One of the biggest challenges in tackling global climate change is decarbonising the electricity system. This is, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and promoting the use of renewable energies instead. The primary issue with doing this is the fact that renewable energies – solar and wind power - are a fantastic, clean energy source, but they are also volatile, or perhaps more kindly, they are unpredictable. In other words, the sun doesn’t always shine so we can’t always optimise solar energy, and wind isn’t always at its strongest, so we can’t optimise wind power. So to assist with sustainability, stabilising the national grid and feeding it with as much renewable energy as possible, we need a suitable storage facility, and the solution is electric vehicles (EVs) using vehicle to grid technology.
Introducing vehicle-to-grid technology
We want as much renewable energy in the national grid as possible, but we know it is not always available on a consistent level, so it needs to be either used immediately when we have it, or stored for later use. It is estimated that by 2030 there will be 250 million EVs on the roads worldwide, and fortunately the EV battery has an excellent capacity for storing energy.
Vehicle-to-Grid technology, also known as V2G technology, is the process of feeding excess energy stored in an EV battery back to the national grid, at the discretion of the EV user. This discretion is managed by an intelligent software platform and a smartphone app, which is an extension of the idea of smart charging. So the user can set a charging schedule for what level of charging they want and by what time, the app will then decide when to import or export energy through a V2G charger based on your requirements, but also at the best time for you and for the grid.
This means that you can charge as normal overnight, when demand on the grid is lower and electricity supply tariffs are cheaper, ideally also when there is plentiful renewable energy available. And the following day, if you have excess energy you don’t need, you can divert this back to the national grid at a higher price during peak demand periods and make a profit, and also feed the national grid with renewable energy.
Why is V2G technology important?
Balancing the national grid is critical in terms of making sure there is enough power for everyone at times of peak demand, but also to avoid power surges – when too much current surges through the system after an interruption in supply – which can damage appliances and cause electrical fires. It is essential that we work towards decarbonising the national grid, but with renewable energies not being supplied consistently, V2G technology is a way to manage this supply.
V2G relies on a bi-directional, or two-way, flow of electrical energy from the national grid to the EV, and back again. But V2G technology is a different form of technology, in that it only manages the one-way flow of energy from the EV back to the grid.
What are the benefits of V2G technology?
- EV user – The EV user can set charge limits and these are achieved in the greenest and most cost-effective way, ensuring they always have the charge they need for everyday driving
- Profit – Excess renewable energy is returned to the national grid at peak times to make a profit
- Grid stabilisation – V2G helps the grid with stabilisation at peak times of demand
- Decarbonisation – V2G assists the grid in using more renewable energy and phasing out its reliance on fossil fuels
- Battery utilisation - An EV’s battery is parked and stationary for long periods overnight and many batteries don’t need to be 100% full for the amount of driving a user is planning to do the next day, but the energy storage capacity of the battery is important and V2G is a way to better utilise the battery when it would otherwise not be used
- EV valuation – V2G gives an EV added value.
Not all EVs currently have V2G-compatible charging systems onboard, so it will take some time to fully develop this technology, but it is already benefitting the national grid and its commitment to reduce the use of fossil fuel energies. It is anticipated that over the next few years V2G charging capabilities will become a standard element of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE), and an important part of the progress and commitment towards decarbonising the national grid. At Test Instrument Solutions we have a range of EVSE testing equipment, to assist with the process of installation, testing and maintenance of EVSE, such as the TISMFTPRO-EV which is the ultimate kit for all your EVSE testing needs.
Please note that this section is for information purposes only. Anyone using equipment referred to in this section must be suitably qualified and/or experienced within the respective field. If in doubt before use, please consult a qualified electrician or engineer & thoroughly read all instruction booklets.