A vehicle-to-grid EV charger has been installed at Denbighshire County Council’s fleet depot as part of a trial scheme.
The V2VNY (Vehicle 2 Volume eNergy Yield) project is trialling V2G chargers using AC (alternating current) rather than DC (direct current), saying its solution is cheaper and more suitable for charging at home and at many workplaces.
The project is being led by engineering company Hangar19, in partnership with CrowdCharge and DriveElectric. Other project partners include Electric Corby, Oxfordshire County Council, Grid Beyond and JLR.
A Kia EV6 with vehicle to load capability is being used by Denbighshire County Council, which has more than 100 EVs, for the trial.
The technology allows EVs to be charged at times when electricity prices are low, then return power to the grid at peak times when prices are high, with the aim of reducing load on the grid, and saving electricity costs for fleet operators.
Denbighshire County Council fleet mobility lead officer Martin Griffiths said: “Vehicle to grid charging, combined with a fleet of EVs, solar generation and battery storage, offers us the potential to reduce reliance on the grid even further, providing greater resilience if there was a problem with the UK’s electricity network.
“V2G is also expected to deliver savings on energy costs, as well as reducing carbon emissions.”
V2VNY said Denbighshire County Council’s involvement in the trial had attracted positive interest from other local authorities and the Welsh government. The project has also installed V2G chargepoints for other councils, including East Lothian, Islington, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire.
Funding for the project has come from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, delivered by Innovate UK.
