The story up to now: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have initiated a pilot challenge to discover the implementation of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology throughout the State. This collaboration goals to evaluate the feasibility of integrating Electric Vehicles (EVs) into the State’s power grid.
What is V2G?
V2G refers to applied sciences that allow EV batteries to ship power again to the grid. When an EV is just not in use, it can act as a decentralised battery power storage machine. An idle EV, when related to a bi-directional charger, can present assist to the distribution grid. By incorporating V2G applied sciences, EVs supply a chance to facilitate the combination of Renewable Energy (RE) and assist a requirement response market. Technologies for integrating an EV to the grid might want to take into account each the charging and discharging of EV batteries. In the primary case, there’s a switch of power from the grid to the automobile (G2V) to cost the automobile. In this case, an EV battery capabilities as a load and the main target is on managing the charging load with minimal influence on the grid by doubtlessly utilizing methods like Time of Use (ToU) electrical energy charges and sensible charging applied sciences. ToU charges are electrical energy tariffs that fluctuate relying on the time of day — usually increased throughout peak demand durations and decrease throughout instances of low demand or excessive RE era.
In the second case, an EV capabilities as a distributed power supply the place it can present power based mostly on the requirement of the grid. Overall, the power of EV batteries to switch power encompasses many prospects resembling V2G, Vehicle to Home (V2H), Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and so forth. Among these, V2G is the most well-liked use case.
Is V2G being utilized globally?
V2G applied sciences have gained important traction in mature EV markets resembling Europe and the U.S. These areas initially launched quite a few pilot tasks targeted on electrical vehicles. EVs have emerged as a cheap type of distributed power storage, with house owners incentivised to produce power again to the grid. Globally, there are lively efforts to develop requirements for bidirectional charging and V2G rules. Many areas are additionally piloting V2G technology utilizing electrical buses, with promising outcomes.
In the U.Okay. and The Netherlands, EV house owners are compensated for supplying extra power again to the grid throughout peak hours. In locations like California, with excessive RE adoption, EV customers are actively inspired to take part within the ancillary providers section of the electrical energy market, serving to enhance grid stability and reliability. Under this market mechanism, the compensation is excessive sufficient to encourage EV customers to supply providers in periods of variation in RE era. EVs are additionally an necessary decentralised storage useful resource, serving as an emergency power useful resource. With growing climate-linked disasters, V2G should be inspired. Pilot tasks in California have additionally deliberate to check whether or not EVs can help communities entry power for emergency conditions, throughout a disaster.
What’s the scenario in India?
In India, V2G integration is presently in a nascent stage. The response to rising EV gross sales largely focuses on planning of the distribution grid with integration of EV charging infrastructure. A number of DISCOMs have deliberate pilot tasks for sensible charging and V2G integration. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has arrange a committee to border pointers for reverse charging, that’s, from batteries to the grid. This committee highlighted sensible charging as a key enabler to make sure EV development with minimal influence on the grid. However, the electrical energy market construction in India is just not the identical as within the U.S. or Europe, and the present construction is just not suited to decentralised options like EVs to ship power again to grid.
This is because of challenges that come up from the variable nature of RE and mismatches between electrical energy provide and demand. To mainstream V2G, supportive regulatory adjustments are wanted.
What is KSEB-IIT Bombay challenge?
Kerala is presently experiencing a speedy adoption of EVs, and KSEB has taken a number of steps to assist EV charging. The elevated electrical energy demand for charging has resulted in considerations about night peak demand. There has additionally been an exponential development in rooftop photo voltaic adoption. The challenge plans to evaluate an EV’s capability to assist the grid throughout peak demand when photo voltaic power is just not out there.
How can this be adopted by different utilities?
With the numerous uptake of EVs, there are considerations about growing electrical energy demand and its influence on the grid. With the appliance of sensible charging and V2G applied sciences, the combination of EVs will not be a problem for DISCOMs. One of the widespread aims is to discourage EV charging when the electrical energy demand is excessive. With V2G applied sciences, it is usually doable for EVs to produce electrical energy to the grid throughout instances of excessive demand.
Another upcoming utility, related within the Indian context, is charging EVs in the course of the day when there’s a increased share of photo voltaic power era. To accomplish true decarbonisation by means of EVs, the electrical energy to cost EVs needs to be derived from RE. It is feasible to encourage charging throughout excessive photo voltaic era by means of well-designed electrical energy charges. In addition, utilizing V2G, it’s doable to make use of EVs as a storage supply for extra photo voltaic era, which can be used at evening.
With V2G, it is usually doable to modulate power in an EV battery to cut back the influence of variable RE on the grid and enhance grid stability. With engaging compensation, EV house owners could possibly be additional inspired to benefit from electrical energy worth differentials on the time of charging and discharge.
Chandana Sasidharan is a Program Research Fellow and Deepak Sriram Krishnan is the Deputy Director for WRI India’s Energy Program. Views expressed are private.
Published – April 18, 2025 08:30 am IST
