Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid project announces Igloo Energy as an energy partner

The Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid (V2G) trial, a project we're running together with CrowdCharge to demonstrate how electric vehicles (EVs) can provide V2G services, has announced Igloo Energy as one of its energy partners.

Igloo Energy is a rare breed: an energy supplier that actually wants consumers to use less energy. Igloo is in a position to benefit both people and the environment, so is developing a product range to help Igloo customers lower their energy usage and consume more flexibly to save money.

Electric Nation is different to other V2G projects because it is using four different energy partners instead of just one. This means that the trial is a more realistic simulation of a future world in which many streets will have a number of EVs using V2G chargers with different energy suppliers - all operating different tariffs.

Twenty-five of the 100 applicants on the Electric Nation V2G trial will be offered the opportunity to join the project with the Igloo Energy and CrowdCharge proposition. The Igloo Pioneer tariff will suit participants who prefer simple energy tariffs that do not vary by time of day.

For the electricity system to function effectively, electricity suppliers need to accurately predict their customers’ demand, and purchase this energy from generators. More accurate supply forecasts will mean lower bills for households.

Igloo will send preferences to the CrowdCharge platform, which connects to the participant’s V2G charger. These preferences will tailor the charging schedule to help Igloo align generation and supply - while ensuring that the participant’s EV is ready with the right amount of energy when they need it next - which will always take priority.

Participants will be eligible to receive free miles of electricity up to a maximum reward benefit of £12 per month, as long as they meet some simple terms and conditions. This means some participants could earn up to 4,000 free miles of electricity during the one-year operational trial period.

Matt Clemow, CEO and Founder of Igloo Energy, comments: “We are very excited to take part in the project with CrowdCharge and look forward to learning how people will interact with Vehicle to Grid technology. At Igloo we are always looking for ways to help people save energy and reduce their carbon footprint, and V2G charging offers electric vehicle owners an opportunity to achieve both. Alongside our efforts to help homes transition from fossil fuel heating systems to low carbon systems such as air source heat pumps, helping households get the best value when using their electric vehicle is crucial, especially as their adoption grows.”

WPD’s DSO Development Manager Paul Jewell adds: “Working with more than one electricity supplier will enable us to see the different effects of approaches taken within the supply market and how they affect participants’ charging behaviour.

“From that we will gain a real insight into the way V2G customers will affect the demands on the network, which we can build into our planning.

“V2G has the potential to help manage the peaks and troughs on the network, which will enable us to connect more Low Carbon Technologies, which will help us meet Net Zero targets.”

Electric Nation is recruiting 100 Nissan EV owners in the WPD licence areas of the Midlands, South West and South Wales to take part in the trial of Vehicle to Grid smart charging technology. Currently, only Nissan EVs can be used for V2G charging due to their CHAdeMO technology.

The trial is offering free installation of the V2G smart chargers worth £5,500 to Nissan EV drivers who live in the WPD regions. CrowdCharge is recruiting 100 people for the trial to help DNOs and others to understand how V2G charging could work with their electricity networks.

The V2G trial follows the first Electric Nation project from 2018/19 which at the time was the world’s largest EV smart charging trial. The trial captured data from more than two million hours of car charging, providing real life insight into people’s habits when charging their vehicles.

By plugging in at specified times and putting energy back into the grid, active participants of the Electric Nation Vehicle to Grid project are expected to earn a minimum reward up to the monetary value of £120 over the one-year trial period from March 2021 to March 2022.

Almost 600 EV drivers have applied to join Electric Nation so far. Recruitment remains open to ensure the project secures 100 participants who meet all the eligibility criteria. However, the project will be closing to new applications soon, so anyone interested in being part of the trial should apply now.

Trial applicants:

• Must be resident in the Western Power Distribution (WPD) licence areas (East and West Midlands, South West and South Wales)
• Must have a Nissan EV with a battery capacity of at least 30kWh or more
• Need to have the vehicle until the end of the trial (March 2022)
• Need to have off-road parking
• Will use the CrowdCharge mobile app to manage charging
• May need to switch to a new energy tariff if required by their assigned project energy supplier
• May need to have a new smart meter put in/updated as part of the project participation.

For more information and to apply to join the project click here.