elecTric cArs
cAn sTAbilize The
inTelligenT griD
Integrating electric cars, heat pumps
and a more intelligent electrical system
can save €340 million per year in Den-
mark according to a new report from
Denmark’s state-owned transmission
system operator Energinet.dk. This
conclusion energizes Jacob Østergaard,
Professor and Director of the Center
for Electric Technology at the DTU
Department of Electrical Engineering.
“Denmark’s politicians have de-
cided that wind energy will provide
half of Denmark’s power. Since wind
energy fluctuates and cannot yet be
stored effectively, production and
use will inevitably be imbalanced.
Denmark can buy electricity from
other countries, but activating the re-
sources inherent in the grid would be
much more sensible.”
According to Energinet.dk, inte-
grating electric cars and heat pumps
into the grid can reduce annual CO2
emissions by 5 million tons, 10% of
Denmark’s emissions. But two
new conventional power plants
costing €230 million per year
would be needed if the pro-
portion of wind energy in-
creases without improving
the grid’s capacity to auto-
matically balance produc-
tion and consumption.
Electric cars require an
intelligent grid because
most people will not get up
at night to recharge their
car. They will plug it in
when they get home, causing
consumption overloads in the
early evening from recharging
and other household activities.
recharge when the price is low
Jacob Østergaard explains, “Home
charging stations can act on real-
time communication on price
changes. You set the charger to fully
large-scale testing will show how electric
cars can renew the flexibility of the electrical
grid and reduce vulnerability to the
inevitable fluctuation in wind energy
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T echnic Al Uni ver si T y o f Denm A r k
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connie hedegaard, denmark’s minister for climate and
energy, and Jørgen christensen, head of research and
development at the dan