the planned completion.
Charging system and future-proofing
Contractor: We have completed several similar projects. The Massun Park project is one of the largest in terms of scale, especially in terms of the construction of the entire electrical infrastructure. Although charging stations were initially installed for 24 parking spaces, the infrastructure was built for approximately 330 charging spaces, which allows for the installation of a charging device for every parking space. Of the current charging devices, 24 are public Elektra charging stations manufactured by Harju Elekter. Private parking space owners have since ordered nine more charging points. They have the option of using devices from either UTU, Harju Elekter or Wallelatur. We expect additional orders in the future.
eParking: Our system based on the eTolppa protocol enables seamless interoperability between charging devices from different manufacturers, as the entire system utilizes the same smart technology and wireless network. This means that if a device needs to be replaced, it can be replaced with a device from another manufacturer without any problems. The site's 2nd-level load management is implemented in the eParking cloud service and is included in our operation service. Unified smart technology enables devices from different manufacturers to be connected to the same wireless and scalable communications network, allowing the device's intelligence and load management to work together.
The central unit that controls the system's intelligence, the so-called master, can be transferred to another operator if necessary using the OCPP protocol, which means independence. This kind of operational flexibility makes equipment purchases safe from the subscriber's perspective and ensures a long life cycle of the system.
Good results through smooth cooperation between operator and contractor
Contractor: Our cooperation with eParking is very good. We have done most of our projects with them. The cooperation has continued for about five years or even longer, and the Massun Park project was one of our largest joint projects, along with Ratinanranta!
We especially appreciate that we can call eParking directly and almost always get an immediate response: things are arranged quickly without long email chains. During the bidding phase, it is important to understand the most cost-effective way to implement the project, and our planning and implementation expertise helps with this.
eParking: When working with a contractor, it is important for us to receive the necessary information on time so that the project progresses smoothly. In this project, all information came on time and communication was up-to-date at all stages. We have already had a long and excellent cooperation with Kaleva Sähkö.
The most important things when planning a similar project
Contractor: From our perspective, it is always better if the customer has thought through their needs and wishes in advance. It is especially important to consider what kind of charging and how much is desired. This has a significant impact on the needs of the electricity connection and the main center.
eParking: From our perspective, it is important that we receive all the information related to our share and electricity prices in a timely manner, as well as the contracts smoothly, so that things can move forward. Up-to-date communication at all stages of the project is also essential.
Massu Parking Hall represents well the direction we think the electrification of parking properties should take: smart, compatible and scalable.
For this reference article, we interviewed Mikko Mustranta, CEO of electrical contractor Kaleva Sähkö, and Henri Ranki, electrical design supervisor, as well as Antti Hiekkanen, business director of charging services at charging operator eParking.
