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Connection to allow Volt to be used as an emergency power backup generator.
Backup Power Connection
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I absolutely support this idea.
V2G will take a while to get going. The technology to support this is here now and cost effective to install at a house level. The average number of power cuts is fairly small, so battery life will not be majorly affected, but the benefits are huge when one happens!
Also great marketing tool every time neighbours see your lights are still on. & its a optional extra so more profit.
V2G will take a while to get going. The technology to support this is here now and cost effective to install at a house level. The average number of power cuts is fairly small, so battery life will not be majorly affected, but the benefits are huge when one happens!
Also great marketing tool every time neighbours see your lights are still on. & its a optional extra so more profit.
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Great idea, but I always assumed that an owner would be able to toggle whether he wanted his vehicle as part of the V2G system using the same charging port. I guess this could extend to instances in which there is a power outage, then the charge stored in the vehicle would be used to maintain power in his/her own home, as opposed to the whole grid (I would hate to power the whole neighborhood for 5 minutes, instead of my own home all day).
I think the home charging unit would contain all those power handling algorythms, and the charging port would allow current to flow both ways.
I think the home charging unit would contain all those power handling algorythms, and the charging port would allow current to flow both ways.
In the event of a power cut the system will shut down, this is because linesmen could be working on the house. A house isolater switch would need to be installed (optional extra), then you would only power your own house. This requires a permit ( safety concerns) and depending on local government usually needs to be done by a registered electrician.
The big question is will the car be allowed to transmit power to the house? I hope it is designed for.
I think it's a great idea. I only see two potential problems:
1. A Volt could be driven away, unlike a generator.
2. Some idiot will inevitably run the car in the garage during a power outage or storm and get asphyxiated.
A 100 amp ransfer switch costs about $700 to install to your house, btw. I had an estimate from Home Depot recently and that was their quote.
1. A Volt could be driven away, unlike a generator.
2. Some idiot will inevitably run the car in the garage during a power outage or storm and get asphyxiated.
A 100 amp ransfer switch costs about $700 to install to your house, btw. I had an estimate from Home Depot recently and that was their quote.
Ned23
1. I assumed I would be doing the driving, so if I am not home anymore what do I care? just kidding. Stay at home with family or go bowling? Tough choice.
2. It never occured to me someone would run the car inside. I don't suppose a warning sticker on the transfer switch would suffice? Something like "Do not run ICE in garage or death may occur". Oh well, another point for Fuel Cells, "can be used by really, really, stupid people". Wait, what if they smoke while refueling? Goodbye Volt?
1. I assumed I would be doing the driving, so if I am not home anymore what do I care? just kidding. Stay at home with family or go bowling? Tough choice.
2. It never occured to me someone would run the car inside. I don't suppose a warning sticker on the transfer switch would suffice? Something like "Do not run ICE in garage or death may occur". Oh well, another point for Fuel Cells, "can be used by really, really, stupid people". Wait, what if they smoke while refueling? Goodbye Volt?
I guess what I was thinking was that you'd have to leave the car running in your driveway to power your house.
Yeah, it happens all the time. People forget to turn the car off or whatever.
A story was in the news here recently where a woman opened her garage door and started her car to warm it up on a cold snowy morning. Then she decided the weather was too bad to drive to work and closed the garage door from a remote inside the house while the car was still running. Fortunately, someone found her in time and she was taken to a hospital and survived.
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this is top of my wish list
This has been discussed before, and I think that our best hope is that GM designs for this, but it would at best be an after market option.
There are multiple ways to do this, the Volt has potential to be better than a whole house generator. It is more powerful, does not need a separate fuel source, it is portable, it can respond quicker.
1) Use the on-board motor controller to make AC at 50/60 Hz -- must be able to disconnect drive motor, and the controller may not be suitable.
2) Use the DC side only to drive an external inverter like a solar inverter (actually I could reconfigure my solar inverters for this).
3) Use the ICE generator in the Volt. We don't know enough about the generator design, but it might be AC (gearing would determine frequency).
Yes, there does need to be a disconnect or transfer switch, and possibly a switch/control to control whether the ICE will start (e.g. in garage you want only battery operation). Adding controls is easy with CAN (car area network), so it is largely a case of the software/firmware allowing this, and being physically able to tap the power, and getting UL certification. The controls and transfer switch can be taken out of the critical path.
A whole house backup generator would cost me $4000 and up, and that's $4000 that I would rather spend on the Volt (and it's after market options).
This has been discussed before, and I think that our best hope is that GM designs for this, but it would at best be an after market option.
There are multiple ways to do this, the Volt has potential to be better than a whole house generator. It is more powerful, does not need a separate fuel source, it is portable, it can respond quicker.
1) Use the on-board motor controller to make AC at 50/60 Hz -- must be able to disconnect drive motor, and the controller may not be suitable.
2) Use the DC side only to drive an external inverter like a solar inverter (actually I could reconfigure my solar inverters for this).
3) Use the ICE generator in the Volt. We don't know enough about the generator design, but it might be AC (gearing would determine frequency).
Yes, there does need to be a disconnect or transfer switch, and possibly a switch/control to control whether the ICE will start (e.g. in garage you want only battery operation). Adding controls is easy with CAN (car area network), so it is largely a case of the software/firmware allowing this, and being physically able to tap the power, and getting UL certification. The controls and transfer switch can be taken out of the critical path.
A whole house backup generator would cost me $4000 and up, and that's $4000 that I would rather spend on the Volt (and it's after market options).
YES! I've been pushing for v2house here and for a long time on Tesla's blog. Most of the comments here are good. I'ld like to add that with a full tank of gas and full battery, the could provide about 120 KWh. If you ever actually need backup power for an extended period of time, you will greatly appreciate this. Those of us in South Florida know this all too well. When all power is out in the area the gas pumps don't work unless the station has a generator. Also, those that have a solar already have the transfer and disconnect capability.
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