V2G charging project launched in UK’s Nottingham

A United Kingdom first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) demonstrator project has launched in Nottingham.

Installation of solar panels, battery storage and 40 bidirectional EV charging units mark the completion of the CleanMobilEnergy pilot at Nottingham City Council’s Eastcroft Depot.

Funded by Interreg North-West Europe (an EU funded programme), with a contribution from Innovate UK (part of the UK Government’s Research and Innovation agency), the V2G pilot will show how technology can be used to improve energy demands caused by changing fleets from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) to electric.

This pilot aims to maximise the use of renewable energy generated locally by using the batteries and the 40 V2G vehicles for short-term storage of the electricity generated by the solar panels at the depot, My Nottingham (Nottingham City Council news outlet) reports.

“Monitored by a purpose-built Energy Management System, the bi-directional charging units can send power back to the buildings on the depot or to the grid during peak times, balancing the demand of electricity and reducing energy costs.”

“We are racing towards becoming the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028,” says council energy, environment and waste services portfolio holder Sally Longford.

“Switching our fleet to electric vehicles allows us to reduce our carbon emissions, but it brings challenges around our energy supply to charge these vehicles.

“The vehicle-to-grid pilot is allowing us to explore innovative ways to bring renewable technologies, energy storage and intelligent management systems together to test solutions which could be rolled out in other areas of the country.”

Depot solar arrays generating a combined 176kWp will allow the Nottingham City Council to use clean energy to charge its growing EV fleet, with 51% of the council’s vehicles powered by electricity, including six bin trucks, road sweepers and vans.

Each of the giant batteries installed for the project comprises 24 used EV batteries and have a combined 600kWh storage – enough to power the average UK household for two months.

Nottingham City Council recently completed a trial for wireless electric taxi charging.