Power storage aggregators Flexitricity say they’ve teamed up with a leading EV charging operator to bring vehicle-to-grid (V2G) flexibility into the National Grid’s reserve for the first time.
A total of 500 charge points operated by EV.Energy are now linked up to make a virtual power plant (VPP) overseen by the pair.
Contributing to NG-ESO’s Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) service for the first time, the duo’s venture advances pioneering work in opening up Britain’s power markets to aggregated resources of distributed electricity.
They stress that their participation in power reserve markets is not an innovation or pilot project, but part of business-as-usual commercial flexibility.
The NG-ESO calls upon its STOR reserve when grid power demand is greater than expected or when generation capacity falls offline unexpectedly.
In such cases, Flexitricity will ask EV.Energy’s users to temporarily reduce their charging. The operator’s smart charging platform will respond to the request, while ensuring that drivers will have enough charge in their car when they need it.
Flexitricity CEO Andy Lowe, pictured, said: “We are now the first organisation to participate with 500 EV charging points in Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR).
“This milestone marks another industry first and showcases Flexitricity’s commitment to innovation in the energy sector”, Lowe went on.
“By joining Flexitricity’s virtual power plant, more organisations can now contribute to GB’s largest VPP, which has recently surpassed the impressive 1GW milestone. This accomplishment not only highlights our leadership in the industry but also opens up new opportunities to be part of a more sustainable and efficient energy system.”
Headquartered in Edinburgh, Flexitricity claims to operate Britain’s largest, most advanced demand response portfolio, creating revenue for energy users and generators as well as reducing national CO2 emissions.
Nick Woolley, EV.Energy’s CEO added: “EV.Energy is participating as many EV drivers into grid services programmes as possible. We were one of the first and biggest providers of services to distribution system operators and our participation in STOR now highlights our continued leadership in the sector.”
