News & Analysis
Nissan turns auto/home power-sharing into reality
Junko Yoshida
5/31/2012 6:31 AM EDT
TOKYO – Nissan launched here what it calls its “Leaf-to-home” power supply system, designed to turn Nissan’s electric vehicle Leaf into a backup electricity supply for residential homes.
The “Leaf-to-home” system, scheduled to go on sale in mid-June at Nissan dealerships in Japan, makes Leaf the first electric vehicle that can be used to curb power drawn from the grid during peak consumption hours in Japan, according to Nissan.
The EV Power Supply System developed by Nichicon is a two-way charger capable of both fully charging Nissan’s EV, Leaf, in just four hours (half the time of an ordinary charger) and also supplying a home’s electricity distribution panel from a Leaf’s high-capacity batteries.
When fully-charged, the lithium-ion batteries in a Leaf store up to 24kWh of electricity. That’s more than enough to power the average Japanese household for two full days, according to the Japanese auto maker.
In addition, the EV Power Station can charge the Leaf in just four hours – about half the time of a normal charger.
Nissan plans to sell 10,000 Leaf-to-home units during the fiscal year. With Japanese government subsidies in place it costs around 330,000 yen ($4,153).
Nissan is boasting that the system can come to a household’s rescue in a blackout or other emergency. In Japan today, fear of blackouts haunts every community since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
With the nation’s nuclear power plants now shut down since early May, Japan is abuzz with anxiety about an anticipated summer power crunch. For the first time in more than 40 years, Japan will derive no energy from atomic power. Until last year, nuclear energy represented 30% of Japanese power consumption.
However, even without nukes, the power shortage might not happen. The latest news now suggests that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda may give a formal order to restart two nuclear reactors at the Oi plant in western Japan next week. It would then take two or three weeks to get each one up and running, according to reports here.
The “Leaf-to-home” system, scheduled to go on sale in mid-June at Nissan dealerships in Japan, makes Leaf the first electric vehicle that can be used to curb power drawn from the grid during peak consumption hours in Japan, according to Nissan.
The EV Power Supply System developed by Nichicon is a two-way charger capable of both fully charging Nissan’s EV, Leaf, in just four hours (half the time of an ordinary charger) and also supplying a home’s electricity distribution panel from a Leaf’s high-capacity batteries.
When fully-charged, the lithium-ion batteries in a Leaf store up to 24kWh of electricity. That’s more than enough to power the average Japanese household for two full days, according to the Japanese auto maker.
In addition, the EV Power Station can charge the Leaf in just four hours – about half the time of a normal charger.
Nissan plans to sell 10,000 Leaf-to-home units during the fiscal year. With Japanese government subsidies in place it costs around 330,000 yen ($4,153).
Nissan is boasting that the system can come to a household’s rescue in a blackout or other emergency. In Japan today, fear of blackouts haunts every community since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
With the nation’s nuclear power plants now shut down since early May, Japan is abuzz with anxiety about an anticipated summer power crunch. For the first time in more than 40 years, Japan will derive no energy from atomic power. Until last year, nuclear energy represented 30% of Japanese power consumption.
However, even without nukes, the power shortage might not happen. The latest news now suggests that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda may give a formal order to restart two nuclear reactors at the Oi plant in western Japan next week. It would then take two or three weeks to get each one up and running, according to reports here.
EV power station specification
<When charging Nissan Leafs>
<When charging Nissan Leafs>
<When supplying power to households>
source: Nissan
source: Nissan
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agk
5/31/2012 7:57 AM EDT
This is a auto motive charger cum UPS. probably this will have a connection to the existing UPS system in the house. So the out let from the leaf system to the home will go through the existing UPS system and during this leaf system works the batteries in the home UPS system not to be charged and only when the power is available those batteries will be charged. The reason is when the car is not there the existing UPS need to power the house.
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AlPothoof
5/31/2012 7:25 PM EDT
What "existing UPS system"? When in the "supply mode", the output is AC and intended to the home's distribution panel. It would be possible to wedge another UPS in there, at the cost of increased inefficiency but I doubt the average Japanese home already has one.
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BicycleBill
5/31/2012 10:01 AM EDT
Given that these batteries can opnly withstand some limited number of charge/discharge cycles, how this is operation affect their overall lifespan?
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chanj
5/31/2012 12:06 PM EDT
It is a very interesting application. How does it work? Is it fully automatic? Or it can be manually changed the mode from charging to powering. Indicators of charge left will definitely help.
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junko.yoshida
5/31/2012 5:45 PM EDT
Hi, Chanj. According to Nissan, the system can run on various operating modes and has a timer function which can be controlled with an LCD touch panel. Electricity is stored or supplied automatically in accordance with a household's electricity capacity and consumption.
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docdivakar
5/31/2012 8:23 PM EDT
At $4,153 (even after subsidies) I wonder how many will be opting for this in other countries' markets. In Japan, I can understand the need with many reactors going off-line. Seems like this is a nice to have gadget when other alternates (like wind/solar) are not viable.
MP Divakar
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selinz
5/31/2012 8:25 PM EDT
This is an insanely good marketing gimic! Most smart meters change rates with time so that it could be comparable to installing solar panels! (Neither of which would offer particularly good prospects of recovering your money). Nonetheless, I like it.
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jehall1
5/31/2012 8:45 PM EDT
This has interesting emergency preparedness aspects to it as well--at least may be extended this way. Move the vehicles to where power has been lost due to weather or earthquake or something and provide power until local power can be restored.
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hm
5/31/2012 9:14 PM EDT
Can Nissan use some of renewable energy in this approach to make it more green?
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Walter Greene
6/1/2012 9:01 AM EDT
This concept has been floating around for electric cars since the beginning. Only it was described as allowing the car's batteries to help power the grid (instead of an individual dwelling). Yes, there are issues about charge/discharge cycles of the batteries, but looking at this from an emergency or supplemental power backup perspective it's great. Now, if you combine this with a grid tie solar system, you could effectively provide a residence with electricity for extended periods of grid power outage. The price is in line with what a grid tie solar inverter costs. (I know because I have one).
This device is a big sell plus, and should be made available in the US.
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Alix
6/1/2012 10:47 AM EDT
I'm looking forward to e-vehicle rental centers that are also community grid-level power storage centers.
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MilPa
6/3/2012 11:51 PM EDT
Can Chevy Volt connect to the same.
car's Gas engine can be used
to power the home in case of blackouts.
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DrQuine
6/5/2012 11:01 PM EDT
FINALLY! Anyone who has considered buying a backup power generator to cope with power instability could benefit from such a device (especially on a hybrid car where the vehicle could be refueled during a long power outage). The car also serves a useful purpose when it isn't needed as a power source. At best existing third party inverters only supply 120 volts at 15 amps from the car battery; an integrated solution with the car would be wonderful. Switches to remove the house from the grid are readily available (in Connecticut one is available that plugs in between the electric meter and the house and allows an external power source to be activated at any time).
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