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The power grid is currently going through a period of dramatic transformation, with the goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions roughly in half by 2030 (compared to 2016 levels) and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. These ambitious goals are changing the way electricity is generated and consumed. Wind and solar projects are boosting the production of renewable energy, while more people are embracing low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicles to heat their homes and power their daily commutes.

Developing Flexible Solutions to Manage Electricity Demand with ev.energy

These changing energy usage patterns are welcome and necessary if we’re to achieve net zero. But they also create challenges for utilities. Consider the increasing popularity of electric vehicles: Traditionally, demand for energy spikes in the evenings when people come home from work, turn on their lights, crank up their thermostats, and put dinner in the oven. Now add EV charging to that routine. If everyone starts charging their vehicles during peak hours as well, the increased demand creates congestion in the power grid, leading to higher costs for consumers—and higher carbon emissions as fossil-fueled “peaker” plants are fired up to meet the surge.

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the UK’s largest electricity distribution network, is actively studying these changing usage patterns and developing flexible solutions to manage demand. “We really need to understand how the demand for energy is changing as more people embrace electric vehicles and other green energy solutions,” said Hayley Burden, Head of Distribution System Operator Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement at NGED. “More information and insight will enable us to plan and respond to any spikes in demand so we can deliver energy where and when people need it.”

One way of addressing increased energy demand would simply be to reinforce local networks, which requires installing more poles, cables, and transformers in local areas. But building new energy infrastructure is time-consuming and requires large capital expenditures. Enter ev.energy, a software solution to help consumers schedule vehicle charging. That helps power-grid management, defers network reinforcement costs for utilities, and keeps customer bills lower.

ev.energy’s software integrates electric vehicles into Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), which aggregate decentralized energy resources like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. VPPs have emerged in recent years as a flexible and reliable alternative to traditional power plants, enhancing grid resilience while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

“We enable electric vehicles to be charged at the right time for the energy grid, which means utilities can deliver more kilowatt hours through existing infrastructure. This reduces congestion on the energy grid and ultimately makes for a greener grid overall.”

Woolley, who worked as a strategy manager at National Grid before co-founding ev.energy in 2018, was very familiar with the energy system’s changing needs. He believed a software solution could give utility companies more data and insight to manage EV charging.

In areas where demand for energy is high, ev.energy has teamed with NGED to manage the EV load on our grid and determine the best times for charging, so demand for energy is spread more evenly. Consumers plug in their EVs like usual, but instead of electrons flowing instantly, the software ensures the vehicles charge during overnight hours when demand is lowest. That not only means the electricity used to charge the cars is cheaper – Woolley said consumers can save hundreds of pounds a year — but it’s also cleaner, since there’s no need for the utility to fire up peaker plants.

When EV owners purchase a home charger with ev.energy software installed, all they have to do is plug in their vehicles. “It’s automatically configured with your car,” Woolley said. “You’re going to be supporting the grid, and you still get your car fully charged for the next time you need it.” In the past 12 months, ev.energy’s platform has been implemented more than 10,000 times to enhance network reliability, resilience, and affordability.

There’s a big opportunity to apply this technology more widely, particularly as global EV usage continues to increase. ev.energy has begun scaling the approach it’s developed with NGED to other parts of National Grid’s network in the U.S. 

“As EVs scale up, energy networks will face a critical tipping point,” Woolley said. “National Grid Electricity Distribution has been at the forefront of deploying these technologies, and it’s been fantastic to work with them.”

For National Grid, data and insight from ev.energy has boosted flexibility. “We want to use the energy available in the most efficient way possible,” Burden said. “This technology allows us to make the best use of the energy grid we have today and plan the network of the future.”