[Japan] Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power Jointly Launched the V2G (Vehicle to Grid) Aggregator Project in Toyota City, Japan

Toyota Tsusho and Chubu Electric Power jointly launched the V2G (Vehicle to Grid) Aggregator Project on May 30, 2018. The project will demonstrate charging Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHVs/PHEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) and the process for discharging stored electricity to grids. The project will evaluate the V2G control system’s performance and impact on the grids, with the goal of utilizing PHVs/PHEVs/EVs to adjust power supply and demand.

The V2G project is being conducted as part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)’s FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resources, an initiative that will invest 4 billion yen to fund various VPP demonstration projects over FY 2018. The initiative will focus on implementing control technologies at VPPs with over 50 MW capacity by 2020, as part of METI’s goals to increase renewable energy usage.[1]

VPP technologies combine renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic power generation and energy storage at locations such as residential areas and factories. The introduction of VPP-based renewable energy is expected to expand in Japan, but one challenge to future adoption is fluctuating power output due to changes in weather conditions, and surplus electric power at peak energy production. V2G is a VPP technology that utilizes PHVs/PHEVs/EVs’ in-vehicle battery to manage the fluctuations in output by adjusting the amount and the timing of power supplies.[2]

The V2G project will test the V2G control system, which utilizes multiple in-vehicle storage batteries to control its electricity charges and discharges, in order to verify the feasibility of load balancing through V2G and discharging stored excess renewable energy supplies to the grid when demand is higher. The system will be placed in parking facilities in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. The project will use the V2G technology for high frequency regulation developed by the U.S.-based Nuvve Corporation. Regulating at high frequencies is difficult as it requires the system to perform within short response times.

[1] http://www.meti.go.jp/main/yosangaisan/fy2018/pr/en/shoshin_taka_06.pdf

[2] https://www.chuden.co.jp/corporate/publicity/pub_release/press/3268019_21432.html