SUSTAINABILITY
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“ We are currently working with Keele University on a project to make them self-sufficient in energy , saving them £ 2mn a year ”
— Carl Ennis , Head of Product and System Sales , Smart Infrastructure , Siemens interesting opportunities for storage is the use of electric vehicle ( EV ) batteries . The proposition is that when EVs , having replaced the 38mn vehicles currently on UK roads , are not in use , they are connected to the grid , national or micro . Through smart management they will be able to supply electricity to the grid or draw power to be charged when needed . An electric car can typically store an average home ’ s daily energy demand . Government policies are pushing the rapid development of ever faster charging and higher capacity vehicle ment systems needed to run effective usage , but we are still looking at major levels of investment which can only be justified by an income stream from selling electricity or very significant savings in energy use . For example , we are currently working with Keele University on a project to make them self-sufficient in energy , saving them £ 2mn a year .”
Because solar and wind power , the most common options for self-generation , are intermittent , storage has to be considered . At any given time , 95 % of cars are parked , so one of the
DECEMBER 2019