Electric Vehicles impact on Grids | Launch of the RACE for 2030 CRC Opportunity Assessment

As an increasing number of automakers globally announce the phaseout of diesel- and petrol-powered vehicles, and electric vehicles (EV) charging infrastructure begins to ramp up, serious questions are being asked about the implications of EVs, such as how they will affect electricity grids and how charging infrastructure should be provided.

It is becoming clear that the EV revolution has begun, maybe sooner than some expected, calling for clarity around the challenges and the opportunities. As the number of EVs increases, the demand on the electricity network will also increase requiring a clear strategy to avoid damage to the grid.

A typical EV plugged in at home will draw several times more than a typical household’s average load. If the EV charging coincides with peak electricity demand (e.g. on hot evenings when air conditioners are running) this could cause real problems for the distribution network.

However, if the EVs are charging during the middle of the day, when we already are seeing low wholesale electricity prices, then charging of EVs can help balance the grid, smooth out wholesale electricity price fluctuations, and improve the overall efficiency of the network.

However, if an ad hoc approach is taken, it is likely that EVs will largely be charged overnight at people’s homes rather than during the day.

The new RACE for 2030 CRC has launched a project to review the current state-of-the-art of research on the impacts and opportunities of widespread uptake of EVs on the electricity grid.

Researchers will work with industry representatives from a broad range of network operators, energy retailers, charging infrastructure companies as well as government and regulatory bodies to identify a set of critical questions that need to be addressed in order to facilitate a smooth transition to EVs.

The research team is made of experts from across Australia - Monash University, UNSW, UTS, Curtin, RMIT and CSIRO, and includes industry partners EV Council of Australia, Starling Energy Group, Horizon Power, Startup Bootcamp, Western Power, Ultima Capital, EA Technology and EPRI.

“It would be a massive lost opportunity if the rollout of EVs across Australia is poorly managed, for instance through the uncoordinated design of charging facilities and associated energy tariffs, ”, said Dr Roger Dargaville, Deputy Director of the Monash Energy Institute, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering, and project lead in RACE for 2030 at Monash University.

The future aggregate battery storage capacity across a national EV fleet is likely to be several orders of magnitude larger than that of utility-scale batteries, such as the Hornsdale Power Reserve (aka the Tesla Big Battery), and this presents significant opportunities if handled well.

Dr Phillip Paevere (CSIRO Energy) said: “The distributed storage capacity available in EV fleets can potentially be a game-changer for our future electricity systems”.

Electric Vehicles are already affecting how we plan our cities, public spaces and habits of work and play.

“The effects of charging on the grid will be a function of how and when they’re used (or not), how our planning systems allow for their uptake, and how our everyday lives shape and are shaped by EVs. This is why social science and legal research will be central to ensuring we’re planning effectively, not just for the grid, but for a future we want to live in,” said UNSW’s Associate Professor Amelia Thorpe.

According to Associate Professor Lasantha Meegahapola from RMIT University: “The issues related to the integration of electric vehicles are no longer limited to the low voltage residential power network since, with the anticipated high uptake of electric vehicles, there will likely be network-wide impacts. In light of the fact that over 50 percent of Australian vehicle owners are now thinking of purchasing an electric vehicle as their next car, the network-wide issues should be carefully analysed and strategies should be devised to prepare our cities for the EV integration so that they are future-ready now!”

Cities with high penetration of rooftop PV, such as Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, will stand to benefit from smart charging EVs that can soak up the solar power.

Professor Peter Newman from Curtin University said: “Perth already has an issue with an excess of solar energy being generated at particular times of the day, and in response, a range of storage options are being explored, such as community batteries. It is likely that if managed effectively the storage capacity of EVs can also be part of the solution and it is very important that we investigate this well ahead of time to maximise the benefits to the grid and the community.”

Of course, EVs are not completely new, and it is important to ensure the research undertaken as part of the CRC project creates real advances.

“The electrification and decarbonisation of the transport sector will bring both challenges and opportunities for the electricity grid. Understanding what’s been tried in other parts of the world, tailoring this to Australia’s unique local conditions and sharing the lessons for others to follow, will be key to maximising the potential benefits that electric vehicles offer,” said Dr Scott Dwyer from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney.

The project will include workshops with an industry reference group, with a report detailing the recommended research agenda delivered to the CRC mid-year.