Smart grid integration of electric vehicles to be trialled

A new pilot project for smart grid integration of electric vehicles is due to take place in Germany.

The pilot involves Elli, a brand of the Volkswagen Group, and MITNETZ STROM. In the first step, around 20 drivers of Volkswagen electric models will be involved in making electric cars part of the energy system, as well as charging with  green electricity.

The project will involve an algorithm which uses price incentives to compare the cars' charging plans with regional electricity output from renewable energies and the available capacities in the distribution grid. The resulting flexible grid usage is intended to reduce the frequency of bottlenecks in the power grid and create financial benefits for participants.

"With this project, we are demonstrating for the first time how electric cars can be synchronised with the power grid in a user-friendly way. The car becomes a rolling electricity storage unit for the grid operator. For drivers, financial added value is generated via price incentives," says Niklas Schirmer, Vice President Strategy Elli. "By making the electricity demand of EVs more flexible, more renewable, regionally generated electricity can be used." In 2020 alone, about 6,200 GWh of green power had to be curtailed in Germany.

"Together, we are supporting the energy and transport transition locally and investing in the energy future. E-mobility and the energy industry are working hand in hand here. EVs can run on green electricity and relieve the strain on the power grid where it is particularly needed. We can prevent bottlenecks in the local grid by using newly developed software to allocate charging processes for electric vehicles to the available grid capacities. The concept now provides us with important insights into whether our approach is customer-friendly," adds Dr. Michael Lehmann, Head of Process and System Management at MITNETZ STROM.