OVO Energy partner with Nissan on EV initiative
An exciting day for the company’s first ‘Energy Technology Product Showcase’, with some world firsts..
This morning, OVO Energy – one of the UK’s largest independent energy providers – announced the launch of three exclusive new products, in line with their vision for the #FutureOfEnergy.
Stephen Fitzpatrick, CEO & Founder, this morning took to the stage at a packed-out Truman Brewery in London for their premier Energy Technology Product Showcase, announcing the company’s mission to build the ‘customer-centric distributed energy system of the future’.
The development of three products were announced at the symposium, one of which was the world’s first widely available domestic electric vehicle-to-grid charger. Whilst this might sound like a bit of a mouthful, essentially the device is designed for Electric Vehicle users to charge their cars at home, but also to sell surplus energy from their vehicles back to the electricity grid. This will simultaneously promote renewable energy use, reduce consumer’s electricity bills, and – arguably most importantly – balance demand on the National Grid. The device was also designed and produced in the UK, meaning it’s a plus for the UK Engineering and Manufacturing sectors in the drive to promote sustainability, and get ahead in the ‘energy game’.
The charger was designed in collaboration with Nissan, and the device will first be trialled with owners of Nissan’s LEAF model only.
On stage at this morning’s event, Fitzpatrick said, “We’re not going off-grid, we’re making homes into energy reservoirs, allowing more grid flexibility, and eventually the integration of 100% renewables.”
Additional strain on the National Grid has long been a concern for those at the forefront of the EV revolution, with concerns about how the ageing infrastructure can keep up with growing consumer demand. With initiatives like this well-timed launched from OVO, it seems that these fears could well be eased in the near future.
The other two devices confirmed at the event are a Smart Charger which will come to market in the Autumn, and a Home Energy Storage system – a giant battery which harvests energy for your home during off-peak hours, and is a solution that has been long cited as the future of energy conservation.
We recently reported on the on the predicted rise of the EV, in keeping with the UK & Europe’s sustainability goals, and this set of launches couldn’t come at a better time for OVO Energy.
Image credit: OVO Energy Newsroom, 2018