Tag Archives: Endesa

Nissan Provide Power to the People! In the UK?

Posted on by
Reply

In what sounds a lot like a relaunch of the V2G hardware unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show back in March, a Nissan press release yesterday announced under the headline “Power to the People: Nissan and ENEL launch first smart grid trials” that:

  • Electric car to become home ‘energy hub’, allowing renewable energy to be harnessed and stored by the car
  • Nissan will commence Smart Grid trials in partnership with energy supplier, ENEL
  • More than Nissan 200,000 LEAF sold worldwide

At the 21st UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris this week, Nissan has announced the development of an innovative Vehicle to Grid system which will allow drivers to operate as individual ‘energy hubs’ with the ability to store, use or return electricity to the grid.

Nissan will commence Smart Grid trials in partnership with multinational energy manufacturer and distributor, ENEL.

As part of the landmark partnership, Nissan and ENEL have committed to working together, to explore:

Introducing this revolutionary technology to the European market;
The extended use of ‘second life’ electric vehicles batteries for static applications;
Designing and evaluating potential affordable energy and mobility pack offers

Vehicle-to-Grid allows customers to take control of the type of energy they consume – avoiding peak tariffs and generating additional household income during peak times.

Here’s how the facelifted hardware looks, with an “Enel” badge instead of the original “Endesa” one:

Nissan and Enel also helpfully provide a couple of infographics to help explain how their “revolutionary technology” will work. Here’s the simple version:

which looks a lot like a less colourful version of the V2G banner at the top of this page! Nissan go on to say that:

Using a special two-way charger and energy management system developed by Nissan in partnership with ENEL, LEAF owners can connect to charge at low-demand, cheap tariff periods, with an option to then use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home when costs are higher, or even feed back to the grid to generate additional household income.

“Our customers are no strangers to great value, with the Nissan LEAF offering unbeatable value motoring from three cents per kilometre. Now, with the introduction of Smart Grid technologies, we can empower motorists to take control of their energy mix – stimulating greater use of renewable power, and offering significant financial rewards for those who make the switch to electric.

“The personal benefits of innovations like this are clear, but moreover, we believe that this technology could help guarantee a cleaner energy infrastructure for generations to come.”

Nissan – the world leader in EV sales with 200,000 Nissan LEAF sold worldwide – is turning a page in zero emission mobility by unlocking the full potential of its electric vehicle batteries with the ENEL two-way charging technology.

Here’s the other infographic, which shows in more detail how V2G technology might “unlock the full potential of [a Nissan LEAF’s] batteries”. Click on the image to view a larger version:

Another Nissan press release mentions where those “Smart Grid trials” will take place:

The agreement with the ENEL Group will bring the first Grid Integrated Vehicles to countries where regulation allows sufficient value generation. Denmark will host the first set of trials with Germany, Netherlands and other northern European regions following suit. This endeavour is part of Enel’s and Nissan’s commitment to support the entire electric vehicle ecosystem, going way beyond the car itself and delivering new services to the power industry.

I wonder if they could be persuaded to run one here in the United Kingdom? We are a “northern European region” after all! Here at V2G UK we’re rather keen to try out the techniques hinted at by the small print in the bottom right hand corner of the picture, which reads as follows:

During high peaks where energy is drawn from the grid en masse, electric vehicles can give back power to support the national infrastructure, stabilising the energy drawn collectively by using the car as a personal power station.

Nissan and Endesa Pledge to Promote V2G in Europe

Posted on by
Reply

Nissan and Spanish utility Endesa have announced in a press release that they

Signed a ground-breaking agreement at the 85th Geneva International Motor Show that paves the way for a mass-market vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system.

The two companies have pledged to work together to deliver a V2G system and an innovative business model designed to leverage this technology.

If that sounds a touch unlikely to you, here’s the proof:

The press release goes on to explain that:

The two companies have agreed to collaborate on the following activities:

  • Introduction of V2G services in the European market;
  • Exploring the use of ‘second life’ EV batteries for stationary applications (including households, buildings, grid);
  • Designing and evaluating potential affordable energy and mobility pack offers;

One of the main challenges for electricity management systems is to assure grid stability. This situation is especially relevant in countries with a high level of renewable energy generation, and this will only increase in the future. The longer term zero-emission vision is for EVs to be at the center of a fully integrated system whereby owners can participate in wholesale energy markets using the power stored in the batteries of their electric vehicles, and thus significantly reduce their cost of operation. In a not-so-distant scenario, the EV user not only decides when and where they want to charge their EV, but how best they spend and re-sell the energy stored in their EV; receiving tangible financial benefits in terms of energy savings, while at the same time maximizing the use of green energy.

As is customary on these occasions the press release quotes executives from the two companies. Paul Willcox, Chairman of Nissan Europe said that:

We believe this innovation represents a significant development for Nissan Leaf and e-NV200 customers. Every Nissan electric vehicle battery contains a power storage capability that will prove useful in contributing towards smarter and responsible management of the power demand & supply of local power grids, thus reducing our EV total cost of ownership. Not only does this represent an opportunity for Nissan’s EV private and fleet owners, it could also support grid stability and fully demonstrate that each Nissan EV represents a tangible social asset.

whereas Javier Uriarte, Head of Market Iberia at Endesa, pointed out that:

The flexibility offered by V2G implementation in terms of storing and releasing green energy into the grid will further enhance the already significant and tangible benefits of electric mobility. This is why Endesa, together with its parent company Enel and partner Nissan, have decided to join efforts in promoting this technology.

Moving on to the technology employed:

The Vehicle to Grid (V2G) system consists of the Endesa two-way charger and an energy management system that can also integrate such off-grid, and renewable, power generation as solar panels and wind turbines. Using this equipment, a Nissan LEAF or e-NV200 owner can connect to charge at low-demand, and cheap tariff periods, with an option to then use the electricity stored in the vehicle’s battery at home when costs are higher, or even feed back to the grid with a net financial benefit. Electricity generated by solar panels or wind turbines can be used to charge a vehicle, to power the home or business, or to feed back to the grid.

This unprecedented agreement between Nissan and Endesa means that European countries can now review their current energy management policies in order to respond to the technological innovation of the V2G system.

Endesa has developed the ultimate low-cost V2G technology ready for the mass market after years of real-life testing. The company first showcased its V2G technology in 2008 in Smartcity Malaga, the Enel Group testing ground for smart cities. Later on, in 2012, Endesa presented the evolution of such technology at the ZEM2ALL demonstrator.

On March 12, 2015, as the culmination of the V2G system development, together with Nissan as automotive partner, Endesa will host a full demonstration of the market-ready and low cost system in Madrid.

Of course we’re not content with merely reading press releases here at V2G UK, and we have conducted an in depth interview with Olivier Paturet, who is General Manager of Nissan Europe’s zero emission strategy. Here’s a 2013 recording of Olivier outlining the raison d’être of Nissan’s ZEV plans:


 

Watch this space!