Volue and Norway’s EV charging association incentivise grid-smart charging
Image courtesy 123rf
Norwegian tech company Volue and Norway’s Electric Vehicle Association (Norsk elbilforening) have announced a partnership to reward EV owners for charging at optimal times of power demand and supply.
The initiative is available to members living in areas covered by grid company Norgesnett and offers discounts for charging in a grid-friendly way.
According to Volue in a release, many Norwegian homeowners have upgraded their homes with solar panels. When these are installed they can both generate electricity for individual households and contribute excess power to the grid. However, when surplus energy is produced during low-demand periods, it can create grid operational violations.
Volue’s solution aims to ensure that such surplus energy does not go to waste. Rather, when excess electricity is generated, nearby consumers can receive discounts on their electricity bills and network fees if they use the surplus energy to charge their EVs. Additionally, grid-friendly charging reduces energy consumption during peak demand hours, easing the load on the power grid.
Have you read:
How to stimulate Europe’s bidirectional charging market
Australia gets a bidirectional charging roadmap
The announcement follows the successful launch of eNabo last year through Volue’s partnership with Norgesnett, Norway’s first service allowing customers to be rewarded for using electricity in ways that support local grid efficiency. The collaboration is part of the Spark by Volue initiative, a growing network of partners committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions.
Commenting in a release was Kjetil Storset, head of Spark by Volue: “Through grid friendly charging of EVs, we are transforming home EV charging from a grid capacity challenge into part of the solution. Together with the Norwegian EV Association, we are making it easier for EV drivers to charge smart, saving money while supporting a more stable power grid.”
Smart charging in Norway
Norway has been a key country when considering the role of the EV within the power-mobility nexus.
According to European research organisation SINTEF in a blog post on the CINELDI – ModFlex project, Norway is currently the largest market in the world for EVs in comparison to the total number of vehicles sold, due to positive incentives. There is also a political goal to stop the sale of new conventional cars by 2025.
With the increased share of EVs, Norwegian energy consumption has increased by 3%, raising the question of charging habits to reduce peak power demand.
According to SINTEF, citing surveys on the potential of demand response, should a shift in charging time have no negative consequences for the user, 90% of respondents would be willing to postpone the time of charging. However, if this reduces the driving distance the next day to 80%, the share of positive respondents is reduced to 56,5%.
SINTEF adds that the country’s increasing adoption of EVs will not be an energy related problem, but rather a capacity related problem in distribution grids, if all households are charging at the same time.
