Nissan launches EV-to-grid energy storage solution
Wed 11 May 2016
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Nissan has revealed plans to enter the domestic energy storage market through the UK's first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot scheme while also launching a new storage system for the European market. The car maker is partnering with italian energy company Enel and National Grid to develop a hundred new V2G energy storage units.
The announcement follows a trial in Norway involving 40 vehicles which began at the start of this year. Once scaled up, Nissan predicts V2G technology could alleviate pressure on the grid during peak times. Nissan aims to roll out the scheme more widely across over the next few years, using its numerous headquarters across the continent as trial points that will utilise the V2G units, as well as Nissan’s new residential energy storage system.
The 'X-Storage' system will allow consumers the opportunity to manage and generate their own energy through “second-life” Nissan EV lithium batteries, which are around 95% recyclable. By 2017, all Nissan headquarters will be utilising the two systems to generate and manage energy. Reservations will be possible from September onwards.
Paul Willcox, Chairman of Nissan Europe, said: “Today’s landmark trial in the UK is a significant step forward in renewable energy management, helping shape the future of industries, cities and societies. Smart energy management is one of the biggest challenges any nation faces for the future which is why this trial is so critical in assessing the feasibility of using variable, more flexible energy sources.
"We see Nissan electric vehicles as being the mobile energy hubs of the future, pioneering a self-sustaining energy infrastructure that will help solve the capacity issues of the future.”
The Nissan press release stated that V2G technology allows electric vehicles to be fully integrated into the electricity grid and will help improve the grid's ability to handle renewable power, making renewable sources even more widely integrated and affordable.
The V2G charging infrastructure, developed by Enel, gives private EV owners and businesses with large EV fleets the opportunity to create mobile energy hubs by integrating their vehicles into the grid. The system works by allowing vehicle owners to connect to the grid to charge at low-demand, cheap tariff periods, with an option to then use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home and at work when costs are higher to feed back to the grid. The system could generate additional revenue for the EV owner.
The LowCVP Conference on 30 June will include a session entitled 'The energy infrastructure for future mobility; How do we move to an EV-ready powergrid?' which will cover issues relating to this story. A Nissan speaker has been invited to take part in the discussion.
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