Development Launched of EV-based Smart Grid System

摘要

Tokyo, December 2, 2010 - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) have agreed to collaborate on a research project being undertaken by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Acting as advisor to this project is the Tokyo Institute of Technology, which is aiming to develop Smart Grid systems that employ electric vehicles and the lithium-ion batteries used to power them. MC, MMC and MELCO have worked on Smart Grid systems to utilize these batteries since last March. The battery business is expected to increase rapidly with the increasing proliferation of electric vehicles. The three partners applied to NEDO to take part in the research project and were accepted on August 24th. They then signed a subsidy contract under which NEDO will bear two-thirds (2/3) of the project's costs. Through the project, photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles, and lithium-ion batteries recycled from electric vehicles will be installed at MMC's electric vehicle factory in Okazaki (Nagoya Plant). The electric vehicles used by the factory workers to commute to and from work will also be involved in the project. The batteries will be recharged using the photovoltaic and grid systems, and a Factory Energy Management System (FEMS) will be developed to optimize energy use and conserve energy at the factory. The project will also focus on developing an Electric Vehicle Integration System (EIS), which will control charge-discharge amounts and rates to minimize burden on the vehicles, as well as employ the FEMS to utilize the vehicles as batteries for supplementary energy supply. Through their collaboration, MC, MMC, and MELCO hope to determine how the results can be used to benefit several Smart Grid projects underway in other countries, most notably in emerging economies. ..