A recent report from Navigant Research analyzes emerging markets and future growth opportunities for vehicle grid integration (VGI) technologies, including global forecasts, market drivers, barriers, and key industry players.
The report, Vehicle Grid Integration, explores the market opportunity for VGI technologies to be used as assets in grid services and considers policy factors associated with the growth of VGI. Global forecasts for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), charging ports, VGI capacity, and bidirectional chargers are segmented by region and location type, and extend through 2030. The report also examines major VGI technologies and profiles key market participants.
The burgeoning PEV industry is interested in the many potential uses of VGI. The technology enables direct control of PEV charging, and in some cases, discharging, which can be used to provide grid services. According to the report, VGI revenue accrued from grid service markets is expected to reach US$1.4 billion by 2030.
"Decarbonization drives VGI through the growing need for the adoption of PEVs and integration of renewable energy sources," said Scott Shepard, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. "VGI enables automakers to improve the economics of PEV ownership and the electric power sector to buffer intermittent resources to better meet grid demands and balance loads."
Although VGI is well-positioned to help solve several industry issues, there are technical and regulatory hurdles to overcome for the technology to come through on its promise. For the more sophisticated forms of VGI, such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G), more research is needed to determine impact on battery degradation and local distribution loads. Beyond these technical items, grid operators need to address burdensome or limiting regulations such as minimum capacity and interconnection requirements.
An executive summary of the report is available for download here.
