Infrastructure-led Charging Architecture

11kV Direct HV Charging.

An infrastructure-led architecture for high-power fleet and commercial projects. Designed for the projects where site economics and deployment practicality matter as much as the charger specification.

System Overview Request Engineering Consultation
Infrastructure cost
Up to 35% reduction in project engineering cost vs conventional site-built infrastructure
Programme speed
Delivery timelines up to two-thirds shorter than traditional charging station builds
1000V DC platform
Ultra-high-power output on a 1000 V DC platform, future-ready for next-generation vehicles
Simplified topology
Fewer conversion stages versus traditional multi-cabinet charging station architecture
Energy integration
Common DC bus supports PV, ESS, V2G, and microgrid integration from day one
Look beyond the charger

The most important decisions are often not about charger hardware alone.

In larger charging projects, decisions about how the wider site infrastructure is configured, how the project will be delivered, and whether the charging model makes commercial sense over time often have more impact on project value than the choice of charger unit.

Neutron's 11kV HV direct charging approach is designed for exactly that kind of conversation, helping customers evaluate charging infrastructure in terms of site practicality, project economics, deployment logic and long-term value.

Why 11kV Direct Charging

A wider infrastructure decision.

11kV direct charging is most valuable when considered as part of the complete site infrastructure review, not as a standalone equipment decision.

Infrastructure cost

Direct HV connection removes multiple transformation and distribution stages, reducing the number of major cost items in a conventional charging infrastructure build.

Implementation route

Factory-assembled, lift-in-place installation. Lower on-site assembly complexity, fewer power cable runs, and reduced civil works versus conventional station-built approaches.

Site suitability

Most applicable where a high-voltage grid connection already exists or is planned: logistics parks, bus depots, industrial sites, motorway charging locations, and port facilities.

Operational fit

Direct HV architecture simplifies the operational asset structure: fewer metering points, simpler protection coordination, and cleaner integration with site energy management systems.

Future scalability

The common DC bus architecture allows additional charging terminals, ESS modules, and renewable generation to be added to the same infrastructure platform as demand grows.

Long-term project value

An infrastructure-led review can provide a clearer view of long-term project economics, particularly for large-scale projects where infrastructure cost and programme risk are significant variables.

Versus Conventional Architecture

Four advantages of skipping
the second conversion stage.

A conventional site converts 11kV AC to 400V AC through a power-frequency transformer, then rectifies it to DC a second time inside the charger. Neutron's power electronics topology does it once, direct to DC.

Efficiency, and the clearest long-term saving

Two power conversions typically lose 8–10% of throughput. A single-stage topology to a 1000V DC bus compresses that to under 5%, for 95–98.5% system efficiency. On a high-throughput HGV or megawatt-class site, every extra point of efficiency compounds into real annual savings and can shorten payback by around 15%. Built-in harmonic mitigation and reactive power compensation also remove the need for a separate SVG filter cabinet.

The natural home for solar and storage

Solar and battery storage are already DC. On a conventional site, that DC has to invert to AC to join the 400V network, then rectify back to DC inside the charger, a round trip that stacks losses and control complexity. On Neutron's shared 1000V DC bus, PV, storage, and charging terminals connect directly, no inversion and rectification round trip. That makes self-consumption, peak-shaving arbitrage, and on-site renewable use straightforward for depots, logistics parks, and motorway service areas working toward zero-carbon sites.

Roughly half the footprint

A conventional build needs a separate MV switchroom, an LV distribution cabinet, and multiple standalone chargers spread across the site. Integrating HV incoming, power conversion, DC distribution, and dispatch into one skid-mounted unit cuts site footprint by roughly 40–60%. Where land is the constraint, on motorway corridors, in urban depots, or inside logistics parks, that space is often what secures the site in the first place.

Weeks of site work, not months

A conventional build runs through switchroom civils, LV cabling, equipment delivery, and multiple commissioning rounds, often one to three months end to end. Factory-assembled and tested before dispatch, a single Neutron unit can be live from a single 11kV connection in as little as 7 days; a combined 3-unit system is typically live within 10 days. Units can also be craned out and redeployed, useful for temporary sites and mine or quarry operations that need to reuse the asset elsewhere.

System Overview

Integrated high-voltage
charging architecture.

A unified system that brings together high-voltage equipment, transformer, LV distribution, AC/DC conversion, and DC charging terminals within a single factory-assembled solution.

