Pilot bidirectional charging management (BDL) starts customer testing
In the cooperative research project "Bidirectional Charging Management - BDL," which started in 2019, companies and institutions from the automotive industry, charging infrastructure, energy sector, and science are developing solutions to make e-mobility more convenient, cost-effective, and low-emission.
According to the organizers, the goal is to interconnect vehicles, charging infrastructure, and power grids in a holistic approach that promotes renewable energy while also increasing supply security. Apart from the consortium leader BMW Group, the research project also involves KOSTAL Industrie Elektrik GmbH (development of charging hardware), KEO GmbH (software supplier for customer systems' connection to energy providers), the transmission system operator TenneT, the distribution network operator Bayernwerk Netz GmbH (both: energy system services), the Research Center for Energy Economics e.V. and the Research Society for Energy Economics mbH (both: FfE, research on energy system and grid impacts & data analysis), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; research on electricity market and grid impacts), and the University of Passau (user research).
Stage one: The customers' electricity bills should go down!
The "technology package" essentially consists of the electric car and backend (BMW), the intelligent wallbox (KOSTAL), and the networking of the electric vehicle, wallbox, and the customer's building electrical installation with the power grid (Bayernwerk, KEO, and TenneT). The first function visible to customers will be the optimization of self-consumption from their own photovoltaic system's power generation, leading to a noticeable reduction in electricity costs.
Stage two: Vehicle to grid functions
In the next expansion stage, "vehicle to grid" (V2G) functions will be added, allowing customers to participate in new business models for energy trading and grid stabilization.
Stage three: Integration of company fleets - supported by Alphabet
In a third stage, companies with electric vehicle fleets will be added. These companies will use the vehicles as short-term storage to avoid peak demand periods in the daily load profile. Initially, 20 equipped BMW i3 units with the new technology onboard were delivered to private users. In the coming weeks, 30 more vehicles for commercial users are expected to follow. The first B2B corporate customers are also part of the pilot phase. They could be recruited for the project in cooperation with Alphabet Fuhrparkmanagement GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the BMW Group. Alphabet has been supporting corporate customers in electrifying their fleets since 2013. Through the comprehensive eMobility solution AlphaElectric, the company assists customers through the entire electrification process if desired – from needs analysis to developing an appropriate model strategy to implementing charging solutions and an intelligent billing option. The offer also includes further consultations, such as developing the right eCar policy or optimal charging and load management. Additionally, Alphabet offers leasing solutions for charging infrastructure.
The vehicle and charging technology needed for the integration of as many electric cars as possible into the power grid, the charging management, and the communication interfaces with the energy sector, as well as new legal frameworks, are to be developed within the framework of the BDL research project. The state-funded project, under the leadership of the German Aerospace Center, is set to last for three years.
Vehicles as Buffer Storage and Emergency Power Suppliers
With the increasing prevalence of electric cars in Germany, the demand for electricity is likely to rise in the long term, while energy flows will need to be intelligently managed. Only in this way can electricity from renewable sources be optimally utilized. To achieve this, connected vehicles should be able to interrupt their charging process and resume it at a later time in response to the appropriate signals from the distribution or transmission network operator. Additionally, parked electric cars connected to a charging station can be used as flexible and mobile electricity storage units: During periods of particularly high demand for electrical energy, they feed additional power back into the grid. Conversely, the charging of their high-voltage batteries mostly takes place when electricity from renewable energy sources is available or when overall electricity demand is lower. The stored energy can be used exactly when it is needed – for electric driving or to support the power grids.
What Does This Mean?
The flooding in parts of Germany and increasingly severe weather conditions exacerbate the problem of a secure electricity supply, which the growing fleet of electric vehicles might rely on. The electric cars, as a massive buffer storage, could provide a balancing effect. To what extent this will be feasible in practice is what the BDL project aims to determine.
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