GRA said:
Re V2G and energy storage in in California:
SDG&E piloting integration of EVs and energy storage systems into CAISO energy markets for demand response services
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/02/20150224-sdge.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The problem I see with V2G is that, given current limited cycle life of BEV batteries (PEM fuel cells too, FTM) and their high cost, how many people are going to be willing to give up some of that for grid stabilization/storage? ISTM most people would put a pretty high price on the use of their batteries/fuel cells this way, which may render it uneconomic. A smart grid with demand response strikes me as being much more acceptable.
I think that 'how many people...' is the wrong question, just as I think that most people's arbitrary price decisions and lack of business sense makes them poor judges of value.
The first problem I see is that most people really don't understand what a 'cycle' means. Most of those don't understand that a BEV cycle (charge, drive until empty, recharge) is not the same as a grid power pulse 'cycle' that concludes in fractions of a second and removes and quickly replaces very little energy from the battery. Aging from BEV use is orders of magnitude faster than from grid support.
The second problem is that not all cells are the same, and the differences in cells on the market today (completely ignoring R&D here) can completely change the cost/benefit analysis. (Leaf - maybe 1000-1500 BEV cycles; smart - 2000-1500, LiFePO4 - 3000 to 80% capacity)
Finally, we hit the business side. When one of us buys a BEV today, we pay for the car, we pay for the battery, and we pay for electricity. All the cash flows away from us. When one buys a V2G-equipped BEV, we buy the car, we buy the battery, we pay for the electricity we use, and we are paid for the grid services we provide. That incoming cash flow provides a significant 'subsidy' that reduces our cost of ownership and more than makes up for battery aging.
Demand response is a 1-dimensional solution that favors the power company, not necessarily the BEV owner (just as there's a 'smart grid' on which data flows from the consumer to the energy company, and a 'smart grid' where there's full decentralized and bi-directional data and power sharing).
That's my view as of today. All bets are off for tomorrow, Mr. Keynes.