Why we need a Smart Grid and Smart Meters

[Deleted User]

“EV drivers on our ‘Intelligent Octopus’ tariff now form the UK’s biggest virtual battery – and for the first time ever EVs have entered the Balancing Mechanism. Whilst we sleep, EV drivers are driving down grid balancing costs that are passed on to all customers – saving us all money. This is the ‘smart energy grid’ today – complete radicalisation of the way the system is balanced is here now.”

https://transportandenergy.com/2023/09/26/octopus-customers-help-balance-grid-with-electric-cars/

£11M saved in balancing costs so far. 

wild666

I don't have a car never mind an EV the way it's going only the rich will be able to drive as the price of diesel and petrol will be so high that people will be unable to afford it for every day usage.

[Deleted User]

wild666 said:

I don't have a car never mind an EV the way it's going only the rich will be able to drive as the price of diesel and petrol will be so high that people will be unable to afford it for every day usage.

Grid balancing costs form part of the standing charges. EV owners are not just helping themselves they are helping to keep standing charges down for all consumers.

[Deleted User]

An more innovation coming our way:

https://www.sms-plc.com/insights/sms-to-develop-smart-electricity-tariff-engine-that-could-optimise-demand-flexibility-potential-of-uk-homes/

FreeBear

All well and good using EV batteries to "balance the grid", but what if you had put the vehicle on charge with the intention of doing a long journey the following day, but found that the grid had clawed back half the charge ?

Netexporter

FreeBear said:

All well and good using EV batteries to "balance the grid", but what if you had put the vehicle on charge with the intention of doing a long journey the following day, but found that the grid had clawed back half the charge ?

You can program the system to leave you with a full battery at a given time.

[Deleted User]

FreeBear said:

All well and good using EV batteries to "balance the grid", but what if you had put the vehicle on charge with the intention of doing a long journey the following day, but found that the grid had clawed back half the charge ?

V2G is not yet available across the board. At the moment, Intelligent Octopus is managing the times of the charge to meet the owner’s required state of charge by a stated time. The grid balancing comes from taking energy when supply exceeds demand rather than by imposing extra demands when demand is already high.

rp1974

I recently had smart meters fitted purely down to the fact that having them provides access to exactly these kind of tariffs for EV charging,haven't taken one up as yet,but the options there and accessible at anytime.
That the option to help balance the grid and charge cheaply need not be mutually exclusive and can in fact be quite complimentary seems like a win,win to me.
FWIW not pro or anti smart in anyway,shape,or form,can't see it pleasing the anti smart faction much,having excluded themselves from such options.

lohr500

I wonder if the extended EV manufacturer battery warranties witl be valid if  regularly used for load balancing?

Netexporter

lohr500 said:

I wonder if the extended EV manufacturer battery warranties witl be valid if  regularly used for load balancing?

My guess is that they'd be guaranteed to the mileage equivalent. In my case that is 80,000 miles and I get over 4 miles per kWh, so about 20,000kWh. If you transferred 10kWh per day that would be 2000 days, which is a year or so less than the time guarantee on the battery.

I'm sure it will keep the lawyers in brandy and cigars, so mustn't worry.

[Deleted User]

Netexporter said:

lohr500 said:

I wonder if the extended EV manufacturer battery warranties witl be valid if  regularly used for load balancing?

My guess is that they'd be guaranteed to the mileage equivalent. In my case that is 80,000 miles and I get over 4 miles per kWh, so about 20,000kWh. If you transferred 10kWh per day that would be 2000 days, which is a year or so less than the time guarantee on the battery.

I'm sure it will keep the lawyers in brandy and cigars, so mustn't worry.

Some research suggests that V2G might improve EV battery life:

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/carbon-cost-and-battery-conditioning-benefits-calculated-for-vehicle-to-grid-chargepoints#:~:text=Vehicle%2Dto%2Dgrid%20(V2G,one%20extra%20year%20of%20use.