Nissan's LEAF to Home Power Control System V2H PCS

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Spies

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
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Location
Foster City, CA
I was not able to find a dedicated thread about this so I thought I would start a new one.

I was hoping to find more information on Nissan's LEAF to Home Power Control System. Also known as Vehicle to Home Power Control System or V2H PCS for short. I have not been able to find much info about the system and if Nissan even intends to bring it to the states.

I would also like to know how such a system would be most efficiently integrated with a PV solar system. I am entertaining the idea of installing a solar system myself and would like to future proof it as best I can to allow for integration of a V2H PCS.

Any links to information is most appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Spies--one of the members of SF BayLEAFs just redid a home in Berkeley and he had it wired to accept a V2H system. I can share who it is in an email. I could also check some of the BayLEAFs contacts at Nissan to see if they have anything they want to share.
 
I've been trying to follow what Nissan and Mitsubishi are doing as far as V2H or vehicle to grid goes. From what I've read, they are both using the CHAdeMO port, but had different standards as far as how to convince the car to keep the contactor closed. They are now working together to create a standard for pulling power out of the CHAdeMO port. See here in Japanese or here for a translation.

The 1.0.0 CHAdeMO spec was released on January 31st that may include bidirectional compatibility. All the '11s and I believe the '12s conform to the 0.9 spec which does not officially include the ability to pull from the pack.

Also see Mitsubishi's "power box" which is an off grid inverter rated for 1.5kW: here. Relevant youtube video on it.

I've seriously considered getting the iMiEV instead of the Leaf due to the fact that I could be the first to do vehicle to grid with a production vehicle. I'd import a power box and monitor and emulate the CAN messages and hook it up to my isolated grid tie inverter. I'm very serious about vehicle to grid. :)

Basically, if you want to learn more about this stuff, you've got to know Japanese or snuggle up with translate.google.com ;)

Jeremy
 
JeremyW said:
I've seriously considered getting the iMiEV instead of the Leaf due to the fact that I could be the first to do vehicle to grid with a production vehicle. I'd import a power box and monitor and emulate the CAN messages and hook it up to my isolated grid tie inverter. I'm very serious about vehicle to grid. :) Jeremy

Please do yourself a favor and first drive both cars. To say the iMiEV does not compare well to the LEAF is an understatement.

Nissan already showed a V2G system for Japan. http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/08/nissan-leaf-able-power-homes-japan/ There is significant demand for something like this in light of their post 3/11 situation.
 
Might be both wishful and naive thinking on my part, but my bet is 3rd party vendors will also be able to offer up power management solutions for both the LEAF and batteries that may be upgraded leaving behind the originals for future power management.
 
kovalb said:
Please do yourself a favor and first drive both cars. To say the iMiEV does not compare well to the LEAF is an understatement.

I have. Still, the prospect of being able to do vehicle to grid with the i is tempting. Of course, both will be able to in time. I'm probably going to import a power box for testing regardless of what car I get.

Jeremy
 
This is an interesting concept... I was wondering what would stop people from filling up at a free public station and then using the power at home...
 
Hi everyone,

I am building a CHAdeMO V2H device here in France. this would a prototype to begin with, just something that I can use at my house. I would like to share experiences with you - Jeremy, reading your posts about the i-MIEV, did you manage to get one from Japan?

Did you consider instead the V2H PLC from Nichicon in Japan? (6kW).

There is also princetonpower's CA-15 : http://www.princetonpower.com/images/CA15_30_SellSheet_June2015.pdf

Anyone had experiences with these in the US?
Thanks!
 
JeremyW said:
I've been trying to follow what Nissan and Mitsubishi are doing as far as V2H or vehicle to grid goes. From what I've read, they are both using the CHAdeMO port, but had different standards as far as how to convince the car to keep the contactor closed. They are now working together to create a standard for pulling power out of the CHAdeMO port. See here in Japanese or here for a translation.

The 1.0.0 CHAdeMO spec was released on January 31st that may include bidirectional compatibility. All the '11s and I believe the '12s conform to the 0.9 spec which does not officially include the ability to pull from the pack.

Also see Mitsubishi's "power box" which is an off grid inverter rated for 1.5kW: here. Relevant youtube video on it.

