• • • EV • • •
Creating energy flexibility
through EV charging By Rolf Bienert, technical director, OpenADR Alliance
A
s the number of electric vehicles increases, the demand for charging them during peak hours will put additional strain on the grid. Whether communications standards can help manage growing demand by providing signals to charge EVs during off-peak hours, helping to improve overall grid reliability.
Governments are enthusiastically investing in EV infrastructure and pushing it as part of their climate change agenda. As one of the biggest EV charging markets, the US is well-funded for development. The Biden Administration announced more than $7 billion in funding for the country’s charging infrastructure as part of its bi-partisan infrastructure law passed in 2021. In the UK, government published its Electric
Vehicle infrastructure Strategy two years ago to set out its vision and plans for a charging infrastructure rollout, with a proposed £1.6 billion of funding.
This is good news, but not without its challenges when it comes to the impact on the grid. The growing demand for EVs and charge points means a growing demand for electricity. Forecasting this demand and meeting it will be critical as the rollout of charging infrastructures escalates. If every driver goes electric, grid capacity is put under huge pressure, particularly when people come home and want to recharge their car at home. With peak use from 4pm to 6pm, the grid needs to balance the demand for power. Suppliers can look to incentivise customers to charge their EVs outside of peak periods, offering lower rates. Showing people how they can save money is key, while communication with customers will become increasingly important. Standardised information exchange on pricing signals, energy consumption and capacity are the basis for effective load control, enabling suppliers to respond flexibly to fluctuating demand. DSOs need to communicate this information to customers, quickly and securely using open standards like OpenADR.
Unlocking the power
of EV charging Earlier this year, the DESNZ and Ofgem published plans for domestic EV charging. The Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Action Plan outlines steps to unlock the power of EV charging, offering customers the chance to charge their vehicles and power their homes using excess electricity stored in their car, or selling it back to the grid. This communication between a vehicle and another entity (known as V2X) could be the transfer
16 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2024
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
of electricity stored in an EV to the home, the grid, or even to other destinations. V2X requires bi- directional energy flow from the charger to the vehicle and bi- or unidirectional flow from the charger to the destination, depending on how it is being used.
This innovative approach already has government backing through its V2X Innovation Programme with the aim of addressing barriers to enabling energy flexibility from EV charging. EVs offer huge potential as an energy resource, especially at peak times. Designed to power cars weighing two tonnes or more, EV batteries are large. But the technology needs to be in place to ensure there is a stable, reliable and secure supply of power.
Most EV charging systems are already connected via apps and control platforms with pre-set systems, so easy to access and easy to use. Owners will have to factor in possible additional hardware costs, including invertors for charging and discharging the power. Bi-directional charging also requires vehicles to be designed with bi-directional power flow in mind.
Critical success factors Open standards will be critical to success for such energy flexibility developments. This will ensure the infrastructure for V2X and other use cases is fit for purpose.
There are also lifecycle implications for batteries that need to be addressed as bi-directional charging can lead to degradation and shortening of battery life. There’s also the issue of power quality. With more high-powered invertors pushing power into the grid, it could raise questions about power quality that is not up to standard and may require periodic grid code adjustments. But before this becomes reality, it has to be something customers want. The industry is looking to educate users about the benefits and opportunities from programs like this. But what’s needed is a unified message, from automotive companies to government, and a concerted effort to promote new energy flexibility initiatives. With trials happening in the UK, I’m confident it can happen with the right funding, technology and innovation.
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