Exmouth, a picturesque coral coast town located 1,300 kilometers north of Perth in Western Australia has recently concluded an ambitious 12-month trial. This innovative project studied the ways in which electric vehicles (EVs) can help increase local energy resilience. The oceanic town, choc-a-bloc with holidaymakers now thinned down to a 3,000 residents in summer, is known for its extreme peaks and troughs in energy demand. The station also provided an excellent backdrop for Horizon Power’s progressive initiative.
The purpose of the trial was to test and assess Horizon’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) in actual operating conditions. The project exemplified what can be done with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Lastly, perhaps most significantly, it demonstrated how EVs will lead Exmouth to a more resilient and environmentally sustainable energy future.
The Role of Electric Vehicles in Energy Management
Throughout the trial period, participants delivered energy back to the grid through their EVs while parked. That made their cars into mobile power plants. This unique approach provided an exciting opportunity to test the full capabilities of the V2G system. Its goal was to provide energy that improves quality of life for customers and the utility provider while providing a transparent, easy-to-use interface.
Ray Achemedei, executive general manager of technology and digital transformation at Horizon Power, emphasized the trial’s objectives:
“The real objective was to see if the batteries could deliver an outcome that would be to the benefit of the customer, as well as to us, the utility provider, and do it in a way that didn’t disrupt the customer’s experience.”
That’s how you know the trial was a success — the testimony from participants showed that they appreciated being included in this project. Achemedei noted:
“The feedback that we got is that they loved participating in the trial for a variety of reasons.”
Additionally, some participants shared that they did not want to return their vehicles once the pilot period was over! Achemedei remarked:
“In fact we had a hard time at the end of the trial getting some of our EVs back. They wanted to hang on to them.”
Supporting a Sustainable Future for Exmouth
Acting director of the Gascoyne Development Commission Amanda Willmott welcomed the plan. She noted how cutting-edge it is, particularly for a smaller locality like Exmouth.
“For small communities like this to be doing something so progressive, that’s incredible.”
“We need solutions to make our energy production more sustainable,” Matthew Niikkula, shire president of Exmouth, said in similar praise of the trial. He stated:
“The trial paved the way for a more environmentally sustainable energy future for the town.”
The successful integration of EVs into Exmouth’s energy management system opens new avenues for smaller communities to explore sustainable technology without compromising their unique characteristics or energy needs.
Challenges Ahead for Wider Implementation
Exmouth’s trial was extremely promising. Achemedei cautioned, there are still challenges that need to be figured out before we can deploy vehicle-to-grid technology on a massive scale.
“The reality is there’s still a lot of business rules and technical standards that need to be agreed to,” he explained.
In particular, he touched on how critical customer engagement is in making the right outcomes successful.
“The customer experience is super important for us. This only works well if customers are a willing participant,” Achemedei noted.
Participants were worried about making sure they have enough energy stored in their EV batteries for unexpected future needs. Achemedei acknowledged these concerns:
“They want to know that if they need to jump in their EV to do something suddenly that there’s going to be enough energy stored in their EV battery to be able to do what they need to do.”
Horizon Power’s team was marking After the trial’s success horizons. To them, it represents the clearest validation yet for the strategic plan they adopted to continue pursuing EV technology.
“The trial’s been a great validation of what is a far more strategic plan for us looking into the future as we start to see EVs become more prevalent, especially in the small systems that we manage across the state,” Achemedei stated.
