V2H trial Usshered in

Tomas Ussher of Piha is the first to trial Vector’s new vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology.

Auckland energy company Vector has begun the trial to explore how EVs and V2H systems can ease peak demand on electricity networks.

V2H can also be used as backup during short-term power cuts.

Ussher has been provided with a Nissan Leaf and Smart EV charger, which he will use for at least a month. By plugging the EV into his home appliances via the V2H unit he will be able to power them using energy stored in the EV battery.

“We’re really pleased to announce that the trial is now underway,” Vector product, technology and innovation general manager Cristiano Marantes says.

“This is exciting new technology and we hope that it will give us a better understanding of how we might be able to improve customer experience and improve reliability of supply. With Auckland’s growing demand for electricity, it’s important that we explore how we could leverage emerging technologies for the benefit of our customers.

“Options like V2H are about putting more control back in our customers’ hands. In remote and sparsely populated areas such as Piha, residents are often reliant on a single 11 kilovolt feeder cable into the area. If we can enable the use of technology such as V2H, then residents will be able to rely on their own backup electricity supply until power is restored during short-term outages, as well as saving on power bills by reducing their network usage during peak times.”

Ussher is the first of several Piha residents who will trial the technology during the next six months. The trial has been co-funded through the Government’s low emission vehicles contestable fund administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), which aims to reduce carbon emissions from road transport by encouraging EV innovation, investment and uptake.