EVs are in many ways ideal to be powered from a grid with renewable energy generation. Road vehicles are parked about 90% of the time, allowing their charging schedules to be optimized using innovative power management to accommodate and take advantage of power generation and pricing variations. At specific points, depending on the local grid, optimized charging will be necessary. If half of Sweden's fleet of cars would be electric and half of them would plug in to charge at, say 5 pm, their combined power need would be approximately 20% of the total power generation capabilities of the whole of Sweden. As mentioned, EVs offer the potential of vehicle-to-grid services. When parked and connected to a charge point, their batteries can help regulate voltage and frequency, or supply electricity to meet spikes in demand in the grid.
To deliver this new system cost-effectively, merely switching to electricity in end uses and building new renewable generation alone is not sufficient, as should be evident. Electrification also requires smart devices and other information technologies that offer much more flexibility, decentralization, and AI.
Sweden is at the forefront of developing and implementing new electrified solutions through companies like the battery and energy storage manufacturers Northvolt and Polarium, solar and energy management technologists like Ferroamp and Ngenic, and transportation disruptors like Einride, CAKE, and Polestar.
The world around us is being electrified, renewable, and sustainable. What a time to be alive!
Author
Karin Hasselström is Regional Manager at Knightec Technology in Mälardalen and is a driving force around Knightec's area of expertise - Electrification and battery integration. With ten years of experience in electrification from the power industry, Karin has worked with Sweden's electricity grid expansion but also with electrification and electric power globally. Today, she is passionate about smart and sustainable development as well as technological shifts in electrification.