Driving towards net-zero: The impact of electric vehicle flexibility participation on a future Norwegian electricity system

TL;DR

This study models how electric vehicle flexibility can support a future Norwegian net-zero electricity system by enhancing renewable integration and balancing supply and demand, with significant cost reductions at varying participation levels.

Contribution

It introduces a modeling approach that considers vehicle user participation rates, demonstrating EV flexibility's impact on renewable integration and cost savings in a future electricity system.

Findings

EVs can replace stationary batteries with 50% V2G participation.

Flexibility reduces total system costs by up to 15%.

EV participation enhances renewable energy integration.

Abstract

Electric vehicle batteries have a proven flexibility potential which could serve as an alternative to conventional electricity storage solutions. EV batteries could support the balancing of supply and demand and the integration of variable renewable energy into the electricity system. The flexibility potential from electric vehicles, in distinction to conventional battery storage, depends on the vehicle user's willingness and opportunity to make their vehicle available for flexibility. This rate of participation is often not considered in studies, despite the impact electric vehicle flexibility could have on the electricity system. This work presents a modelling study of the Norwegian electricity system, demonstrating how a future net-zero electricity system can benefit from electric vehicles in terms of integrating renewables and balancing supply and demand, while considering the rate of participation. Our findings show electric vehicles' potential to eliminate the need for stationary battery storage with just 50% participation in vehicle-to-grid. We find that the flexibility of electric vehicles contributes to relative reductions in the total cost of the electricity system by almost 4% and 15% assuming 100% participation in flexible charging and vehicle-to-grid, respectively.