Thiruvananthapuram: Imagine charging your electric vehicle (EV) during the day and supplying the stored electricity to use at home during night. What if you could even sell excess power back to the grid and earn money? The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is preparing to introduce Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, making this vision a reality.

As a first step, KSEB plans to set up widespread charging facilities for electric vehicles at parking lots, government offices, and other key locations. To implement this, they will empanel agencies interested in setting up these charging stations. IIT Bombay has been entrusted with assessing the feasibility of V2G technology in Kerala, says KSEB Chairman Biju Prabhakar.

Why is it necessary to charge during day

Kerala generates an abundant amount of affordable electricity during the daytime, especially from solar power. The cost of electricity during the day can be as low as ₹2.50 per unit. However, with increased solar power adoption, a significant portion of this low-cost electricity remains underutilised during daylight time.

Alternatively, most EV owners charge their vehicles at night, which is a time when electricity demand and rates are at its peak. The main reason for this is the lack of convenient charging options at workplaces and public locations during the day. To address this issue, KSEB is working with private agencies to expand public charging infrastructure across the state.

Household electricity from EVs

With V2G technology, EV owners will be able to control how much electricity they use at home from electricity vehicles via a mobile app. At night, the car battery will function as an inverter, supplying stored energy to the home. This will require some technical modifications, but in return, households can save on electricity costs.

For KSEB, this innovation brings multiple benefits for KSEB—it will help to reduce nighttime load and prevent the need for purchasing expensive electricity from external sources.