Winemaker Joseph Evans used to have an annual electricity bill for his Barossa Valley vineyard, Ballycroft, that had risen to $6000. He then installed a rooftop solar system that powers his entire property during daylight hours, immediately removing $4000 from his annual electricity bill. He really wanted to reduce and even get rid of the remaining $2000 from his electricity bill. He has a Nissan LEAF, which is Vehicle-to-Grid capable (V2G). The Leaf is one of the few EVs in Australia that is V2G capable, along with the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. He then jumped at the opportunity to have V2G incorporated in his setup at the vineyard.
Modern EVs have large batteries that are rarely depleted or even drained to less than 50% for most people’s daily commutes. Bi-directional charging allows EV users to charge their vehicles using solar during the day or the grid and then discharged as needed. With solar charging and then discharging during peak periods when the electricity prices from the grid are higher, V2G can significantly lower electricity bills and improve the business case for going electric. Well, Joseph didn’t just lower his electricity bill, through his rooftop solar and his V2G setup, he now earns about $50 per week from his power exports.
#technology #environment #V2G #Australia #Solar