Airport car parks could power grid

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【Summary】A study by UK Power Networks has found that EV drivers using long-stay car parks, such as those at airports, could help power an entire city with green energy while offsetting parking fees. The study suggests that filling up electric cars' batteries in these car parks when energy is cheap and injecting power back into the system at peak times could potentially power 1.3 million homes.

FutureCar Staff Sep 26, 2023 6:19 AM PT

According to a new study called 'Park and Flex' conducted by UK Power Networks, electric vehicle (EV) drivers who use long-stay car parks could potentially help power an entire city with green energy while offsetting parking fees. The research found that more than 1.3 million homes could be powered by charging EV batteries in long-stay car parks during times when energy is cheap and demand is low, such as sunny days or windy nights. This power could then be injected back into the system during peak times using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging.

The study suggests that the potential of 4.3GW of flexible electricity demand from EVs could play a significant role in helping London, the East, and South East of England transition to a low carbon economy. The research used advanced modeling and forecasts from UK Power Networks and energy specialist Baringa to estimate the number of electric vehicles on Britain's roads in the coming years.

Long-stay car parks, particularly those at airports, were found to offer more benefits compared to shorter-term solutions like hotels or supermarket car parks. The duration of a customer's flight can determine the length of a vehicle's stay, providing network operators with valuable insight into spare power or capacity that can be utilized at any time.

If implemented across the 140,000 long-stay parking spaces in the areas served by UK Power Networks, the study estimates that £1.3 billion in flexible energy savings could be achieved by 2050. Ian Cameron, director of customer service and innovation at UK Power Networks, envisions a future where dormant vehicles can be used to create one of the UK's largest flex batteries. This dynamic battery, fueled by thousands of electric vehicles, could contribute significantly to a new green energy supply without requiring any effort from customers.

The Park and Flex project will continue to explore how this vision can be rolled out nationwide and identify the customer incentives necessary to make it a reality. The project is being developed in collaboration with Fermata Energy and energy consultancy Baringa, with support from Innovate UK's Strategic Innovation Fund.

Tony Posawatz, CEO of Fermata Energy, highlights the potential of using bi-directional (V2G) charging to access gigawatts of energy storage capacity from electric vehicles. He suggests that airports, with their large public car parks and electrical systems, have the potential to unlock enormous value in key grid locations by providing resilience and stability while reducing costs.

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