OVO Energy has launched its first domestic vehicle-to-grid charger at the company’s Energy Technology Product Showcase event. Considered to be the world’s first widely available domestic product of its type, the OVO Vehicle-to-Grid Charger will be rolled out later this year.
Also launched by OVO was its Smart Charger, with the unit able to charge EVs during off-peak hours, with customers benefiting from cheaper electricity, whilst also easing demand on the National Grid.
The new units are some of the first to market in what will be a burgeoning industry, as products and systems come out that enable EVs to solve the potential problem they might cause. With increasing numbers of plug-in cars sold, there will be added demand for electricity, and although the National Grid has much of the capacity predicted to be required without further expansion, that capacity needs to be used in a smarter manner.
With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, EVs can be charged when there is less demand, and feed back power into the grid or a household when demand is at its greatest – in effect becoming a mobile energy storage unit when parked rather than a mode of transport.
OVO’s Vehicle-to-Grid charger will make use of the company’s VCharge software, which remotely connects flexible electrical devices – such as certain EVs – and aggregates them into a virtual power plant. The system then reacts as a whole to changes in demand and supply.
To support the new charge points, OVO has also launched its Home Energy Storage solution, with the large battery able to charge either from the mains, V2G systems, or a customer’s own generated electricity. This can the feed back into the grid, or act as a buffer for V2G systems.
OVO’s Vehicle-to-Grid charger is a bi-directional system that can charge a 6kW, while its Smart Charger can charge at 7kW. Both are due to launch in the UK market in summer 2018.
OVO CEO and Founder Stephen Fitzpatrick said: “Renewable energy and electric vehicles are perfect partners for the 21st Century. Today we’re launching the world’s first widely available vehicle-to-grid charger, helping to solve one of the biggest challenges facing the energy sector.
We’re enabling thousands of EV batteries to help balance the grid in times of peak demand, more renewable energy to come onto the system, and households to reduce their electricity bills. This is the first step in building the distributed energy system of the future.”
Francisco Carranza, Managing Director of Nissan Energy: “The Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 are leading the way with V2G technology. We are pleased to be part of this world-first launch of a widely available domestic vehicle-to-grid charger which could solve one of biggest challenges of integrating electric vehicles onto the grid.
“We are also reiterating our mission to offer customers free power for their electric vehicles. V2G will change the rules of the game, making energy cheaper for everyone as we move towards decarbonizing the grid.
“Our electric vehicles are fully ready to be plugged into the grid making the UK grid more sustainable and more stable. Today, our electric vehicles are not just transforming the way we drive, but also the way we live”
