3ti receives UK funding to research V2G potential

January 07, 2024

3ti, a designer, installer, funder, and operator of solar car parks, is leading a consortium of British companies in a project that aims to explore how electricity stored in electric vehicle (EV) batteries can be used to balance supply and demand on the UK’s electricity grid.

The project, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Innovate UK, will integrate bi-directional DC charging and power management systems into Papilio3, a pop-up solar car park and EV charging hub. The project, known as the ‘V2X FastHub’, aims to use EV batteries as grid assets to address the issue of intermittent supply from renewables.

The consortium includes renewable energy experts 3ti, advanced EV power solutions provider Turbo Power Systems (TPS), smart energy company GridBeyond, and EV & decarbonisation experts Cenex. The 17-month collaboration will culminate in a six-month real-world demonstration.

3ti will deliver a customized Papilio3 solar charging hub with smart grid controls and a 280 kWh DC battery. TPS will manage the bi-directional charging technology through both CCS and CHAdeMO EV charge points, while GridBeyond will oversee energy management and aggregation services through its Energy Management System (EMS). Cenex will host the vehicle trial, which will include the procurement of the trial vehicle fleet, data capture, analysis, and final report to Innovate UK.

The Papilio3, adapted as a V2X FastHub unit for the project, can host up to 12 EVs at a time. It is housed within an upcycled, rapidly deployable shipping container that can be placed almost anywhere. The system, which includes a solar canopy and energy storage battery, will implement a new DC microgrid system, integrating bi-directional DC EV charge points with a 280 kWh integral battery storage system and 20 kWp solar roof array.

The project will be the first in the world to trial a 12 charge point DC Smart Microgrid for CCS V2X based on ISO15118-20, published in April 2022. Each charge point will also support CHAdeMO for compatibility with existing vehicles. This innovative set-up will provide faster, bi-directional EV charging at speeds up to ±30 kW, with much higher power and round-trip energy efficiency than AC solutions.

Mark Potter, CTO at 3ti, said, “Everybody wants more EVs on the grid. They represent a massive scale, distributed energy resource that can be used to balance real-time supply and demand. This project will prove that bi-directional EV charging can work in the real world. Connected EVs will be teamed together to act as virtual power and energy storage facilities, with each car releasing and replenishing its stored energy according to user preferences and grid demand. This generates income and cost savings, which can be passed on to our customers.”

Dr. Matthew Knight, Principal Technical Specialist at Cenex, said, “With almost a decade of experience in developing V2X technology, Cenex is excited to bring a novel concept to life in this space. We’re creating pre-fabricated hub solutions that integrate renewable generation, energy storage, and the latest bidirectional EV charging technology to maximise energy use and value while reducing emissions.”

Micheal Phelan, CEO at GridBeyond, said, “GridBeyond are delighted to be participating in this innovative, ground breaking project which will help demonstrate the potential of vehicle to grid technology and how it can help support a low carbon grid of the future. We are excited to be working alongside key stakeholders and partners to bring all our expertise together for future market insight.”

Dr Nigel Jakeman, Engineering and Business Development Director at Turbo Power Systems, said: “It’s both gratifying and exciting to see the world first advanced EV charging technology we have developed on the back of our 40 plus years at the forefront of power solutions, being used within a partnership of true innovators to create a system which will play a pivotal role in decarbonisation and solving climate change, one of the biggest threats our planet faces today.”