In New England, parked electric vehicles could soon generate revenue even when not in use. Local energy companies are beginning to explore the possibility of using the energy stored in these vehicles when the grid experiences additional strain.
For some owners, this arrangement could mean making money simply by keeping their electric vehicle plugged in at home, allowing them to use the battery at specific times.
What's happening?
National Grid and Eversource have launched pilot programs in New England to charge vehicles from the grid, The Boston Globe reports.
This concept allows utilities to capture some of the electricity from eligible vehicles during peak hours and recharge the batteries later when demand decreases. Vehicle owners participating in the program will receive a reward for this.
According to The Boston Globe, National Grid claims a typical participant can earn approximately $1,250 per year, making the potential payout a major draw for many households. Russell Ware, vice president of vehicle-grid integration at The Mobility House, which is implementing a similar program in Europe, told the publication, "The potential benefit is hundreds of dollars per year, maybe even thousands.".
Participation is currently limited to approximately 45 vehicles, and applications will be accepted until September 30.
A more serious hurdle is hardware compatibility, as only a small number of electric vehicles available in the U.S. can use the bidirectional charging system required for the pilot project.
Eligible consumer models include the Nissan Leaf, Kia EV9, Volvo EX90, Polestar Model 3 and Ford F-150 Lightning, according to The Boston Globe.
Why is this important?
During peak demand periods on the power grid, including heat waves, utilities typically rely on expensive peaking power plants that run on natural gas or oil, The Boston Globe reports.
The ability to feed back energy from idle electric vehicles could reduce reliance on more polluting and expensive backup power sources.
If such programs are further developed, drivers will be able to reduce the cost of owning an electric vehicle and also help maintain a more stable energy grid.
Because electric vehicle batteries are significantly larger than most home battery systems, even a relatively small number of vehicles participating can have an impact.
There are already more than 150,000 electric vehicles in operation in Massachusetts, and wider adoption of these technologies by automakers could significantly expand opportunities.
Massachusetts officials have also supported similar initiatives with state funding. The Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council supported the installation of two-way chargers for electric school buses, and one electric bus in Beverly reportedly earned more than $23,000 over two years by selling electricity back to National Grid, according to The Boston Globe.
«These demonstrations will help us answer these questions and strengthen our confidence that as V2G technology scales, we can deliver robust benefits to both consumers and the grid,» Kevin Bogan, Eversource’s manager of strategy and business development, told The Boston Globe.
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