Sometimes it’s funny how the solution lies in the problem itself. Many think Electric car is a trend that can’t fit in existing infrastructure. Some even argue how would the electric power grid will cope with the peak demand, if everybody starts using electric car? The solution to this problem is – more electric cars, specifically with use of Vehicle-to-Grid Technology.
Vehicle-to-Grid or V2G is quickly becoming a buzzword in the electric vehicle (EV) charging industry. Its where the Electric car instead of just being a receiver of energy becomes a donor too. This effectively turns EV batteries into an energy storage resource. You may ask – What’s the benefit in doing that? Please let me explain concept of Vehicle-to-Grid.
Idea
- In most cases when car is not driven around stays parked 95% throughout the day
- Batteries in such Electric car can be used as a decentralised storage for electricity
- EV owner can save or even earn money from selling electricity back to the grid
EV user scenario
Alex has EV parked at home plugged and scheduled to charge at night
- Car charges at night-rate of 8p per kWh (average in UK)
- Alex goes to work in the morning
- Comes home in the evening
- Plugs the car for charging if charge is less otherwise not
Now here is where advantage of V2G comes,
Alex plugs in car regardless using a bidirectional charger plug.
And as it’s evening time the electric grid applies peak-rate at above 16p per kWh in UK. - All the remaining electricity in EV can be directed back to house use at night-time rate
- Thus cutting peak electricity price in half
- After the peak evening time is over car can charge from midnight to morning to full use next day
Other benefits of V2G
Some energy companies like Octopus energy are offering additional £30 cashback a month for participating in such scheme. Similar scenario can be applied outside at charging stations or offices, where there are such V2G units installed. This helps flatten curves of peak energy demand or places where there are regular blackouts.
V2G is a relatively new technology which enables electricity to flow from an electric vehicle back into the local electricity network. It means EVs can be operated as commercial energy storage, generating additional income for their owners and offering extra capacity on electricity networks.
Throughout the history of electricity, the problem wasn’t about how to generate more. There is ample almost free supply from giant fireball in sky and nice consistent high wind. The real problem was – Where to store it?
With battery prices coming down rapidly through last decade. It’s expected to reach below affordability of $100 per kWh by 2024. So more electric car the better. Mass electric car adoption is not a problem anymore but a solution to itself i.e. if V2G is also adopted.
What about battery degradation?
The second argument to using batteries is – Don’t they degrade with overuse? Some say my mobile phone battery didn’t last for 2 years. Grrrr yeah but EV batteries are different, they are kept in a battery pack where they are maintained for optimal life at temperature of 20 degrees for 24/7 even when car is parked. Just like a “fridge” for batteries.
Coming back to excessive use of batteries with V2G, the output rate is controlled at safe rate lower than that of car being driven around. So the harm to batteries is reasonably very low. On horizon there is new 4680 batteries announced by Tesla that can sustain life 41 years even if charged and discharged everyday.
Revolution Electrified’s take
I thought rise in Renewable Energy was the best thing happened in 2020. Not just because of plumitting demand in oil due to lockdowns but clever people around the world have worked out a solution to the problem – Where to store access electricity? The answer is batteries, lots of batteries.
Digging deeper I learned electricity can not only be stored in such batteries but also can be resold back to national grid for profits, just like a stock market. So I thought the opportunity is then in such “Microgrid” where each house is fitted with a battery on the wall to make a virtual grid.
But then I said to myself wait-a-minute, if each electric car is carrying around a battery pack similar to one the wall, why electric car can’t do the same job of Microgrid. Then the concept of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) made sense to me.
V2G is not just a solution to solve electricity demand when everyone starts driving Electric cars but also a opportunity for electric car consumer to be a prosumer where they can save or even earn money back from the electric grid. Welcome to a better sustainable future.
