Demand response and vehicle-to-grid
Storing energy by shifting when it is used: smart appliances, pre-cooling and parked EVs.
Storage · Electrical and system · No. 94
- Storage
- Duration: Hours
The cheapest grid battery may already be in your garage: parked EVs and smart thermostats can shift power for free.
Chart: Illustration: Demand response and vehicle-to-grid
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
No new store is built: flexibility uses heat and cold held in buildings and water tanks, and the batteries of parked cars, shifting use by 2 to 4 hours.
Three things to know
- Managed heat pump water heaters removed about 90% of the evening peak in a US Northwest study.
- Only 22 vehicle models can send power back to the grid, under 1.5% of EV models on sale.
- India has installed about 28% of its sanctioned consumer smart meters (June 2026, calculated), the key to flexible demand.
The journey
- 1 Price signalTime-of-day tariff or utility request
- 2 Smart controlMeters, thermostats and charging software
- 3 Shift loadPre-cool, heat water, delay charging
- 4 HoldHeat, cold or car battery charge
- 5 Peak easedFewer gas or coal plants needed