(REPOST: The Energyst)

A consortium has secured £3m funding to see how electric vehicles can deliver demand-side response and battery storage. The aim is to work out whether EVs can help balance the power system.

Octopus Energy, Octopus Electric Vehicles, Open Energi, UK Power Networks, ChargePoint Services, Energy Saving Trust and Navigant make up the consortium, with the £7m project part-funded by Beis and Olev via Innovate UK.

The project will enable drivers to charge their vehicle intelligently (i.e. at lowest cost off peak times), use the battery to power their homes at peak times or sell power back to the grid.

While some EV owners doubt the premise of using EV batteries to balance the grid due to charging times, lack of public infrastructure and battery degradation, the consortium suggests vehicle-to-grid (V2G) use has the potential to increase battery life.

The project is one of a number to secure funding from Innovate UK, with others looking at EV fleets, busses and and on-street smart charging.

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