I've seriously considered getting the iMiEV instead of the Leaf due to the fact that I could be the first to do vehicle to grid with a production vehicle. I'd import a power box and monitor and emulate the CAN messages and hook it up to my isolated grid tie inverter. I'm very serious about vehicle to grid. :)

Basically, if you want to learn more about this stuff, you've got to know Japanese or snuggle up with translate.google.com ;)

Jeremy


Jeremy,
I think that using CHAdeMO as a standard, people may well use i-MIEV power box or Honda Power Exporter 9000, with any CHAdeMO car, with perhaps a bit of code.
 
JeremyW said:
No, I didn't get one. I am closer to V2G projects these days though, but nothing I can talk about publicly.

Any progress? Seems Nissan has continued to make "announcements" for V2G in the US, but little to no followup.

A SolarEdge storage system (or similar) that uses the CHAdeMO bi-directional protocols so that the Leaf becomes the storage battery is the combination I'm waiting for. The functions of solar/grid tied, emergency transfer to a home sub-panel, CHAdeMO (or CCS/Bolt??) bi-directional energy with a generator input will be the basis of my next solar system. Waiting for the combination of existing technologies to make it happen.
 
I have imported a Japanese version Nissan Leaf 2012/7. The EVSE that came with it worked well on our grid (between L1 and L2 = 250 Volts)
It charges with 7.5 kW and fills the battery up in less than 4 hours. I made an adaption: Inside in the EVSE is a small 200/20 volts transformer that I replaced with (2 X125V/10 Volt AC - recovered out of power supply adapters) 250/20 Volts.
I am very interested in V2H. Especially a cheap version of it.
These are the possibilities I examine:
Charging the Leaf with sunshine: this is no problem to do it when enough power is generated by the Grid tie inverting system.
I use the EVSE but 7.5 kW is not available, since I have only 5 kW panels installed.
I brought the 250 volt down with a step down transformer and got the EVSE power down to 2.5 kW.
This transformer is bulky and makes too much noise (but I had it)
What I recommend as my best buy since years is the ZENCAR EVSE - a Chinese equivalent that has different power options.
I have a choice of 6, 10, 16, 20 and 24 amps with the swipe of a little (magnetic) card. It has a nice (but) small display that gives you:
The setting (see above) - the real current in use, the power in use kW, the line voltage, the time you are charging and how much kWh the process has taken to charge your battery.

But V2H??
Nichocon sells a system in Japan - (but 200 Volts)
You need a transformer for the whole power pack (200 to 120 +120 V)
and as I heard about $16,000.00 for the V2H (bi directional)

SETEC Shenzen (good references) China sells a inverter (but no split phase) in a box with 2 120 Volts outlets (120 V version)
3500 Watts
It comes with a Chademo plug and cable ( worth about $1000.00)
The inverter with Chademo protocol total price is $3,500.00

They are willing to develop a split phase for us.
Same price for 3.500 Watts
And $6,000.00 for a 6000 Watts version.

Combining this with a grid tie inverter ( with power controller- net meter ) that uses the V2H as pilot the problem could be solved if only
the Chademo AND the J1772 could work the battery at the same time.
This makes a standby generator that can reload the Leaf battery the next day if the grid power keeps on failing (as with hurricane damage)

Keeping the 300 Volt DC open (but can be close to 400 V DC too) may work but the easy EVSE charging NOT at the same time, unless we cheat
on the leaf charger protocol.

A different option could be a bypass on the battery - not without risk - and work with a UPS type 300 Volt DC OFF grid inverter.

Feeding the high battery voltage e.g. to the solar input of a grid tie inverter (need to be adapted) and a zero feed in system makes the leaf
power your house at night too. The generator replacement, however is not possible without grid.

To use the battery of the Leaf - is it woth it? - Li ion batteries are getting cheaper too- and 48 or 96 Volts battery systems have easy to find off grid inverters and MPPT solar chargers.
The voltage is way off from what the Leaf has to offer but there is not a lot on the market that operates from 300- 400 VDC

These are my conclusions. Discussions appreciated.
A 12 Volts inverter from the Leaf (house) battery is also a solution for lesser loads.
Experience with this? The battery is rather small (but is getting charged - (bucked) from the Li-ion battery.
 
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