Those clever minds at Mitsubishi – including Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Corporation itself – have developed the M-tech Labo (pictured): an all-new smart grid demonstration system.
The system includes a 20kw photovoltaic system; five electrically dischargeable electric vehicles; and 80kWh of used rechargeable batteries.
It has been set up with the aim of demonstrating load shifting with charging at night when demand is typically low. It stores power from renewable sources in rechargeable batteries and supplies power back to the grid. In addition, Mitsubishi hopes that by using electric vehicle batteries and used rechargeable batteries – instead of expensive, dedicated batteries – costs can be lowered while promoting renewable energy and electric vehicles.
The project will be assisted by the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
For the project, Mitsubishi Corporation will study electric related businesses utilising rechargeable electric vehicle batteries and used rechargeable batteries; Mitsubishi Motors Corporation looks at research on the effect of charging and discharging on electric vehicles; while Mitsubishi Electric will look to validate a system that can use rechargeable electric vehicle batteries and used rechargeable batteries.
