skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Emissions Impacts and Benefits of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Vehicle-to-Grid Services

Abstract

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been promoted as a potential technology to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants by using electricity instead of petroleum, and by improving electric system efficiency by providing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services. We use an electric power system model to explicitly evaluate the change in generator dispatches resulting from PHEV deployment in the Texas grid, and apply fixed and non-parametric estimates of generator emissions rates, to estimate the resulting changes in generation emissions. We find that by using the flexibility of when vehicles may be charged, generator efficiency can be increased substantially. By changing generator dispatch, a PHEV fleet of up to 15% of light-duty vehicles can actually decrease net generator NO{sub x} emissions during the ozone season, despite the additional charging load. By adding V2G services, such as spinning reserves and energy storage, CO{sub 2}, SO{sub 2}, and NO{sub x} emissions can be reduced even further.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
964205
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-99-GO10337
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Environmental Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 43; Journal Issue: 4, 2009; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; 33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; EFFICIENCY; ELECTRICITY; ENERGY STORAGE; FLEXIBILITY; GREENHOUSE GASES; OZONE; PETROLEUM; POLLUTANTS; POWER SYSTEMS; Energy Analysis

Citation Formats

Sioshansi, R, and Denholm, P. Emissions Impacts and Benefits of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Vehicle-to-Grid Services. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.1021/es802324j.
Sioshansi, R, & Denholm, P. Emissions Impacts and Benefits of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Vehicle-to-Grid Services. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/es802324j
Sioshansi, R, and Denholm, P. 2009. "Emissions Impacts and Benefits of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Vehicle-to-Grid Services". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/es802324j.
@article{osti_964205,
title = {Emissions Impacts and Benefits of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Vehicle-to-Grid Services},
author = {Sioshansi, R and Denholm, P},
abstractNote = {Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been promoted as a potential technology to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants by using electricity instead of petroleum, and by improving electric system efficiency by providing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services. We use an electric power system model to explicitly evaluate the change in generator dispatches resulting from PHEV deployment in the Texas grid, and apply fixed and non-parametric estimates of generator emissions rates, to estimate the resulting changes in generation emissions. We find that by using the flexibility of when vehicles may be charged, generator efficiency can be increased substantially. By changing generator dispatch, a PHEV fleet of up to 15% of light-duty vehicles can actually decrease net generator NO{sub x} emissions during the ozone season, despite the additional charging load. By adding V2G services, such as spinning reserves and energy storage, CO{sub 2}, SO{sub 2}, and NO{sub x} emissions can be reduced even further.},
doi = {10.1021/es802324j},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/964205}, journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
issn = {0013-936X},
number = 4, 2009,
volume = 43,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Emissions and Energy Efficiency Assessment of Baseload Wind Energy Systems
journal, January 2005


Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles: Implications for Policy
journal, May 2008


On Estimating Regression
journal, January 1964


Using Global Positioning System Travel Data to Assess Real-World Energy Use of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
journal, January 2007

  • Gonder, Jeffrey; Markel, Tony; Thornton, Matthew
  • Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Vol. 2017, Issue 1
  • https://doi.org/10.3141/2017-04

Environmental and Energy Implications of Plug-In Hybrid-Electric Vehicles
journal, January 2008


Electric vehicles as a new power source for electric utilities
journal, September 1997


Vehicle-to-grid power fundamentals: Calculating capacity and net revenue
journal, June 2005


ADVISOR: a systems analysis tool for advanced vehicle modeling
journal, August 2002


The Electrification of the Automobile: From Conventional Hybrid, to Plug-in Hybrids, to Extended-Range Electric Vehicles
journal, April 2008

  • Tate, E. D.; Harpster, Michael O.; Savagian, Peter J.
  • SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars - Electronic and Electrical Systems, Vol. 1, Issue 1
  • https://doi.org/10.4271/2008-01-0458

Works referencing / citing this record:

Realizing the electric-vehicle revolution
journal, April 2012


Power Electronic Control Design for Stable EV Motor and Battery Operation during a Route
journal, May 2019


Environmental impacts of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles—what can we learn from life cycle assessment?
journal, August 2014


Alleviating a form of electric vehicle range anxiety through on-demand vehicle access
journal, October 2014


Environmental impacts of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles—what can we learn from life cycle assessment?
journal, August 2014


Environmental Implications of the National Power Roadmap with Policy Directives for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
journal, November 2019


Indirect emissions from electric vehicles: emissions from electricity generation
journal, January 2010


Profitable Emissions-Reducing Energy Storage
text, January 2019


Environmental impacts of hybrid and electric vehicles—a review
journal, May 2012


Adaptive robust electric vehicle routing under energy consumption uncertainty
preprint, January 2022