Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology continues to be explored in the UK with Indra having revealed the results from the first-ever NHS project.
The trial, developed in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Hitachi ZeroCarbon, involved five Hitachi-funded V2G units, developed by Indra, at sites across Withington Community Hospital and Trafford General Hospital.
Results from the trial revealed that the Foundation Trust was able to reduce its peak hour use electricity costs by £90 a month, thanks to an average reduction of 6p/kWh, which is a saving of around £1,075 per annum, the company said.
Not only were the energy bill costs reduced, the Indra V2G bi-directional EV chargers also helped reduce the carbon footprint by assisting the national electricity network with load demand by scheduling the hospital vehicles to charge off peak.
At the conclusion of the two-year trial, the key benefits of V2G technology were highlighted as the ability for EV users to access energy at off peak tariffs, and when greater renewable energy is available, plus being able to sell the energy back to the Grid during times of peak demand.
“We are delighted to see our V2G units being used to prove this technology in a real world setting to help the hospitals meet their sustainability targets and reduce their energy costs. This is especially important at a time of sustained energy price increases,” said Mike Schooling, founder and chief technology officer of Indra.
“Energy demand is only going to increase and so it is vital that we can manage energy in a smart and effective way. We believe the key to reaching zero emissions lies in optimising the use and flow of renewable energy and that V2G technology is a game-changer in enabling us to unlock the potential of EVs as powerful portable energy sources.”
Via the V2G technology, a fleet of electric pharmacy vehicles were programmed to charge during off-peak periods and then discharge energy from the vehicle batteries back into the hospitals when the Foundation’s electricity demand and cost were at their highest.
During weekdays, the vehicles were used throughout the day between 7am and 3pm, then returned to be connected to the V2G chargers at all other times.
Between 5pm and 7pm the vehicle batteries were discharged down to a minimum 30% state of charge – a figure chosen to preserve long-term battery health and ensure the vehicles were always available on demand for hospital use.
“Electrifying fleets is the way forward in helping the UK achieve its net zero ambitions and Greater Manchester is leading the pack with its low carbon energy and transport initiatives,” said John Whybrow, new business incubation lead at Hitachi ZeroCarbon.
“The data we gather with this project will be used to show how V2G technologies can play their part in balancing the grid as we use more renewable energy across the UK.”
This coincides with a similar trial led by Western Power Distribution (WPD) and CrowdCharge. The Electric Nation project recruited 100 Nissan EV owners across England and Wales that were able to charge their vehicles at off-peak times when energy is cheaper and greener, and then can sell it back into the grid to help minimise energy demand at peak times.
The trial proved that V2G charging works both from a technical point of view, and from the perspective of customer acceptance, according to WPD.
