Hi all. I’m brand new to the forum today.
I’m a new OVO customer who is waiting for the V2G charger being installed (so far the process has been very slow and I’ve got 5 more weeks to wait).
I want to hear about your V2G experiences thus far? Good/Bad
I’m excited to be joining this trial even though it may not even be much of a financial gain for me as I’ve have to take a more expensive tarrif of 17p/Kw at OVO but I’m hoping it works out when I start exporting [fingers crossed]. Love the idea of diminishing the myth that too many EVs will crash the national grid!
Thanks.
Hi
As you suggest, too many [color=#70a020]EVs[/color] are unlikely to “crash the grid”. However, charging them at home will cause increased losses at the electricity substations. And unless/until [color=#70a020]EV[/color] owners embrace [color=#703000]Time-Of-Use[/color] (TOU) tariffs, and technology like the [color=#B00020]Kaluza Platform[/color], then we will also face significant overheating of underground 440v feeds.
The cable sizes for underground feeds to domestic properties have historically been amazing small. Not only do we rely on diversification (not everyone having electrically-heated showers simultaneously!) but the quiet hours between midnight and 7am have been factored-in to permit cables to cool down again. Overnight charging will no longer allow for that.
As yet there are far too few [color=#C06040]EV chargers[/color] in a geographical area to obtain data on these two issues.
However, there’s a whole lot more to think about than just the functionality of the chargers themselves.
Tell us a bit more about your background and don’t forget to fill in your Forum Profile. Thanks.
As you know my V2G charger was installed in July and I’ve been running the trial since with constant updates for you. Perhaps uniquely I had the charger installed in my double garage and the main fuse was increased to 100Amps with a second line independent of the house circuit to supply the 6 kWh V2G unit, allowing me to continue using the original type 1 or 2, 7 kWh chargers if need be without any extra strain on the house circuits. All installations were installed and checked by yourselves so that I can use 2 of the 3 units simultaneously with an isolator switch between the other two units so I cannot overload the system.
I am waiting for my 62 kW LEAF to arrive in 3 weeks and part of the offer is….I can have installed free a V2G charger by OVO Energy….yep, I know I already have one and probably am not entitled to one under the terms and conditions….but hear me out.
Are you presently running any trials where 2 V2G units are running simultaneously? A lot of people up and down the country have two cars (which was the reason I wanted to keep the extra chargers). The reason I ask is that I have a few options available to me. I could keep the 40 kW LEAF and run the 62 kW LEAF as a second car, alternatively I can make the 2nd V2G charger available to my neighbour...which could possibly answer a problem whereby people who have no off road parking and anywhere to charge their car, could share points, after all if you offered them free charging I’m sure they’d jump at the offer….whilst I took the extra money from the tariffs…..
So, the question is, as it’s offered as part of the package for the new car, could I have a second V2G installed? ( a question, not a request…..unless I can). It would give you the opportunity of testing out another way of generating storage as well as giving an answer to all those times the question is asked “where can I charge the car”?…..I know my neighbour who has a 40 kW LEAF will make good use of it, not to mention another neighbour who’s looking to buy an electric car but with two cars on their drive, no space for a charger.
Leo
Hey
You can but ask… I’ve posted your comments to the team, so will see what they say!
Thanks Darran
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