Voltage Control and Frequency Control

Electric vehicles (EVs) are nowadays treated as potential candidates for providing ancillary services. Owing to their storage capability, they are able to store energy in times of overproduction, especially from renewable energy sources, and to restore it, for example, when the volatile feed-in is low. Thereby, EVs can help to maintain and improve the quality, reliability, and stability of the supply system. This means a paradigm shift because generally ancillary services are not provided from the low-voltage grid. This chapter discusses these services and how electric vehicles can contribute to them. The main focus is on voltage and frequency control. For the analysis, the German perspective is chosen. First of all, voltage control is discussed briefly. This is followed by an overview of the current regulatory framework for providing frequency control in Germany. Eventually, a basic analysis of the technical potential of electric vehicles is presented taking into account the different types of control power. Keywords: voltage control; frequency control; powertrain; electric vehicle; supply system; ancillary services