In 2001 I evaluated a proposal from the University of Delaware, from Professor Kempton, who originally proposed V2G technology and at the time found a very innovative concept: Taking advantage of an asset – The car – which is typically parked most of the time and can provide better quality of service in the electricity grid without the need for large investments.
Imagine when we reach a high universe of V2G-capable vehicles, they can work as a flexible storage and when the network needs support, these vehicles can provide this service by injecting the necessary energy. – A very innovative concept.
Almost 20 years have passed, and it has taken time for battery technology to develop and reach the point where we are today in terms of cost and durability. Currently we already have vehicles with good autonomies, in the order of 400 km and the tendency is that these values continue to increase. Over the next few years, most models released to the market will surely have batteries above 60 kWh and it is with this kind of capacity that the potential for interaction and attraction begins to work.
In islands with short and controlled routes, the rational to make the battery available may be even greater.
V2G is a very interesting technology to introduce and encourage the growth of renewable and intermittent energy production, with storage in vehicles and availability to the network when needed.
In Portugal, both solar and wind already have a significant weight, with growth at a good pace in the coming decades. We are making the transition from fossil fuels to electricity, especially renewable ones, and when we add V2G technology, we are putting the storage capacity into the equation – the integration of renewable energy is made easier with this type of technology.