Sociotechnical Review of V2G - Benjamin K. Sovacool

The Future Promise of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Integration: A Sociotechnical Review and Research Agenda

Summary

Sovacool, Axsen, and Kempton (2017) have conducted a study on VGI (Vehicle-Grid Integration), which consists both smart (or controlled) charging and V2G charging. Smart charging is categorized as “unidirectional flow”, and V2G is “bidirectional flow”. VGI has many benefits: decarbonization, grid load balancing, renewable energy resources integration, and revenues for both grid providers and users.

Results

Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) has significant benefits but faces a range of challenges in terms of technical, financial, behavioral, and cultural.
An interdisciplinary and sociotechnical approach is preferred in order to successfully implement and gain acceptance for VGI systems.

Challenges

Technical: There will be communicational problems between PEVs and the grid. There will also be inevitable degradation for PEV batteries.
Financial: PEV users are more sensitive to vehicle prices than fuel costs. An VGI-enabled vehicle, although with electricity charging discounts, is less likely to be purchased due to a higher vehicle cost. As for those who care about fuel costs, they need a very high discount (53% in a study in the USA) in order to accept.
Socio-Environmental: As presented in the paper, this part should be counted as “benefits”, since positive externalities outweigh the negative ones.
Behavioral: Inconvenience, Distrust, Confusion, and Range Anxiety. This challenge is summarized from consumed-based researches, and I think it’s the most important finding related with our study. I’ll show in the next section.

Behavioral Challenges

There are 4 behavioral challenges summarized from consumed-based researches:

Inconvenience and Range Anxiety: Consumers are concerned about how VGI programs might affect the available driving range of their PEVs. This worry is sometimes termed “range anxiety,” where the uncertainty about battery life may deter users from participating in VGI programs.
Distrust in Utility Companies: There is a significant level of consumer distrust towards electricity utilities or third-party operators of VGI programs. Concerns include fears of invasion of privacy and loss of control over their vehicle’s charging status.
Consumer Confusion: Many consumers, particularly those who are not early adopters (“Pioneers”), are confused about the basic concepts surrounding PEVs and VGI, such as the types of electric vehicles and how timed charging can benefit grid efficiency.
Concerns Over Battery Degradation: Especially among early adopters, there is apprehension that participating in VGI could lead to faster battery degradation. This concern is more elevated in commercial settings like taxi fleets where vehicles have heavier duty cycles.

Gaps

This paper does not study the willingness of consumers to participate in VGI systems.
It it crucial to know how VGI fits in to different policies and infrastructures.

References

Sovacool, Benjamin K., Jonn Axsen, and Willett Kempton. 2017. “The Future Promise of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Integration: A Sociotechnical Review and Research Agenda.” Annual Review of Environment and Resources 42 (1): 377–406. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-030117-020220.

--- title: "Sociotechnical Review of V2G - Benjamin K. Sovacool" subtitle: "The Future Promise of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Integration: A Sociotechnical Review and Research Agenda" bibliography: ../references.bib --- ## Summary @sovacool2017 have conducted a study on **VGI** (Vehicle-Grid Integration), which consists both smart (or controlled) charging and V2G charging. Smart charging is categorized as "unidirectional flow", and V2G is "bidirectional flow". VGI has many benefits: decarbonization, grid load balancing, renewable energy resources integration, and revenues for both grid providers and users. ## Results 1. Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) has significant benefits but faces a range of challenges in terms of technical, financial, behavioral, and cultural. 2. An interdisciplinary and sociotechnical approach is preferred in order to successfully implement and gain acceptance for VGI systems. ## Challenges 1. Technical: There will be communicational problems between PEVs and the grid. There will also be inevitable degradation for PEV batteries. 2. Financial: PEV users are more sensitive to vehicle prices than fuel costs. An VGI-enabled vehicle, although with electricity charging discounts, is less likely to be purchased due to a higher vehicle cost. As for those who care about fuel costs, they need a very high discount (53% in a study in the USA) in order to accept. 3. Socio-Environmental: As presented in the paper, this part should be counted as "benefits", since positive externalities outweigh the negative ones. 4. **Behavioral**: Inconvenience, Distrust, Confusion, and Range Anxiety. This challenge is summarized from **consumed-based researches**, and I think it's the most important finding related with our study. **I'll show in the next section.** ## Behavioral Challenges There are 4 behavioral challenges summarized from **consumed-based researches**: 1. **Inconvenience and Range Anxiety**: Consumers are concerned about how VGI programs might affect the available driving range of their PEVs. This worry is sometimes termed "range anxiety," where the uncertainty about battery life may deter users from participating in VGI programs. 2. **Distrust in Utility Companies**: There is a significant level of consumer distrust towards electricity utilities or third-party operators of VGI programs. Concerns include fears of invasion of privacy and loss of control over their vehicle's charging status. 3. **Consumer Confusion**: Many consumers, particularly those who are not early adopters ("Pioneers"), are confused about the basic concepts surrounding PEVs and VGI, such as the types of electric vehicles and how timed charging can benefit grid efficiency. 4. **Concerns Over Battery Degradation**: Especially among early adopters, there is apprehension that participating in VGI could lead to faster battery degradation. This concern is more elevated in commercial settings like taxi fleets where vehicles have heavier duty cycles. ## Gaps 1. This paper does not study the willingness of consumers to participate in VGI systems. 2. It it crucial to know how VGI fits in to different policies and infrastructures.