Photo: State Grid Changzhou Power Supply Company

Recently, State Grid Changzhou Power Supply Company successfully launched a pilot program for "vehicle network interaction" in the public transportation sector, achieving remarkable results.

This initiative effectively integrated the city's new energy bus charging mechanism with the power grid, contributing to grid peak cutting and valley filling. The pilot has become an emerging force in ensuring power supply during the summer peak, and providing support for the large-scale application of vehicle network interaction and the efficient operation of the new power system.

Photo: State Grid Changzhou Power Supply Company

The Changzhou Bus Group operates 2,013 vehicles, with 75 percent being pure electric buses. Previously, these buses were mainly charged from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and its tidal charging exacerbated the evening peak load, and the maximum charging load could reach about 30,000 kilowatts, accounting for about 50 percent of the city's public charging peak load.

In June this year, Changzhou City officially introduced relevant policies for the "vehicle network interaction" pilot program, shifting from a single electricity price system to peak and valley time-based pricing.The adjustment transformed charging from the evening peak period to off-peak times, improving cost efficiency and alleviating peak power supply pressure.

According to the "one game and one strategy" charging scheme, the local bus group can adjust the charging mode according to various factors such as the number of charging vehicles configured at each charging station, the operation schedule of charging vehicles, and the way drivers move vehicles, so as to reduce costs and increase efficiency, while also alleviating the peak power supply pressure of the grid.

Photo: State Grid Changzhou Power Supply Company

Currently, 28 out of the 65 bus charging stations in the city participate in the pilot, bus operating cost have been reduced by 20 percent, the charging amount during the valley power period has increased from less than 5 to 90 percent, and the maximum peak shift in the evening is of about 10,000 kilowatts, equivalent to the electricity load of more than 1,000 households.

Deputy director of the State Grid Changzhou Power Supply Company Marketing Department, Chatzi Yi commented: "This pilot verifies the feasibility of large-scale vehicle network interaction in public transport to balance the power system, improve clean energy consumption and provide a safe and reliable power supply. Additionally, this initiative provides a valuable model for the expansion of social charging stations in the province and beyond,"  Chatzi Yi said. If social charging station "peak avoidance valley" charging is expanded across the province, the evening peak load of the power grid is expected to be reduced by about 600,000 kilowatts, which is equivalent to the daily production power load of more than 800 medium-sized enterprises. This will effectively guarantee power supply and strongly support the construction of a new energy system in Jiangsu.