What you should know about V2G

V2G technology allows battery power from EVs to be harnessed to power homes or share stored energy with electric grids as demand rises. Semiconductor technology will be essential in the V2G rollout, driving electrification forward with new charging and battery-storage solutions. In this piece, Texas Instruments experts discuss five things that you should know about V2G:

V2G will ease the strain on ageing electric grids

The problem is not the grid’s overall capacity. The challenge is the grid’s peak capacity. Spikes in demand are getting higher and coming more often as we grow more reliant on power. V2G semiconductor technology could help smooth out these peaks, which can mean less frequent outages and lower overall cost of energy. A key part of this is providing people with smart technologies that can make it easy for them to know the optimal time to charge their EVs. So long as they are not all charging at the same time, like in the evening when they come home from work, the grid will be able to cope.

Bidirectional charging is paving the way to V2G

Bidirectional charging will become a ubiquitous feature of EVs as more carmakers and owners embrace the idea of using vehicle batteries as power sources. The cost of moving to bidirectional charging is low for EVs, given that they already have onboard chargers and much of the required hardware already fitted. Bidirectional charging is not just about cars returning power to the grid. It also enables EVs to provide power to the home. That will be useful during power outages, for example, allowing people to have a ready backup supply from their EV batteries.

V2G will need rapid and efficient charging technology

The ability of EVs to charge up and give power back to the grid quickly is key for V2G to work. Fast charging means transferring current efficiently from the grid to an EV battery and vice versa. This is where wide-bandgap technology like gallium nitride (GaN) comes in. Higher efficiency means less energy is lost to heat. That ensures minimal power is wasted in charging, helping to lower costs and easing the burden on the grid.

Current sensing technology will boost V2G efficiency

Bidirectional charging between EVs and the grid may be conceptually straightforward but the process itself requires sophisticated sensing technology. Sensors must be able to accurately and reliably measure current and voltage between EVs and the charging infrastructure. The better the measurement, the more efficiently energy can be transferred from the grid into the car and vice versa. Sensors paired with semiconductor technology not only meet this need, but also handle high voltages and minimize electromagnetic radiation, enabling uncorrupted measurements and communication to maximize charging efficiency.

Advanced connectivity will help grid operators manage power loads

“Mass scale V2G will require robust and flexible connectivity technologies to help grid operators anticipate and service power demand sustainably across a broad network of charging stations in all manner of locations and settings. This will mean collecting and sharing large volumes of data to ensure that power is available where needed and inform EV owners about the optimal time to charge up or give power back to the grid. Connectivity must be able to bridge multiple platforms, linking human-machine interfaces to EVs and charging stations to the cloud. Smart processors that can harness AI technology are key to enabling this level of connectivity. As more data is collected over time, AI can enable more accurate at predicting optimal charging times and locations for EV owners based on grid behaviour and usage patterns.