V2G, short for “vehicle to grid”, is a revolutionary
technology that allows energy to be redistributed from an electric vehicle’s
battery back to the power grid. Through car-to-grid or electric vehicle-to-grid
technology, car batteries can be charged and discharged depending on certain
signals such as energy production or consumption close by.
When putting V2G into use, the foremost objective is
to ensure that electric car drivers have enough energy in their car batteries
at all times. The battery must be sufficiently charged to get the driver from
home to work and back if necessary.
Communication is of utmost importance when it comes to
charging technology. The driver needs to be able to inform when they plan to
unplug the car and how full the battery should be at that time. Typically, it
is recommended to charge the car battery to 70-90% before the driver leaves.
Smart charging stops the potential of grid balancing
as soon as the battery is full, whereas V2G allows grid balancing the entire
time the vehicle is plugged in. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in
electric vehicles and boast a round-trip efficiency greater than 90%. However,
the majority of losses come from components like inverters rather than the
battery itself. V2G systems generally have a round-trip efficiency of 53-62%,
but depending on various factors this can reach up to 70%.
So, why should we be concerned about V2G? To sum up,
vehicle-to-grid technology can assist in tackling climate change by helping to
balance out more renewable energy sources.
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