Long-stay car parks could unlock 4.3GW of flexible energy

UKPN claims that more than 1.3 million homes could be powered by utilising electric car batteries when they are parked in long-stay car parks.

The network operator suggests that 4.3GW of flexible electricity could be unlocked by filling up electric cars’ batteries in long-stay car parks when energy is cheap and demand is low and injecting power back into the system at peak times.

The ‘Park and Flex’ study is based on advanced modelling alongside forecasts by both UKPN and Baringa estimating the number of electric vehicles on Britain’s roads in the coming years.

Long-stay car parks such as airports were shown to offer increased benefits over shorter term solutions such as hotels or supermarket car parks, with a customer’s flight dates dictating the precise length of a vehicle’s stay, giving network operators greater insight into spare power or capacity they can call on at any time.

It is estimated £1.3 billion in flexible energy savings could be made by 2050 if rolled out across the 140,000 long-stay parking spaces in the areas UKPN serves in the south and east of England.

Director of customer service and innovation at UKPN Ian Cameron said: “As more and more people begin to adopt green technologies, we’re able to innovate and explore tangible scenarios that could make a real difference on the path to net zero.

“Through Park and Flex, we foresee a world where dormant vehicles can be used as the building blocks for one of the UK’s biggest flex batteries. This dynamic battery, fuelled by thousands upon thousands of electric vehicles, could play a massive role in creating a new green energy supply and could do so without customers having to lift a finger.”

The Park and Flex project is supported by funding from Innovate UK’s Strategic Innovation Fund. As the study continues, it will seek to understand how the new vision could be rolled out nationally and identify the customer incentives needed to make it happen.

Tony Posawatz, chief executive of Fermata Energy, added: “With ramping sales of electric vehicles, gigawatts of energy storage capacity can be accessed with bi-directional (V2G) charging to support UK distribution networks during peak events.

“Airports have enormous public car parks and large electrical systems throughout. With thousands of vehicles parked for hours to days at a time, enormous value can be unlocked in key grid locations providing resilience and stability, while lowering costs. This first-of-its kind Park and Flex study will demonstrate the scalable benefits of V2G technology in public car parks for grid networks and consumers alike.”