Nissan Launched "LEAF to Home" V2H EV Power Supply System

- Nissan to launch LEAF to Home power system at its dealerships in Japan in mid-June

- Nissan and Nichicon collaborate to achieve the world's first power supply system that provides electricity from the Nissan LEAF's high-capacity batteries to houses

Nissan announced "LEAF to Home" power supply system, which can supply electricity from batteries onboard in Nissan LEAF electric vehicles (EV) to homes when used with the "EV Power Station" unit developed by Nichicon Corporation. "LEAF to Home" is an industry first backup power supply system that can transmit the electricity stored in the large-capacity batteries of Nissan LEAFs to a residential home. Nissan will showcase this system at its Japanese dealership showrooms beginning in June to help promote efficient electricity management and demonstrate the features built into electric vehicles.

This equipement is using the CHAdeMO protocol / standard

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will launch the "LEAF to Home" power supply system at its dealerships in Japan in mid-June 2012. The V2H system (Vehicle to Home) can supply electricity from batteries onboard in Nissan LEAF electric vehicles (EV) to homes when used with the "EV Power Station" unit developed by Nichicon Corporation.


"LEAF to Home" is an industry-first backup power supply system that can transmit the electricity stored in the large-capacity batteries of Nissan LEAFs to a residential home. Nissan will showcase this system at its Japanese dealership showrooms beginning in June to help promote efficient electricity management and demonstrate the features built into electric vehicles.

Nichicon, an innovator in power supply systems, will provide the technology to move the electricity from vehicle to home through its "EV Power Station" units. This power transfer system enables electricity stored in high-capacity lithium-ion batteries onboard a Nissan LEAF to be sent to an ordinary home by connecting the car to the home's electricity distribution panel with a connector linked to the LEAF's quick charging port.

The EV Power Station system is similar in size to an external air-conditioning unit, can be installed outdoors, and conforms to the CHAdeMO protocol for EV quick chargers. CHAdeMO is an abbreviation of "Charge de Move" ("charge for moving") and is the trade name for a quick-charging method used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles. The Nichicon system's connector complies with the JEVS G 105 standard defined by the Japan Automotive Research Institute (JARI). This system can run on various operating modes and has a timer function which can be controlled with a liquid crystal display (LCD) touch panel. Electricity is stored or supplied automatically in accordance with a household's electricity capacity and consumption.

The EV Power Station can fully charge a LEAF in as little as four hours, which is approximately half the time required when a normal charger is used. All current Nissan LEAF owners in Japan will be able to use the system, depending on their home's installation requirements. With Japanese government subsidies taken into account, the EV Power Station is estimated to cost 330,000 yen ($4200), which amount includes 10% consumption tax and installation charge.


Detailed specifications of the system:

Official video:



This system helps to balance the electrical supply system, and can even lower a consumer's electricity bill. The LEAF to Home system will help encourage Nissan LEAF owners to charge their cars with electricity generated during the night, when demand is low, or sourced from solar panels. This assist in balancing energy needs by supplying electricity to the grid during daytime, when demand is highest. It can also be used as back-up power source in case of power outages and/or shortages.

The lithium-ion batteries can store up to 24kWh of electricity, which is sufficient to supply an average Japanese household for about two days. This system underscores an additional attribute of EVs: vehicles which can be used as a storage battery whether they are moving or stationary.

Source: http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2012/_STORY/120530-01-e.html?rss

The LEAF 24kWh battery pack could, through the LEAF to Home PCS / EV Power Station, supply all the necessary power used by a  regular house, that is 6 kW.

This supply could come on to fill the power gap between the house solar system and the power usage, or in the evening and at tnight when the sun doesn't shine anymore 

Using the Peak Offset Function, an average home in Japan could save money and releave the grid during power consumption peak at noon, by using the LEAF as a power supply during this period, charging at night at low power demand and low cost :

More info here: http://car.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/20120530_536403.html

Nissan did a first demo of this system back in August 2011:
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2011/_STORY/110802-01-e.html

Here is a video of this event:



[System Overview]

Power Control System (PCS)
- Rating: 6kW
- Control system: Sinusoidal PWM System
- System power: 200V single-phase three-wire system
Operation display panel
- Display for switching electricity charge between supply
- Battery power, output voltage and output current display
Nissan LEAF connection specification
- Quick charge connector (CHAdeMo specification)
Nissan LEAF
- Corresponds to the electricity supply program