The two-way electric vehicle charger developed by Ampere Energy optimises the current charging process, reducing times and also enabling a two-way flow of energy. So the user not only charges their vehicle more quickly by dynamically setting the maximum charging power available, they also power their home with the energy stored or feed it back to the grid, effectively converting the electric vehicle fleet into portable batteries.
At present, vehicles are normally charged at home using the alternating current. The Ampere Energy project, in which the Spanish Energy Technology Institute (ITE) is involved and which is funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI), overcomes this limitation by incorporating the power converter into the home charger, just as with fast-charging service stations. It will also equip this device with a two-way energy flow management capacity. This flexibility in energy flow management is not limited to the home, it paves the way for network operators to manage the energy resources of these vehicles, e.g. to reduce congestion during demand peaks or to absorb the overproduction of renewable energy. The project consists of developing a charger, but also includes software developments to allow this new charging system to be integrated into Ampere’s power monitoring and management applications, to give users full control of the energy flows in their home.
This project was funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI).
