V2G allows the owners of electric vehicles (EV) to send power to the grid and receive it, using a two-way charger.
The technology can lower power bills, reduce strain on the network at peak times and provide back-up power in emergencies.
Queenstown Electrification Accelerator (QEA) co-lead Josh Ellison says the 18-month trial’s being funded by the government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) in collaboration with national non-profit Rewiring Aotearoa, of which QEA’s an offshoot.
QEA’s already running an electrification project in Queenstown, so it makes sense to run the trial here, Ellison says.
Another reason is the resort’s vulnerability to a major earthquake on the Alpine Fault.
"There’s a 75% chance of a high-magnitude earthquake in the next 50 years, and we’ve only got one powerline that comes through the [Kawarau] gorge.
"If that line gets knocked out, we’re in a lot of trouble because there could be weeks without electricity."
A new EV can store three to four days’ worth of household electricity use in its battery, and EV owners with a V2G charger and rooftop solar could keep charging their vehicles indefinitely.
The trial will be the first in the country to systematically gather data from V2G systems involving a wide range of EVs, households and businesses, he says.
To date, only a small number have been installed across the country, including one in Queenstown three years ago that’s believed to be the first in a home.
If it proves successful, it’ll help create a blueprint for rolling out the technology nationwide.
The government’s ‘GETS’ tender website shows EECA is calling for tenders from suppliers for the trial, which will test the "economic, resilience, and integration aspects of using V2G", and help it better understand how homes and businesses engage with V2G chargers.
It’ll involve 30 to 40 chargers of between four and six types, which will be installed in a range of homes and businesses.
Ellison says V2G is in the early stages of adoption overseas, partly because most EV makers are only just starting to develop standards, warranties and software for allowing their customers to use two-way chargers.
However, he expects V2G to hit the mass market "before too long", with Chinese car makers likely to lead the way.
In the future, when most vehicles are expected to be electric, just half of the nationwide fleet could hold more energy capacity than all the country’s power stations combined, he says.
A small number of chargers will be installed in selected homes and businesses early next year to allow some initial testing.
QEA will then release a more detailed application process for all the vehicle and charger types in the trial so the remainder of the installations can be done, probably by the middle of next year.
"We’ve already had a lot of people register their interest."
- EV owners living in the Queenstown Lakes district can register their interest in participating via qea.nz/v2g
