In Germany, NIssan has managed to get its LEAF electric car certified as a backup for the local power grid.
The idea in a utopian future is to have everyone driving electric cars, preferably of the LEAF variety, and feeding back any unused power from the batteries back into the grid at times when demand exceeds supply.
It’s called bi-directional charging.
Sounds great but It’s unlikely to find much support here where power companies are already ‘arcing up’ over roof top solar installations which they claim are stealing their business.
Imagine how they would feel about using a fleet of electric cars as battery backup to the system, because presumably there would be credits involved?
Anyway, Nissan is claiming the certification as a breakthrough in establishing Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology in Germany.
“We strongly believe in an emission-free future,” Vice president and managing director, Nissan Centre Europe, Guillaume Pelletreau, said.
“Accordingly, we are also very proud that the Nissan LEAF has, as the first electric car ever, been approved as suitable for stabilising grid frequencies.
“LEAF batteries could make an important contribution to energy transition in Germany and a sustainable future.”
New and innovative solutions for stabilising the electricity grid are necessary to transition to decentralised energy generation from renewable sources in Germany.
The increasing use of renewable energy leads to fluctuations in the grid, which must be initially balanced by primary regulation, able to prevent impending power cuts at a second’s notice.
Electric cars such as the Nissan LEAF, with integrated bidirectional charging technology, could play an important part in stabilising the electricity grid.
With its CHAdeMO charging connector, the LEAF is able not only to extract power from the grid and store it in its traction battery, but, if necessary, can also feed power back. This is the Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) concept.
The bidirectional chargeability of Nissan’s electric car is the foundation for its integration in the pilot project at the ENERVIE site in Hagen, Germany.
In combination with innovative, intelligent charging and energy management technology from The Mobility House, the charging and discharging processes can be controlled and monitored.
“We are pleased that Mobility House technology has been approved by the TSO for the most challenging and important product of the German power supply system,” CEO and founder of The Mobility House (TMH), Thomas Raffeiner, said.
CHECKOUT: Dynamic lifter for fresh LEAF
CHECKOUT: You can LEAF the lights on