HV Switchgear
11kV protection and isolation. Factory-integrated and type-tested for direct grid connection.
Transformer
11kV / LV step-down, sized to site demand. Integrated within the prefabricated enclosure.
AC/DC Conversion
High-efficiency rectifier stage supplying the 1000 V DC common bus from LV AC output.
DC Bus (1000 V)
Common 1000 V DC platform shared across all terminals, ESS, PV, and V2G connections.
DC Terminal × 1 to N
Scalable CCS2 vehicle charging outputs. Each terminal draws directly from the shared DC bus.
EMS & CMS Layer
Neutron Grid EMS for energy dispatch and Electron CMS for charge session management, both connected to the DC bus.
Integrated Power Unit
1.25MW
11kV 3-Phase AC Input
HV · Transformer · LV DC · All integrated in one enclosure
DC Output
50–1000 V
Terminals
Up to 30
Installation
Single crane lift
HV Cabling
Minimal

Lift-in-place.
Not built on site.

By integrating all major system components in a controlled factory environment, Neutron shifts complexity away from the construction site and into a managed process.

  • HV cabinet, transformer, inverter, and DC terminals pre-assembled
  • Factory acceptance testing (FAT) before dispatch
  • Lift-in-place installation, no on-site equipment assembly
  • Substantially reduced civil works versus conventional approaches
Neutron HV Direct Integrated Power Unit
High-Capacity Model

4MW Integrated Full-Matrix
Charging Substation.

For sites that need site-level capacity beyond the standard Integrated Power Unit, the 4MW model combines the same 11kV Direct architecture with a custom phase-shift transformer and a Full-Matrix PDU.

Neutron 4MW Integrated Full-Matrix Charging Substation cabinet outside a commercial building

Why a split architecture loses efficiency

A conventional depot pairs an on-site transformer with chargers on a shared bus, but the two run independently. An overheating transformer can only respond by tripping, and harmonics generated during operation have no path to cancel, often triggering grid compliance penalties.

The Full-Matrix PDU approach

The 4MW model integrates the 11kV transformer, LV incoming line, and charging system in a single cabinet, connected to the terminal fleet with just two cable runs. A custom phase-shift transformer and Full-Matrix PDU let harmonics generated across different load branches cancel each other on the high-voltage side, measured on live sites at 3% THD.

96%
System-level efficiency, grid to vehicle, versus ~92% for a split architecture
3%
Measured harmonic distortion (THD)
10 days
Install to live, 3-unit site, 2 cable connections
Project Efficiency

A more efficient route to deployment.

Shifting more integration work into a factory environment can support meaningful reductions in engineering cost and programme duration, depending on site conditions, scope, and comparison baseline.

Engineering Cost
Neutron 11kV HV Direct Relative cost
Conventional site-built Baseline
Programme Duration
Neutron 11kV HV Direct Relative duration
Conventional site-built Baseline

Indicative comparison. Actual savings depend on site conditions, scope, and comparison baseline.

35%
Reduction in project
engineering cost
2 3
Shorter programme timeline
vs conventional site-builds
Energy Integration

Designed for broader
energy-system thinking.

The common DC bus at the core of Neutron's HV direct charging system creates a natural integration point for wider energy assets, making the 11kV conversation relevant beyond charging power alone.

Renewable integration

PV and wind generation can connect directly to the common DC bus, enabling direct use of renewable generation for charging without additional AC/DC conversion stages.

Energy storage integration

ESS connects on the DC bus, enabling peak shaving, demand charge reduction, and grid service participation. Works with Neutron Power Hub and Power Plant container systems.

V2G system integration

The DC bus architecture is compatible with bidirectional DC charging. Vehicles can export energy back to the site or grid, enabling V2G revenue streams managed by Neutron Grid EMS.

DC microgrid architecture

The system is inherently compatible with DC microgrid design, providing a flexible backbone for integrated site energy management, islanding, and demand response at high power levels.

Project Suitability

Where 11kV HV Direct is most relevant.

11kV direct charging is best suited to infrastructure-led projects with specific characteristics that make the architecture's advantages most commercially meaningful.

Most relevant when:

  • Charging demand is high: multiple high-power bays needed simultaneously
  • A high-voltage grid connection already exists or is being commissioned
  • The site needs to expand charging capacity over time on a common infrastructure
  • Project economics favour lower infrastructure cost over simpler specification
  • Programme delivery speed is a critical project constraint
  • Energy integration (PV, ESS, V2G) is part of the longer-term site plan

Best-suited project types:

Bus & Coach Depots
High-power, high-volume fleet charging
Logistics Parks
LCV & HGV fleet electrification
Motorway Charging Hubs
Ultra-rapid public charging at scale
Industrial Sites
Existing HV connection, high demand
Ports & Freight
Heavy-duty vehicles, terminal charging
Energy Hubs
Charging + ESS + PV integrated sites

Ready to discuss
an 11kV project?

Our engineering team will assess your site and present an infrastructure model matched to your project's requirements.

Request Engineering Consultation View Fleet DC Products
Get in touch

Let's talk.

Product enquiries, project scoping, and partnership opportunities. Our engineering team responds within one business day.

Email
info@neutron-systems.com
Phone
0333 577 8886
Address

9 Mallow Street, London, EC1Y 8RQ
United Kingdom

Follow us