Use cases of smart and bidirectional charging: analysis and assessment of feasibility in European countries
The use of electric vehicle batteries for applications beyond pure driving has been investigated for years, driven by the need for flexibility in the energy system. The vehicle battery can be used to serve the grid or the system. This creates new challenges for grid operators, car manufacturers and energy suppliers.
New challenges for grid operators, car manufacturers and energy suppliers
Distribution system operators (DSOs) must adapt to increasing grid utilization and develop strategies for the integration of electric vehicles (EVs). Car manufacturers must introduce new standards and communication protocols such as ISO 15118, while international competition for prevailing industry standards is still ongoing. Energy suppliers must offer customers new business models that are economically viable and technically feasible for all players.
The internationally active automotive industry is, for the first time, encountering nationally different and historically evolved framework conditions and the regulatory framework of the energy sector. Both the grid-side requirements and the strategies for the respective energy system of the future differ – not only at the national level but often also at the DSO level.
International investigation framework
Although both the technical and economic feasibility of smart and bidirectional charging applications depend fundamentally on the national framework conditions and regulations, scientific studies are usually conducted at the national level. For example, the EU Commission has proposed minimum functional requirements for smart meters [1], although these still differ significantly in terms of implementation and technical possibilities in individual countries. Germany, for example, is developing its own control system. Consequently, a use case that works in Germany cannot necessarily be implemented in the same way in other countries.
Methodological approach
To be able to examine the feasibility of smart and bidirectional charging use cases for different countries, influencing factors are identified, a corresponding evaluation methodology is drawn up and these are compared for fifteen countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom) to nine use cases from the unIT-e² project [2] (PV-self-consumption optimization, peak shaving, market-oriented flexibility via price incentives, market-oriented flexibility via marketing success, grid-serving flexibility via variable grid fees, grid-serving flexibility by regulation, redispatch and frequency containment reserve (FCR)) were applied. For ten countries (Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Spain and the Czech Republic), interview partners were found with whom the framework conditions for the integration of electromobility in the respective country could be discussed and validated. The methodology is shown in Figure 1.
Analysis and assessment of feasibility in a European comparison
The results of the study can be seen in Table 1. In summary, it can be said that vehicle-to-home (V2H) use cases can be implemented in every country. The implementation of market-oriented use cases is possible in countries with a completed smart meter rollout and an offer of dynamic electricity tariffs. The use cases for grid and ancillary services depend most heavily on country-specific regulation, which is why no clear trend can be derived across countries. Use cases that require direct remote control are the most distant from implementation.
All results are discussed in detail in the scientific open-access publication (see download). The results are also provided in the form of country profiles (see download).
Weitere Informationen
- Congestion Management: Redispatch 2.0 in International Comparison
- Different Countries, Same Challenges – Incentives for Grid-Serving Charging Behavior in Europe
- Integration of electric vehicles in the energy System
Literatur
[1] 2012/148/EU; Commission Recommendation of 9 March 2012 on Preparations for the Roll-Out of Smart Metering Systems.
[2] Design und Anwendung der Use Case Methodik im unIT-e² Projekt – FfE