March 15, 2021

Marubeni Corporation announce that it is launching a Proof of Concept through its subsidiaries and partners in the U.K., to explore the commercialisation of services whereby EVs store surplus energy from decentralised power generation facilities, such as roof-top solar panels, and supply energy to buildings when needed (Vehicle to Building). EVs will also provide power frequency, and supply and demand adjustment to the grid system by feeding electricity back to the grid at peak times and/or in the case of an emergency (Vehicle to Grid).

The U.K. government passed legislation in June 2019 to reduce greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions to net zero by 2050 and is advancing policies to realize a low-carbon society. In the power sector, there has been a shift from a one-way supply structure, whereby large-scale power plants generate electricity and supply it to consumers, to a bi-directional supply structure, in which consumers may also own renewable power facilities and produce and consume green electricity, selling surplus electricity to the grid.

Also, with the recent growth in large-scale renewable energy such as offshore wind power, which generates a variable amount of electricity according to the weather conditions, there is an increasing need for grid stabilization through supply and demand adjustment.

In the car industry, the U.K. government has announced its policy to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles beginning in 2030, and the take-up of EVs is expected to continue growing. Under such circumstances, the requirement to provide one-stop solutions, for instance electricity supply and energy management services for homes, buildings and offices through the use of EVs, is expected to increase further in the future.

Considering this exciting environment, Marubeni and its subsidiaries, energy retailer SmartestEnergy and car sales and service provider Marubeni Auto Investment (U.K.), have taken the lead in launching this PoC, working with their partners Origami Energy, Grid Edge and Virta.  By studying the development and commercialisation of Vehicle to Building and Vehicle to Grid services through this PoC, Marubeni aims to contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society.

(IRuniverse)

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