Background
This Peak Drive project is one of the largest vehicle-to-grid demonstration projects globally, with 21 bi-directional chargers and Nissan LEAF vehicles in 3 commercial office buildings in downtown Toronto. This showcase system uses an electric vehicle and energy storage system to reduce the customers’ demand charges.By exporting electricity from their batteries, the cars reduce overall facility demand from the grid during periods of the highest electricity consumption on Ontario’s power grid. Although the cars do not feed any electricity directly into the grid, they are, in fact, virtual power plants on wheels.Peak Drive is operated in partnership with the Canadian Federal Government and Nissan.
Results
Commuter and car-sharing program EVs supply power at peak moments of demand, generating up to $8,000 of utility bill savings per EV, per year. This pilot is testing a future state where EVs could respond to congested grid-constrained areas, delivering needed energy and capacity for short, high-value episodes.Peak Drive has proven that EVs can be dispatched within a multi-asset Virtual Power Plant (VPP) in response to utility signals. This will soon be possible across US electricity markets as FERC Order 2222 takes effect.We will be expanding our Ontario virtual power plant with federal government funding and in partnership with Ontario’s Independent System Operator (IESO) to demonstrate new models for DER participation in energy markets.
CAPACITY SIZE
21 x 30 kW Bi-directional Chargers
ACTIVATION
Q2 2019
CLIENT
Dream Unlimited
LOCATION
