HRV moves to solar for EV revolution

This story first appeared in the February issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

EVs are poised to become a significant part of New Zealand’s transport mix as car makers gear up to stay ahead of demand.

They could also be helping to power our homes.

The current reduction in prices, improved travel ranges and increasing product choice should see the uptake of EVs increase substantially in New Zealand from the current 6600 on our roads.

Overseas predictions suggest that while that number is small, a tipping point is just around the corner.

Speaking to an audience of business and government leaders in Wellington, Stanford University clean energy expert Tony Seba predicted it will be cheaper to produce a mid-range EV than a combustion engine vehicle as early as the end of this decade.
Once the economics of production favour EVs, the speed of change in transport could easily be as swift as the transition from horse and cart to internal combustion in the early 20th century – less than 20 years.

Where this gets truly interesting is the convergence between EVs and other technologies, such as battery storage.

That’s why HRV’s parent company Vector is pioneering Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home technology in New Zealand.
These are essentially two-directional chargers that allow vehicles to be charged or to reverse the energy flow and put it into homes, businesses or the electricity network.

Reverse charging technology is a game-changer for EVs because it transforms them into rechargeable and mobile energy hubs.

The implications of the technology are far-reaching. Connected to a V2G charger, an EV could be used to introduce extra power to homes, as a cheaper power source during peak hour consumption, as a way to power homes during power outages, and even to release energy back to the network to support customer demand.

People could charge their car batteries overnight when energy is cheaper and use that energy in the morning or evening when it generally costs more, or as a power boost when needed.

V2G offers increased customer choice and provides consumers with greater control over how they power their lives.

A Nissan Leaf G2 with a 30kWh battery could power the average household for 10 hours.
The new chargers could also integrate with other technologies such as solar and batteries to redefine what we mean by a truly smart energy home or business.

In fact, V2G will influence not just how owners power their vehicles but how they rethink their whole energy usage.

With battery storage technology continuing to improve, the possibilities for smart energy use in the home are dramatically expanding, particularly where solar power is also being generated.

With the right battery, consumers will be able to make three choices around their energy usage. They can use it there and then, they can store it and use it later (for example, to charge their vehicle) or they can sell some of it on to others.

Alongside an EV with reverse charging capability, a home solar system with battery storage, such as those now offered by HRV, will have the potential for true energy freedom, with transport, heating and appliances all fuelled by energy generated and stored on-site.

Visit www.hrv.co.nz

to find out how to make your home ready for the EV revolution to come with solar and battery storage.