As the demand for electricity from plug-in-electric vehicles and other plug-in tech platforms and solutions increases, the load on power grids will also spike exponentially. If the demand is unprecedented, then managing power allocation can become extremely challenging. This is where vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology can plan a critical role in addressing the challenges of the electric mobility sector.
In this guide, we will cover all aspects of vehicle-to-grid technology and also provide insight into everything that you should know about this technology if you are an electric vehicle owner or are considering buying an electric vehicle soon.
What is Vehicle-to-Grid Technology?
Before we move any further, it is important to first fully understand what Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology is and what it can do for the electric vehicle sector.
Vehicle-to-grid technology is smart charging tech that makes it possible for the batteries of electric cars to push or give back to the power grid. You can also look at it this way, V2G tech allows high-capacity electric car batteries to function in two ways – it serves as a power source for EVs and also doubles up as backup storage cells for power grids.
So depending on the demand for electricity, bidirectional charging stations make use of V2G tech to either draw from or give back energy to connected vehicles. The electricity that is pushed back can then be used to meet energy demands in other areas including to power buildings and homes or any other connected platform.
How Does V2G Work?
While on the surface V2G tech sounds simple enough, the fact is that the whole process is dependent upon a complex network of smart tech solutions and charging stations software that can communicate with the central grid to evaluate the system demand as and when required effectively.
The software used in these charging stations is not new. A simple example of this is lower or discounted electricity prices that power companies offer during off-peak times. However, V2G tech not only evaluates peak demand to encourage electricity consumption at off-peak times, but it goes beyond to draw additional energy from connected vehicles when there is a need. So if there is a huge demand on a power grid, then the stored energy in electric vehicle batteries can be used to meet some of that demand.
It is estimated that when used V2G tech is used in plug-in-vehicles, it can power a home for 2-5 hours.
So there is a lot of scope for using V2G tech to encourage smart energy management which allows enables better balancing of loads and addressing the challenges presented by grid bottlenecks.
Why is V2G Important?
V2G can play a critical role in addressing the challenges of climate change and pollution by enabling power grids and systems to balance power loads and meet demands vis-à-vis renewable energy.
However, here there are a few issues that need to be addressed including the following;
Storage of renewable energy – such as solar and wind power is a big challenge. When using fossil fuels (coal, petrol, diesel), storage and usage or consumption are not an issue. The same is not true for renewable or green energy.
Here V2G makes its mark very prominently – when V2G tech is used, it can boost the utilization of electric vehicle batteries. Compared to unidirectional smart charging, the utilization and efficiency of electric batteries increase 10X when V2G tech is applied. Now as the space of the electric vehicle sector increases, it will subsequently open up and expand the scope, usage, and storage of renewable energy via V2G tech-based bidirectional smart charging stations.
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Vehicle-to-Grid Tech in India
By 2029-30, the projected growth of the EV sector (2-wheelers and commercial 4-wheelers) in India is expected to generate a battery storage demand of 158 GWh. Given this figure, it becomes necessary for V2G tech solutions and business models that function in these sectors to develop effectively.
Areas of Impact of V2G on Indian Markets
One of the two important areas where V2G tech can make a difference is the real estate sector both commercial and domestic and among metro operators. The implementation of V2G tech can help these sectors balance out demand variations and also benefit from cost reductions vis-à-vis off-peak rates.
When it comes to domestic or residential consumers, there is again a huge scope for V2G implementation as electric vehicles can serve as mini battery storage units by power grids. As mentioned above, V2G can effectively boost the utilization capacity of EV batteries 10X. Governments both at the state and center will have to offer attractive incentives to residential EV consumers.
Distribution companies or Discoms can also benefit from V2G as it enables effective demand-side management and can help them in reducing grid integration costs.
Enablers of V2G in India
The Indian electric mobility sector is in the transition phase via tech such as vehicle-to-grid solutions. This brings up an important question – what are the V2G enablers in India?
Off-peak Retail Tariff Models
One of the best enablers of V2G tech is to offer consumers attractive off-peak or discounted power tariffs.
This will encourage EV consumers to charge their vehicles during specific off—peak hours and give back to the power grid via V2G during peak power consumption hours.
V2G Enabled Public Charging Stations
Creating a wide network of V2 G-enabled public electric vehicle charging stations infrastructure across the length and breadth of the country is again a critical enabler for encouraging V2G adoption in India.
The reason for the greater focus on smart public charging stations is that home ownership in big cities and towns is relatively low. So by offering more charging stations publicly, renters who form a substantial chunk of the city and big town dwellers will be encouraged to invest in EVs that are V2G tech compatible.
Suggested Read: The Best EV Battery Companies in India 2022 – The Ultimate Guide by EVNI
Does V2G Impact EV Battery Life?
As mentioned above, V2G can effectively boost the utilization and efficiency of EV batteries. However, there is a misconception that V2G will impact EV battery life and reduce its expected life cycle.
The truth is that your EV battery gets drained every day while the car is being run. And contrary to the belief that V2G involves allowing full charge and full discharging of the battery, what happens with V2G tech is that EV battery discharge happens only for a few minutes each day. So there is no substantiated research on V2G impacting EV battery life negatively.
Having said that, like all tech solutions out there, the relation between V2G tech and EV battery lifecycle is being constantly researched and studied – this is the only way to introduce tweaks and changes that can deliver improved results in the future.
In Conclusion
V2G projects have already made their entry with successful implementations globally. It can in fact be one of the critical components in those locations where it is necessary to ensure safety in energy systems that are generally volatile.
With extensive V2G implementation, EVs will be able to effectively support power grids in a way that will enable them to address demand challenges and especially during emergencies. So even during climatic variations such as monsoon seasons or storms which can lead to power disruptions, EVs will be able to ensure power supply for basic needs until the issue is effectively addressed. This can lower instances of power disruptions that can happen due to external factors other than high demand bottlenecks.
