Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles

The advent of variable pricing electric tariffs, smart meters and Roof top Solar PV the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) provides new possibilities for home owners and utilities to reduce carbon emissions. Such applications also have the potential to provide the owner with a revenue stream from the utility in the form of capacity credits.

These credits alongside smaller energy transfer revenues can significantly accelerate the adoption of PHEV with paybacks of under six years, when compared with conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. As the electric vehicles and batteries bring these new energy resources to the grid, the home now becomes a multi source generator and possible load stabilizing connection centre for the grid.

The addition of battery capacity to the grid via electric vehicles comes at minimum cost to utilities as these costs are born by the vehicle owner. Volume manufacturing of the automotive industry brings the projected cost of advanced batteries down to make dedicated stationary storage possible. Batteries in PHEV are generally cycled between 40% and 80% charge so when they need replacing they will have sufficient life for household-grid stationary applications at no extra cost.

These sources, although not large in energy terms, can provide high levels of power due to the vehicle battery being "on-line". These large power pulses are used by the utility for up and down regulation, power outage ride through and for industrial machine requirements. Sunlight or load variations also cause power drains for brief periods of time and support is required while additional systems come online.