Research shows drivers could save up to £300 per year by storing and sharing electricity in their car’s battery with the grid, thanks to ‘vehicle-to-grid’ technology under development.
The ‘V2G’ technology allows electric vehicle owners to sell their battery capacity back to the grid when not needed. The two-way system uses electric vehicles sitting in the garage alongside a special charger and other systems in homes and buildings such as battery storage, solar panels or heat pumps to maximise efficient energy usage, save money and cut carbon emissions.
The findings come from a collaborative project conducted by energy supplier Good Energy, Honda Motor Europe, the University of Salford and local energy demand response specialists Upside Energy.
‘Mini power stations’
Using the university’s Salford Energy House to create different real-world conditions, researchers tested how buildings could generate power from solar panels, store it overnight in an electric vehicle and use it to balance other building systems to reduce the amount of electricity being imported from the grid, or export excess electricity in the other direction.
The researchers found that the average home could save up to £300 a year while reducing its reliance on fossil fuels by acting as ‘mini power stations’ and shifting when power is saved or used.
‘Where solar power was 10 years ago’
Juliet Davenport, chief executive and founder of Good Energy, said: “We must take a distributive ‘whole systems’ approach to tackling the climate emergency. That is why vehicle-to-grid is so exciting – it is the missing link between electrification of transport and decarbonisation of our grid and our homes.
“V2G is where solar power was 10 years ago – the technology exists but it requires innovation, investment and joined up thinking. With the right policy support it could become another clean technology British success story.”
