Experts create way to power home through an electric car!
AN INNOVATIVE new system has been installed in Loughborough to power a home through the owner’s electric vehicle.
Low carbon and fuel cell technologies company Cenex, which is based on the Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park, announced the installation of the first domestic, UKbuilt vehicle-to-grid (V2G) unit in the country last week.
Developed through the Ebbs and Flows of Energy Systems (EFES) project, the installation will allow partners to understand the management and interaction of electric vehicles (EVs) as battery storage within a domestic property and how this can be incorporated into the wider energy system.
EFES is a collaborative project, through which a vehicle-to-grid unit has been developed by Potenza Technology, a control unit developed by Moixa Technology, and the Virtual Power Plant developed by Cardiff University.
Funded in part by Innovate UK and EPSRC, the £1.8m project is being completed over three years, and is expected to be delivered by December.
Robert Evans, Cenex CEO, said: “Cenex is delighted to be at the forefront of this important new research into the domestic scale use of V2G power systems.
“Installation of the UK’s first domestic V2G unit marks a significant landmark for the country’s manufacturing and innovation, not to mention our efforts to move toward a low carbon economy.”
Paul Faithfull, managing director at Potenza Technology, added: “The potential of EV batteries to support the grid could transform how we power our economy, and the EFES system represents a significant first step toward realising that potential.”
Cenex is using project data to understand the business case for domestic scale V2G in the UK, and believes this installation will act as a catalyst for future innovation.
Once installed, the V2G unit will also represent one of the UK pilots for the SEEV4-City project, a European project part funded by Interreg North Sea Region.
This aims to support the transition to a low carbon economy in European cities, by combining EVs, renewable generation and smart energy management.
Chris Wright, chief technology officer at Moixa, said: “Using smart technology to harness the battery power of EVs for the grid can offer UK consumers and the energy system lower costs, reduce carbon emissions and improve energy security.
“The Ebbs and Flows of Energy System is an exciting landmark in making V2G technology viable in the UK, and we are proud to be part of its successful installation.”