CIRCE contributes as a technology partner in the first bidirectional charging network for electric vehicles in Spain
The CIRCE technology centre is participating as a technology partner in the Balearic Islands Vehicle to Grid (V2G) project, led by Acciona Energía, which will become the first bidirectional charging network for electric vehicles to operate in Spain. This system makes it possible to recover the electricity stored in vehicle batteries for self-consumption or to inject it back into the electricity system.
This innovation pilot project was inaugurated yesterday in Mallorca, together with the Balearic Government, and represents the first implementation of V2G technology on an industrial scale in Spain, with a sufficient dimension to establish consumer behaviour and usage patterns. The conclusions drawn from this project will allow progress to be made in the technological and economic maturity of this new energy service model. CIRCE has contributed its knowledge and experience in power electronics and bidirectional charging as a technological partner and will test 6 prototypes of chargers based on the technology that is set to become the future.
The technology centre contributes its know-how in bi-directional charging and provides the project with the necessary power electronics to advance in the implementation of this energy model.
Specifically, the technology developed by CIRCE is based on silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors with high-frequency resonant systems, which has made it possible to create chargers that are three times smaller than conventional ones. With this reduction in volume and weight, this development contributes to the sustainability and economy of the design, mainly due to the reduction of critical metal elements.
These chargers are capable of supplying power that is currently not available on the market. Their power ranges from 25 to 200 kW, enabling the challenge of decarbonising businesses while coupling demand to a decentralised electricity system based on renewable energy.
Bi-directional charging (V2G) redefines the concept of the car from a convenient means of transport parked in garages to an alternative source of energy for the home or industry. With this, both a company and an energy community can accumulate energy in multiple electric vehicles if they have renewable self-consumption generation when the electricity market price is lower and deliver it to their own self-consumption or sale to the grid in the evening-night, when the electricity market price is higher to compensate for the price of energy and the decrease in photovoltaic generation when there is less solar irradiation.
