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Smart charging infrastructure lab founded by Dutch grid operator ElaadNL recently announced that they have devised a Proof of Concept (PoC) that demonstrates how smart grids can autonomously balance energy consumption using IOTA technology.
ElaadNL has devised a Proof of Concept (PoC) that demonstrates how smart grids can autonomously balance energy consumption using #IOTA technology. Read more on our website and watch the video! https://t.co/gLMCB3fE7M #EV #SmartGrid pic.twitter.com/6sBmXJGKgi
— ElaadNL (@elaadNL) February 14, 2019
ElaadNL is the knowledge and innovation center in the field of Smart Charging infrastructure in the Netherlands and is an initiative of the Dutch grid operators. They research and tests all aspects of Smart Charging.
Along with grid operators, they test whether their charging stations meet the right safety and security requirements. Harm van der Brink, distributed ledger technology (DLT) expert with ElaadNL said:
“This proof of concept shows a possible future electricity system where energy is shared amongst neighbors and decentralized islands are capable of balancing itself. We are using our electricity grid in [a] total different way than we did 50 years ago, we went from only consuming to also producing energy. We are demanding more energy at peak times, and when the sun is shining we will have a surplus of energy. This all should be dealt with in real time. Our solution is the first step in that direction. We showed with our proof of concept that this can be done, although future development is required to actually put this in the grid.”
How does it work?
The PoC created at the ElaadNL test lab in Arnhem together with grid operator Enexis, shares data securely via the IOTA Tangle and lets the charging devices themselves decide if they want to help balance grid load or not. By charging electric vehicles at a slower speed or at an off-peak time, the charging stations earn a small fee in IOTA tokens.
The grid in this PoC will connect all devices to a particular area of the grid, along with the transformer supplying energy. If a transformer’s cable reaches its limit, the transformer can request all connected devices to lower their energy demands.
The devices can choose to follow that direction or not. The motivation to do so is the small fee for reducing demand. If one or more devices lowers its energy usage, they receive a few tokens of the IOTA. As a result, the system is fully autonomous and doesn’t require any human intervention.
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