AGL kicks off EV grid “orchestration” trial with 200 home smart chargers

AGL Energy has kicked off an $8 million electric vehicle grid orchestration trial, with the installation of 200 EV smart chargers in homes across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

The utility said on Monday it had completed the installation of the 200 smart chargers at EV owners’ homes across three states, where they would be remotely monitored and controlled to move charging to off-peak times when cheap renewable energy was available.

The trial – which was announced by AGL and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency  last year – is also designed to accelerate the commercialisation of different charging technologies and to better understand how customers will use them at home.

The trial will test a number of charging scenarios using internet-based remote control of the installed smart chargers and direct control of the EV. Over the course of the year it will monitor the results and feedback from customers on what works and what doesn’t.

ARENA, which has tipped just under $3 million into the project, says on its website that the trial is working from projections in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2020 Integrated System Plan that there would be 2.2 million EVs in the National Electricity Market by 2034.

But EV uptake is looking likely to grow faster than that, particularly with the introduction of more state government policy incentives and with soaring petrol prices connected to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

AEMO’s recently updated 2022 Draft ISP estimates in its Step Change scenario that EVs will make up 58% of the nation’s vehicle fleet by 2040 and account for approximately 37TWh of electricity demand.

AEMO observes that this offers the potenitial to provide a daytime sponge for solar supply, but also threatens to exacerbate peak demands without proper infrastructure and consumer incentives to charge outside those periods.

“Accelerating the uptake of EVs will be an integral technology pathway for decarbonising Australia’s economy but without careful management we risk overloading the grid at peak times,” said AGL chief customer officer Christine Corbett.

“Projects like this will play a critical role in reducing costs and creating seamless charging operations for our customers.”

Like virtual power plants and other customer-focused demand response mechanisms, one of the key hurdles to V2G participation will be gaining the trust of consumers to hand over some level of control to a third party, in the name of a more efficient market and – usually – perks in the form of further billl reductions or rewards.

Corbett said that in the lead-up to the trial, research had revealed customers were happy to have their EV charging controlled, as long as they are able to override that control when they require their vehicle.

“We have been a vocal advocate for the growth of EVs in Australia with a key focus on supporting access to EV charging for businesses and households and this project will allow greater uptake and implementation into the future,” Corbett said.

For ARENA, the project is expected to provide valuable insights and contribute towards the Agency’s smart charging portfolio to help advance the rollout of EV infrastructure.

“Smart chargers will play a significant role as EV uptake increases across Australia,” said Arena CEO Darren Miller.

“The installation of 200 smart chargers across Australian homes is an important milestone for AGL’s project, which will be used to identify how we can best integrate EVs into the grid that benefits both the customer and the electricity system as a whole.”

Over the past year, AGL has also established an EV subscription service, offering customers in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia the ability to drive an EV without committing to ownership.

As The Driven has reported, the subscription service offers a weekly rate that ranges from around $235 a week for the low-cost MG EV up to around $340 a week for the Tesla Model 3, and in three months, six months and 12 month terms.

AGL has said the service was proving popular with people who want to “try before they buy”, or whose lifestyle or circumstances lend itself to a subscription model rather than full ownership.