Vehicle To Grid
I hope readers will check out 2GreenEnergy super-supporter Gary Tulie’s insightful comments at the bottom of our intern Kevin Kuttumkal’s post Additional Electric Vehicles Can Reduce California’s “Duck Curve.”
Everything he says about V2G is correct, i.e., its two-way nature enables grid operators to buy power from EV drivers at peak times at extremely attractive prices to the seller, thus keeping the grid stable without additional peaker plants.
Sounds good on paper, but this subject is plodding along here in the States. I got into the “EV world” 11 years ago, and there was essentially the same conversation going on then.
It would be great to see this kicked into high gear, but that’s particularly tough in this political environment, where we’re going in reverse in terms of clean transportation, the grid mix, and essentially everything else associated with environmental responsibility. The vast majority of Americans would like to see progress made, but the oil companies own our Congress, and our executive branch (president and cabinet) are sabotaging the environment wherever possible, from deregulating toxic chemicals to subsidizing coal-fired power plants to reducing CAFE (fuel economy) standards for cars and light trucks, of which we have a mere 230 million.
That would be a win-win! Both parties would be satisfied with this deal and it would help protect the environment to some extent! If I were you, I would give Kevin a job for that amazing idea!
Craig,
I’m not sure what you mean by “I got into the “EV world” 11 years ago” . How exactly ? For most of those years you drove a diesel powered vehicle ! Even now you only drive a standard Prius hybrid.
Not trying to be difficult, but I’m not sure that really qualifies you as an expert in EV ownership.
V2G is another impractical and illogical idea. Like so many “green’ initiatives it relies upon government coercion to force consumers to make a silly idea appear to be working.
Firstly, electricity grids are not designed to accept little ‘backward’ flow of electricity, these are neither useful nor desirable. But, even if that were not a problem, EV owners will simply not cooperate.
The only result would be to harm EV adoption. A great number of EV owners also charge from their own solar power.
Most induction EV chargers already have computerized meters allowing charging at the lowest rate, and Tesla drivers favour charging at Tesla fast charging outlets.
EV lithium-ion batteries are not designed to be constantly charged, drained and recharged repeatedly. The result would be ruinous and void the battery warranty. Batteries are the most expensive element of an EV.
Advocates for V2G appear to lack any knowledge of how electricity grids work and even less knowledge of how EV function or the lack attractiveness to EV owners of such absurd plans.
Gary, I don’t want to be disparaging, but trying to make an absolutely pointless waste of time (not matter how good it looks in theory) work by inventing complicated taxpayer funded incentives, is just daft.
V2G technology is a solution in need of a problem !
I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but it’s this sort of time wasting nonsense that makes it so much harder for those of us try to get practical clean(er) technology supported adopted by the general public.
It breaks my heart to see well-intentioned people wasting time on such impractical projects when there are so many far more practical products neglected in favour of this nonsense.