A number of letters published in recent issues of E&T have discussed issues relating to electric vehicle charging and smart metering. As part of my work with IEC technical committees covering smart grids and smart metering, I have been looking at some of the challenges that will arise as EVs become more popular.
The UK government, in common with other countries, is keen to introduce real-time pricing that incentivises the use of energy during off-peak times. This is seen as a way to reduce carbon emissions by influencing consumer behaviour through pricing. The plan is to introduce consumers to half-hour pricing (or 15 minutes in continental Europe) through tariffs downloaded to smart meters. Prices are generally set the day before, so the consumer can plan activities the day after.
This becomes rather difficult and time-consuming, so it is envisaged that there will be an opportunity for demand-side response service providers (DSRSPs) to enter the...