Guangdong Harnesses Private Cars, Rooftops, and Charging Stations for Profit in Innovative Energy Scheme

Recently, Guangdong has accomplished a significant “low-carbon achievement.” From October 1 to 3 and on the 6th, over 70,000 new energy vehicles and 14 rooftop solar power systems across the province collaborated to contribute to the power grid, allowing car owners to earn rewards effortlessly. This initiative marks the first time that the Southern Power Grid Guangdong Electric Power Company has integrated “vehicle-grid interaction” and “virtual power plants,” transforming private cars, charging stations, and rooftop power stations into “mobile energy storage” and “mini power plants.” On October 1 alone, the virtual power plant operators participating in the midday peak-shaving managed a total capacity of 26 megawatts, with a control volume of 16 megawatts. The vehicle-grid interaction increased the maximum charging load by 33,100 kilowatts during midday, cumulatively responding with 918,600 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is equivalent to powering the Guangzhou Tower’s lights for 30 months.

During the event, charging service fees dropped by as much as 0.90 yuan per kilowatt-hour. For example, a 60-kilowatt-hour electric vehicle could save up to 54 yuan on a single charge. “I made an appointment right away, and after a good sleep, my car was fully charged, and I had enough money in my account for a bubble tea,” said Ms. Zhou, a Tesla owner in Guangzhou. She participated in the “Holiday Off-Peak Package” launched by Guangdong Electric Power in collaboration with ten operators, including Bipi Xiaojun, Telai Electric, and Guangdong Electric.

Chen Jianqiang, a load management official at the Guangdong Provincial Power Load Management Center, explained the benefits: “With 1,949 charging stations and 21,000 charging piles simultaneously shifting their charging loads to the peak production times of solar power during midday, we can consume an additional 33,000 kilowatts of green electricity, helping the grid avoid firing up thermal power plants. This results in cost savings for car owners, subsidies for operators, and a win-win situation for all parties involved.”

To ensure the coordination of so many vehicles and charging piles, Guangdong Electric Power has integrated all data into the newly launched “Vehicle-Grid Interaction Map” platform. This platform allows for a visual process from invitation, owner appointment, charging station response, to effect evaluation, similar to a ride-hailing app. “In simple terms, charging stations will essentially serve as ‘temporary employees’ for the load management center,” Chen remarked.

As an “online energy manager,” Guangdong Electric Power’s Energy Investment Company is responsible for signing long-term agreements with charging operators. They connect various charging stations to their “Yuneng Investment” virtual power plant platform, using digital technology to consolidate the previously scattered electric vehicle charging resources, thus linking distributed resources with the power grid. Even after the holiday, these resources will remain active, laying the groundwork for the future regular operation of the virtual power plant.

This initiative focuses on two main objectives: guiding car owners to charge during off-peak electricity periods and enabling electric vehicles to respond flexibly to grid demands. As Huo Tiezhu, General Manager of the Business Department of Guangdong Electric Power Energy Investment Company, stated, “Through precise guidance and incentive discounts, we attract everyone to charge during low electricity demand periods, helping to absorb more green power and further optimizing the allocation of electricity resources.”

Additionally, two virtual power plant operators, Yueneng and Zhongshan Comprehensive Energy, made their debut in peak-shaving operations. On October 1, Mr. Li from Zhongshan had his rooftop solar power output remotely adjusted down by 300 kilowatts. This was the first practical operation for these two operators, aggregating the distributed solar resources from 14 facilities with a total capacity of 26 megawatts into a “cloud power plant.” Once the dispatch instruction was issued, a 16-megawatt load was effectively managed.

Liu Yang, Senior Manager of the Power Dispatch Control Center at Guangdong Electric Power, described it as “equivalent to providing the grid with a controllable generator at any time.” The transition from “invisible” to “controllable” has created a template for virtual power plants in Guangdong. “Distributed solar power has previously been ‘visible but untouchable.’ Now, through edge clustering, 5G private networks, and aggregation modeling, everything can be included in the grid’s dispatch ‘friends list,'” Liu revealed.

Guangdong Electric Power has released the country’s first “Virtual Power Plant Grid Connection Dispatch Service Guide,” standardizing the integration process, safety isolation, and data interfaces. “If you want to join, just follow the manual to connect the network cable,” Liu added. In the next steps, Guangdong will promote the first batch of virtual power plants to participate in the regional spot market, further exploring diverse profit models, including “energy transactions, ancillary services, and demand-side responses,” creating more flexible and varied revenue scenarios. When every vehicle and every rooftop can be “awakened” to work, the true era of a “National Power Plant” will be within reach.