Lightsource Labs and Wallbox Chargers team up to further optimize home renewable energy consumption
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The vehicle-to-grid (V2G) partnership unlocks greater flexibility for the user to lower household electricity costs and optimise green energy consumption.
The strategic partnership allows homeowners to utilise their Electric Vehicles (EV) to perform power load-balancing for the grid from their own homes.
Barcelona, Spain, 20 August 2021 – Lightsource Labs, Lightsource bp’s in-house energy technology business today announced a strategic partnership with Wallbox Chargers, a leading provider of EV charging solutions, to broaden the scope of their vehicle to grid (V2G) solutions.
The new partnership, which is being rolled-out in the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia, combines Wallbox’s pioneering bidirectional DC home charger, Quasar, with Lightsource Labs’ groundbreaking home energy management platform, Tribe.
Tribe incorporates machine-learning technology to forecast the consumption profiles of the home and uses weather forecast and tariff information to automatically select the best operating schedules for each device. When EV drivers add Tribe to their existing solar, battery storage and EV charger system, they see savings of up to 15 percent on their energy bills in comparison to solar, battery and EV charging alone.
The incorporation of Quasar’s bidirectional technology unlocks further flexibility for Tribe users who will now be able to use their EV as an additional power storage unit. On average an EV can power a home for 4-5 days, seven times that of a standard 7kWh wall battery.
Users will also be able to use this V2G technology to provide energy flexibility services for DSOs (local grid) and the ESO (national grid operators) in mature markets. This provides a social benefit to the energy system as well as additional revenues to the EV owner.
The partnership will assist users in combating one of the greatest obstacles for renewable energy adoption in the home, finding ways to store the overproduction of energy during low usage periods. Making energy storage (home and mobile) more accessible for renewable energy will not only fuel uptake of renewable energy, but reduce pressure on the grid by providing a buffer to flatten peaks in demand.
“Quasar is one of our most advanced home charging solutions. The integration of Quasar’s bidirectional technology into the Tribe platform unlocks the potential for drivers to use their EV beyond transportation” said Enric Asunción, CEO and co-founder at Wallbox. “This alliance will offer significant savings and help users reduce their carbon footprint. When the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, but you’re not there to use the energy, you can now store it in your EV to use later, or sell it back to the grid.”
“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to reduce the waste of sustainable energy and optimise it for use in the home,” said Benjamin Kott, CEO at Lightsource Labs. “The incorporation of a bidirectional charger to our platform will ensure customers can reduce the waste of their green energy, while also further reducing their overall energy costs.”
About Wallbox
Wallbox is a global company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy in the electric vehicle industry. Wallbox creates smart charging systems that combine innovative technology with outstanding design and manage the communication between vehicle, grid, building and charger. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public and public use in more than 60 countries. Founded in 2015, with headquarters in Barcelona, Wallbox’s mission is to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles today to make more sustainable use of energy tomorrow. The company employs over 500 people in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Lightsource Labs is an energy technology business wholly owned by the global solar company, Lightsource bp. Lightsource Labs was founded in 2016 to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the transition to a sustainable, decentralised, digitalised energy system. Lightsource Labs’ smart energy management solutions unlock flexibility behind-the-meter and within distribution networks to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable energy economy.
Lightsource Labs launched its energy management technology – Tribe – in the UK in 2020. The business is currently working with a range of DNOs, Utility partners, Landlords, Developers and OEMs to unlock and monetise the value of flexibility for distributed energy assets installed in either residential or commercial properties.
