Feasibility study: investigation of car park-based V2G services in the UK central hub

Abstract

The increasing uptake of electric vehicles, and the established practice of long-term parking at stations and airports, offers an opportunity to develop a flexible approach to help with the energy storage dilemma. This paper investigates the feasibility of using a number of EV batteries as an energy storage and grid balancing solution within the UK Central Hub area. Here, the capital cost of the vehicle is a sunk cost to the EV owner. The potential income generated, or discount on long-term parking, is an additional benefit of ownership. This paper considers the income available to a small and large size car park from the different market mechanisms to offer grid support in the UK and contrasts this with the complexity and costs of the EV charging infrastructure required within these types of scheme.

Keywords

• battery powered vehicles
• energy storage
• vehicle-to-grid
• power generation economics
• electric vehicle charging
• car park-based V2G services
• electric vehicles
• airports
• energy storage dilemma
• EV batteries
• grid balancing solution
• UK Central Hub area
• capital cost
• sunk cost
• potential income
• EV charging infrastructure
• long-term parking stations
• market mechanisms