Electric vehicles (EVs) have been used to help balance the grid in what has been dubbed a first for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in the UK.

Sustainable energy company Octopus Energy Group and the UK’s electricity system operator National Grid ESO carried out the project.

The ESO directly sent a series of signals to Octopus between 17:00-05:00 over 3-5 August 2022, which then charged and discharged 20 EVs depending on the needs of the Balancing Mechanism, which is one of the main tools used to balance the system in real-time, matching supply with demand.

Following the tests, analysis from Octopus Electric Vehicles has suggested that if the results were extrapolated across a whole year, EVs with vehicle-to-grid capabilities playing into the Balancing Mechanism could realise a profit of around £62 million (US$73.3 million) per annum. This figure assumes a million cars (dis)charging over four sessions a week, and 20% of car energy volume is delivered into the Balancing Mechanism.

“This is a real ‘line in the sand’ moment for V2G tech. We have shown that this technology is capable of helping to balance our future, green grid, to the benefit of people and the planet,” said Claire Miller, director of technology and innovation at Octopus Electric Vehicles.

To read the full version of this story, visit Current±, where it was first published.