EV24 charging station management system in Plug & Chill

Plug & Chill: local energy for EV drivers

Plug & Chill is a project run by Jagiellonian University, focused on testing how local surplus solar energy can be used to charge electric vehicles. It is not just another charger map. The project introduces a cooperation model between small businesses, prosumers, EV drivers, and the app user community.

The pilot is being carried out in Krakow as part of the NEEDS Repowered program. Its core idea is simple: energy produced locally should be used locally to a greater extent. For companies with PV installations, this creates an opportunity to use surplus energy more effectively. For EV drivers, it means access to charging points embedded in real urban infrastructure.

For EV24, this is a practical example of charging station operator software used in a project that combines energy innovation with real EV infrastructure operations. The EV24 platform provides the layer needed to manage chargers, monitor sessions, bill EV charging, issue invoices, and integrate through APIs.

What problem does the project solve?

The number of photovoltaic installations in Krakow and the Małopolska region is growing, but part of the generated energy is still not consumed where it is produced. At the same time, EV drivers need a denser, more convenient, and more predictable charging network.

Plug & Chill addresses both challenges with one model:

• connecting local prosumers with EV drivers,
• developing the concept of community chargers powered by PV energy,
• developing business and regulatory conditions for energy sharing,
• building a community around local charging points,
• collecting pilot data and user feedback to evaluate which parts of the model can scale.

This matters because the energy transition is not happening only through large grids and central investments. Local systems are becoming more important: a business with PV, a parking space, a charger, a driver, and software that can connect it all reliably.

The role of Jagiellonian University

The Plug & Chill project is led by a team from the Institute of Sociology at Jagiellonian University, under the direction of Dr. hab. Aleksandra Wagner, Professor at JU. This context is important: the project studies not only technology, but also the social and organizational conditions of energy sharing.

In practice, this means working on a model that must be understandable for participants, manageable for small and micro-businesses, and compatible with regulatory constraints. The application part and market development are supported by CITTRU - the Technology Transfer Centre of Jagiellonian University.

The Plug & Chill app

The visible part of the project is the Plug & Chill app. Its role is to connect two sides of the local energy market: companies or prosumers providing a charging point and drivers who want to use it.

From the user perspective, the app works as a map and an entry point to the service. From the project perspective, it is more than that: an interface for testing the whole cooperation model, reservations, point availability, communication with users, and data needed to evaluate the pilot.

Where EV24 fits into the model

EV24 supports Plug & Chill as an EPMS-class charging station management system, meaning a platform for managing electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In this project, it provides the operational layer that turns the idea of a community charger into a service that can be launched, monitored, and billed. This is the same kind of backend needed by CPOs, charger owners, investors, and companies offering charging to customers or employees.

EV24 brings the functionality needed by charging station operators:

• charging station and charge point management,
• charging session handling and infrastructure status monitoring,
• EV charging billing,
• charging session invoicing and accounting documents,
• payment handling and commercial models,
• compliance support, including regulatory requirements for charging infrastructure,
• operational data for reporting and pilot analysis.

This allows Plug & Chill to focus on the energy-sharing model and community experience instead of building a complete operator backend for charging stations from scratch. From a business perspective, it shows how a CPO system can shorten the time needed to launch a new charging service and reduce operational costs.

API as the foundation for integration

A key element of the cooperation is the EV24 API. It enabled the Plug & Chill app to connect with the system functions responsible for charging, infrastructure, and session data.

In practice, the API acts as a bridge between the user-facing app and the operator system. The app can develop its own interface, its own community logic, and its own way of presenting data while using the mature EV24 technical layer for charging stations. For companies building their own EV products, this means they can integrate apps, payments, session data, and charging infrastructure without creating a full backend from the ground up.

This model is especially important for pilot and innovation projects. Research and product teams do not need to recreate the entire CPO ecosystem: charger management, sessions, payments, billing, invoicing, and regulatory compliance. They can build their own app on a stable foundation that already supports real e-mobility processes.

What companies can learn from this model

Plug & Chill shows clearly that launching an EV charging service requires more than a charger. A system is needed to manage access, pricing, payments, reports, and accounting documents. For station owners, CPOs, and companies developing their own EV apps, this means choosing a backend that is ready for integration.

EV24 can play this role as a platform for charging station management and EV charging billing. With API access, payment handling, automated settlements, and compliance support, the system can be used both in pilot projects and in commercial charging networks.

Why this matters for the market

Plug & Chill points to a direction that will become increasingly important in e-mobility: charging does not have to be offered only by large charge point operators along major routes. It can also emerge closer to local businesses, parking locations, and communities, especially where local energy production already exists.

This model requires several worlds to work together: user behavior research, local partners, a driver app, regulatory compliance, and a system capable of operating the infrastructure professionally. EV24 provides its experience in that last operational layer.

Summary

Plug & Chill is a Jagiellonian University project that introduces a practical model for local solar energy sharing between prosumers and EV drivers. EV24 supports it as an EPMS backend: a system for managing stations, sessions, billing, invoicing, and compliance.

The key outcome of this cooperation is the ability to build an innovative app and community model without giving up a professional operator layer. Thanks to the EV24 API, the Plug & Chill app can develop its own user experience while relying on the infrastructure needed to deliver real charging services. It is a useful example for organizations looking for charger management software, automated EV charging billing, and integration between their own app and charging station infrastructure.