Winemaker Joseph Evans found the full answer in his bid to curb a $6000 annual electricity bill for his Barossa Valley vineyard by becoming one of the first to use vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology in South Australia.
The Ballycroft vineyard owner plug in his 40kW/h Nissan Leaf to power his home and property at night, removing the remaining $2000 from his annual bill after first installing rooftop solar that got rid of $4000.
“I’ve gone from a $6000 annual power bill to making around $50 per week in profit selling my excess power back to the grid,” says Evans.
“That is more than $2500 in annual profit, from what was once a significant cost. And what’s even better is the fact that, while fuel and electricity prices are only heading in one direction, and that direction is up, my costs are fixed – and fixed at zero.
”Instead of paying for my power, I’m getting paid for my power.“
Ballycroft has been one of the first pilot sites approved by SA Power Networks (SAPN) which has been leading the way nationally in the installation and integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources within its network
While securing required approvals nationally continues to be a work in progress, customers in South Australia can now apply to SAPN to install Wallbox Quasar V2G units in the same way they otherwise would for a new home solar or battery installation.
Jet Charge will be opening orders to South Australian customers in late January for the next shipment of Wallbox Quasar V2G chargers.
“This is a game-changer, and I wanted to be right at the front of the queue to have V2G installed,” says Evans.
“It makes me entirely self-sufficient with my power needs, makes my home and business more sustainable, and it’s so easy to use.”
Evans uses his Nissan Leaf to make deliveries to Adelaide restaurants before recharging at home through his solar system.
He plugs his EV into his V2G charger, and uses the stored energy in the Nissan’s battery to power his home and property overnight, before replenishing it in the morning via solar power.
The EV provides enough energy for all of his living, heating and cooling needs – as well as meeting the agricultural requirements of his four-hectare vineyard.
A simple charging application on his phone means Evans can charge his Leaf, or discharge the power from it, with his vehicle not just providing the power needed for his home and property, but also playing a role in helping stabilise Australia’s power grid.
Demand for grid power fluctuates significantly, and it’s this instability in the grid that can lead to issues and blackouts.
The Realising Electric Vehicle Services (REVS) project saw 51 Nissan Leaf EVs deployed across the ACT to trial the technology and to explore how it can support Australia’s energy infrastructure.
“While the REVS project continues to be extremely positive, it’s incredibly rewarding to see this game-changing technology now being piloted in a residential and commercial setting, and to see the real-world benefits V2G can deliver,” says Nissan electrification and mobility national manager Ben Warren.
“V2G transforms the Nissan Leaf from a vehicle into a mobile energy storage solution, at once meeting both your transport and home energy needs.
“We’ve seen this technology deployed internationally, and it’s so exciting to now see it begin rolling out across Australia, first in the ACT with the REVS project, and now with our first customer site in SA.”
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