A Small but Mighty Pair of Nissan Leafs Help Make a Regional Airport More Resilient.
In a bid to enhance the resilience of its operations, a regional airport in California has turned to an unconventional source of power: two Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. The microgrid at Redwood Coast Airport has integrated bidirectional charging, and the two Leafs – one from 2021 and another from 2020 – have been plugging into any of four Fermata Energy-made chargers on site.
This innovative setup enables the cars to continue operating bidirectionally even when the airport is disconnected from the main grid. The microgrid can draw power from the Leafs if it's under an emergency, adding more energy to prevent blackouts. Furthermore, if the batteries are too full, the system will send excess solar to the Leafs.
According to David Carter, principal engineer at the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, "We are proud to have led the technical integration of this important pilot project that advances local resiliency and deep decarbonization." The project has expanded the capacity of the site, providing another clean energy resource for ensuring statewide grid stability.
The Nissan Leafs' bidirectional charging capabilities are a significant step forward in the adoption of electric vehicles as a means to support local energy needs and grid resilience. While not all EVs possess this feature, it's an exciting development that could have far-reaching implications for the way we think about energy storage and distribution in the future.
In a bid to enhance the resilience of its operations, a regional airport in California has turned to an unconventional source of power: two Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. The microgrid at Redwood Coast Airport has integrated bidirectional charging, and the two Leafs – one from 2021 and another from 2020 – have been plugging into any of four Fermata Energy-made chargers on site.
This innovative setup enables the cars to continue operating bidirectionally even when the airport is disconnected from the main grid. The microgrid can draw power from the Leafs if it's under an emergency, adding more energy to prevent blackouts. Furthermore, if the batteries are too full, the system will send excess solar to the Leafs.
According to David Carter, principal engineer at the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, "We are proud to have led the technical integration of this important pilot project that advances local resiliency and deep decarbonization." The project has expanded the capacity of the site, providing another clean energy resource for ensuring statewide grid stability.
The Nissan Leafs' bidirectional charging capabilities are a significant step forward in the adoption of electric vehicles as a means to support local energy needs and grid resilience. While not all EVs possess this feature, it's an exciting development that could have far-reaching implications for the way we think about energy storage and distribution in the future.
They're using old Leafs to power the airport now? That's genius! I mean, who needs new cars when you can repurpose them as battery banks? The fact that they can send excess solar to the Leafs is just pure magic. I wish more airports would do something like this – we need more of these green innovations ASAP! And can we talk about how cool it is that they're using EVs to stabilize the grid? It's like, the ultimate circle of sustainability 
. I mean, who knew electric cars could be like superheroes? The Leafs are connected to special chargers and can send energy back to the grid or draw it from when it's down 
️. It's also super cool that they're helping stabilize the state grid by using renewable energy sources 
. The fact that these old Leafs just got a new lease on life is awesome 
- I mean, who needs a fancy new wind turbine or solar panel farm when you've got old cars that can just charge themselves up?
... don't we need to be focusing on more sustainable sources of energy than just electric vehicles? It's not like they're going to single-handedly save the planet from climate change 
...
- a weird and wonderful combination of old cars, new tech, and a dash of sci-fi magic 
... I'm torn 
!
. Its awesome to see innovation like this happening on a smaller scale, showing us what's possible when we think outside the box 
. Plus, its not just about the Leafs themselves, but how they're part of a bigger system that can help keep the grid stable and prevent blackouts 
"The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams." 
. I mean, who needs batteries when you have Nissan Leafs, right? 