Electric utilities around the world are exploring the potential of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems, which can reduce peak loads by using EV batteries to store renewably generated energy during the day and discharge it during peak consumption periods in the evenings.

A new study from Jackson Associates analyzed 5,000 Southern California Edison (SCE) customers’ hourly loads and commuting behavior, and concluded that, if just 10% of them had EVs hooked up to a V2G system, the utility could shift its entire residential peak load to nighttime hours (as reported by Utility Dive).

The study found that using vehicle batteries to reduce peak residential load could save SCE as much as $560 per EV customer per year. “We were surprised both at the relatively small 10 percent EV market saturation required to completely clip the SCE residential peak and the large annual savings…even after paying for nighttime recharging,” Jackson Associates President Jerry Jackson told Utility Dive.

The findings support the conclusions of a recent report from the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), which predicted that increased EV deployment could result in a “trillion-dollar EV opportunity for prepared and proactive utilities.”

Source: Utility Dive