After Fiat, Nissan Wants To Charge Our Homes With Its Electric Cars
Nissan has announced a major trial of the new-age energy solution in Australia. Called Vehicle-to-grid technology Nissan LEAF is capable of transferring energy stored in its batteries to run a home or commercial site or to feed power back to the grid. The trial will come as a part of the Realising Electric Vehicle Services REVS project.
At several locations in the world, electric vehicles are being evaluated for yet another positive - supplying energy to the grid or Vehicle to Grid. It is believed that a fleet of electric cars can meet a rising demand for electricity by supplying energy from their battery back to the grid. Nissan is the latest in line to work upon this.
Called Vehicle-to-grid technology, Nissan has announced a major trial of the new-age energy solution in Australia. For this, the Japanese auto major featured its electric hatchback ¡®Leaf¡¯ as the only electric car with factory-delivered bi-directional charging capability.
The trial will come as a part of the Realising Electric Vehicle Services (REVS) project, which has been supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of its Advancing Renewables Program.
Vehicle To Grid Tech Trial
(Image: Nissan Global)
With V2G technology, Nissan LEAF is capable of transferring energy stored in its batteries to run a home or commercial site, or to feed power back to the grid. Nissan now wants to demonstrate the technology as a viable part of the REVS project.
Hence the new trial comes right before the customer launch of the LEAF¡¯s V2G technology in Australia this year.
As a part of the project, 51 Nissan LEAF EVs will be deployed across the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). They will form a part of the ACT Government fleet and in addition, will provide Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) to the National Electricity Market.
The FCAS system refers to the energy used to keep a power grid operating at its optimum levels at times of fluctuating demand. It¡¯s this injection or reduction of power that prevents instability in the grid that can lead to blackouts. The trial will focus on the Nissan LEAF¡¯s ability to provide energy to the grid to help stabilise the load in peak and off-peak periods.
The bigger picture
(Image: Nissan Global)
Through the trial, Nissan Leaf will be seen as being more than just an electric car. It will then act as a mobile energy solution, powering Australian homes as and when needed. The best part, with this technology, one can have a zero-cost home energy just as a zero-cost mobility with electric cars.
Nissan explained this in its recent press release, saying ¡°For customers with solar panels, the LEAF¡¯s 40kWh battery is able to store solar energy during the day, and then use that energy to supply a home¡¯s power needs at night, unlocking both zero-cost mobility and zero-cost home energy.¡±
Alternatively, customers can even charge their vehicles at the workplace or public site and then use that energy to power their homes. Another positive for the owner would be the possible ancillary service that can be provided by the parked car, just by feeding power back into the grid.
This is not the only V2G network under work at present. Back in May, Fiat Chrysler announced the commencement of a project where it will test hundreds of electric vehicles for transferring power to the electricity grid in Mirafiori, home of Fiat in Turin, Italy. You can read all about it here.