Good practice:

V2G EV charging network

There are currently 9 “photolineras” in operation and in 2022 it is expected to reach 35. One of these 9 existing facilities, Molins de Rei, has a bidirectional loading team or V2G (vehicle-to-grid). V2G consists of the bi-directionality of the energy flow allows the batteries of the vehicles to serve as a source of energy at specific moments in which the building needs it.This new generation of V2G photo stations is aligned with the energy revolution of the next decade: the integration of batteries that store renewable energy within an intelligent distribution network that puts citizens at the center.
The “photolinera” of the Metropolitan Network consists of a photovoltaic pergola of 10kWp associated with two different consumption. On the one hand, supply the charging of electric vehicles with renewable energy, and, when there are no parked vehicles or those are fully charged, the energy from photovoltaic supplies adjacent public buildings.
In this way, the project addresses three key problems in the metropolitan territory:
1. Energy transition, increasing the energy self-sufficiency of the municipalities, thanks to the photovoltaic installation.
2. Public health, improving air quality by promoting more sustainable mobility (electric vehicles, public transport, etc)
3. Climatic change, reducing GHG emission

The photolinera, designed and financed by the AMB at a cost of € 17,078.05 (excluding VAT).

Significant savings can be achieved for building energy consumption by using the EV batteries and solar panels wisely. We can also generate additional revenues for the operator once Spanish electricity markets become open markets for distributed resources. The V2G charger in Molins de Rei has injected to the grid more than 4.000 kWh.

The benefits of a battery providing storage of energy is well understood and documented, but technology introduces a more efficient way to do this by using existing batteries from EVs versus purchasing expensive, external battery packs. Further, the software allows to vary the rate of charge and discharge between the vehicle battery and the building.
One important aspect of this project is the legal framework. In Spain, the flexibility and aggregation market need to inject and maximize the usage of V2G technology are foreseen from 2021. At this moment, we could take the maximum of the potential of this project to implement flexibility and aggregation strategies.