A new pilot project by Ontario’s electricity grid operator could pave the way for EV owners to get paid for helping the grid.
The project will examine the bi-directional power capability of current EVs and existing infrastructure.
The project, partially funded by the Independent Electricity System Operator, an Ontario crown-corp, will launch three concurrent pilot projects.
However, unlike other tests done back in the early 2010’s these three new pilot projects could pave the road for lasting change.
The first project will use 10 privately-owned Nissan Leaf’s. These vehicles will establish what technology owners need to use their cars as a backup power supply during a power outage. The test will also study what type of financial incentives will convince EV owners to provide backup power for the grid. This project is led by Hydro One and Peak Power.
The second project will examine how consumers could provide the grid additional power securely. This project is led by Sky Energy and Hero Energy. Moreover, the project will look at blockchain technology and the potential use of a secured app.
The third project will test a secure digital app that helps EV drivers see the current demands on the grid. In addition, during peak periods, the app will provide them with an incentive not to charge their vehicles. This same app can pay drivers to provide excess power back to the grid. This last project is led by local utilities in Toronto and Waterloo.
The three projects will cost around $2.7 million. There was no set timeline for the projects to wrap-up and deliver their findings.
Source: Toronto Star
