Car charges the building

According to the technology website Dvice, no one would be unfamiliar with the idea of plugging electric vehicles into a building's electrical system for charging. But reversing this process might still be an eye-opener. Engineers at Nissan are currently testing a project in Japan called "Vehicle to Building," which allows electric vehicles to also become power supply points for buildings.

Most electricity-consuming devices in the world are used more frequently during the day than at night, and nighttime electricity demand is typically lower. Based on this phenomenon, Nissan engineers began researching whether it would be possible to charge during the night when electricity prices are relatively low, and then feed the stored energy back to the building during the day.

Nissan's Advanced Technology Laboratory in Atsugi City, Japan, is testing this system with remarkable results: peak electricity usage has been reduced by 2.5%, saving $5000 annually in electricity costs alone. During the test, six Leaf electric cars were connected to a modified charging system, enabling them to supply power back to the building (originally they were just standard charging units).