People have been debating the V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) concept (which involves using electric vehicle batteries to provide backup power to electricity grids) for some time now. However, it hasn’t yet come to fruition.
Image obtained with thanks from Nissan.
Nissan tested a more decentralized way to use electric vehicle batteries at their Advanced Technology Center in Atsugi City, Japan. They used Nissan Leaf electric vehicles to power their building during peak hours to reduce the amount of grid electricity the building used during those hours, when electricity is more expensive (time-of-use electricity pricing).
The vehicles are then recharged during peak hours, which is when the price of electricity is lowest. Basically, the electric vehicle batteries ‘captured’ and stored cheap electricity for use when electricity rates are high, and at the end of the day, employees got to drive their Nissan Leaf vehicles home, fully charged.
Time of use electricity pricing enables power companies to sell the surplus electricity that was generated at night, instead of letting it, and the fuel used to produce it go to waste. So this concept, which Nissan refers to as ‘Vehicle-to-Building’, not only saves money, but provides an energy-efficiency boost.
Nissan’s test results:
‘The facility benefited from a reduction of 25.6KW during peak summer periods by controlling the charging time of the EVs, with no impact on the workers’ daily commute, or their vehicles. The results have led to approximately a 2.5-percent reduction of electrical power use during peak hours, a saving of nearly 500,000 Yen per year in electrical power cost (based on current Tokyo Electric Power Company’s rates)’. [Source: Nissan].
Nissan said this concept can be applied to homes as well. They referred to that as the ‘Vehicle-to-Home’ concept.
Source: Nissan.
