Cenex, a center of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies in the United Kingdom, is embarking on a project to investigate how cities can increase energy efficiency and decrease carbon emissions by integrating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology into the existing energy infrastructure. The project will be tested in the cities of Birmingham, Berlin, and Valencia.
Earlier this year, Aston University in Birmingham, England successfully inaugurated the UK’s first permanent V2G charging system. The system allows power to flow both in the traditional way (grid to vehicle) and in reverse (vehicle to grid), thus offering grid balancing services to the electricity system. In times of peak energy demand the V2G units discharge power, temporarily acting as generators.
Along with a number of partners, Cenex will work with city authorities, grid and energy companies, large building owners, and electric vehicle fleet operators to assess the technology and develop the business case for implementing wide scale V2G in districts and whole cities.
Sean Lockie, the Director of Urban Transitions, Climate-KIC said, “the Smart Mobile Energy program offers a unique opportunity for us to test the beneficial impact of V2G technologies in cities, by creating an understanding of the size of the opportunity, identifying common barriers and mapping the actions required to deliver the integration of electric mobility and energy systems at a district and city scale.”
